Chinese Navy Is Short On Carrier-Based Fighters

J-15 fighter jets on the Liaoning aircraft carrier. © Kyodo

Sputnik: Chinese Navy Short on Carrier-Based Fighters, Only Has Problem-Ridden J-15

With China’s first indigenously designed aircraft carrier, the as-yet-unnamed Type 001A, set to join the country’s first carrier, the Liaoning, in active service in the coming months, the People’s Liberation Army-Navy is confronting an interesting problem: it doesn’t have enough fighter jets to fill both ships.

The Liaoning can carry 40 aircraft, but operating with a short take-off and arrested recovery system instead of a catapult means that a good portion of its air forces are rotary-wing aircraft — helicopters. It only carries 26 of the PLA-N's carrier-based Shenyang J-15 fighters. When the Type 001A, now in its second stage of sea trials, begins active patrols in the coming months, it won't have enough J-15s to form a complete squadron: according to the PLA Daily, the service only has 40 of the jets.

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WNU Editor: The  Chinese Navy may be short on carrier-based fighters, but they are still going to continue building these aircraft carriers.

China's J-15 Multirole Fighter Jets Have Now Entered Mass Production

China’s Carrier-Based J-15 Likely Enters Mass Production -- Zachary Keck, The Diplomat

A number of recent reports in Chinese state-run media indicate that the country’s carrier-based J-15 multirole fighter jets have entered mass production.

The Shenyang J-15 (also called Flying Shark) is China’s carrier-based fighter aircraft. It was reversed engineered from a Russian Sukhoi Su-33 that China acquired from Ukraine, although it reportedly is equipped with some indigenous weapons, avionics and other features that Beijing claims greatly enhances its capabilities. The J-15 is also powered by the Chinese-built Taihang (WS-10) turbofan engine.

A J-15 prototype conducted its first flight test in August 2009. In November last year it was announced that a PLA Air Force (PLAAF) pilot conducted the first take-off and landing from China’s aircraft carrier, Liaoning, using one of the J-15 tester jets. Throughout 2013 the PLAAF has continued holding take-off and landing exercises using the J-15 aircraft.

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My Comment: For the Chinese this was a pipe-dream 10 years ago .... now it is a reality. Makes you wonder what will be in the pipeline 10 years from now.

Russia Is Upset With China's Blatant Copying Of It's Military Equipment

Russia And China Wait For Someone To Blink -- Strategy Page

July 8, 2010: Russia is increasingly upset at how blatantly China has been copying Russian military equipment, and selling the copies in competition with the Russian originals. Particularly annoying is China’s building copies of the Su-27 (as the J-11 and the carrier version as the J-15.) Now Russia is threatening to play hardball, by refusing to sell China the high-performance engines needed for Chinese built fighters. A Chinese order for several hundred Russian RD93 jet engines from Russia is on hold.

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Hat Tip: Defense Tech

My Comment: Russia is not the only country that is tired of China copying its military technology .... but with Russian customers now making their opinions known that this cannot continue, Russia is now trying to balance their needs and what they can (at the same time) get out of China.

I wish them luck.