China's Military Unveils It's New Carrier Warplane Ahead Of Hagel's Visit

Tailhook for new J-15s carrier jet / Source: Chinese Internet

China Reveals New Carrier Jet Prior to Hagel Visit -- Washington Free Beacon

Defense secretary visits carrier

China’s military has allowed the public release of the first photographs of a warplane variant deployed on the Liaoning — the aircraft carrier that saw its first visit by U.S. officials this week.

The new Shenyang J-15, also known as the Flying Shark, is based on the Russian SU-33 design and was disclosed on an official Chinese website.

Several photos of the J-15 revealed its tail hook used for carrier deck landings.

The photos were posted on the Global Times website March 31. The news outlet is part of the official Communist Party newspaper group.

“The existence of the J-15 mystery is finally revealed,” the news outlet reported, noting the imperative of training carrier jet pilots for the Liaoning.

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My Comment: This Chinese admission that it is taking them a long time to develop naval aviation capabilities is a surprise.They have always been secret in the past over such things.But they are signaling their intent .... and their intent is to have carrier strike groups in the future .... albeit far into the future.