China live-fires aircraft carrier group amid Taiwan tensions with US

China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier battle group has conducted its first exercises with live ammunition, in a show of strength as tensions with the US and Taiwan escalate.
China’s first and only aircraft carrier led large-scale exercises in the Bohai Sea, the navy of the People’s Liberation Army announced late on Thursday.
The drills involved dozens of ships and aircraft in the carrier group and more than 10 air-to-air, anti-ship and air defence missiles were tested, it said.
The group also performed reconnaissance exercises, tests of early warning systems, aerial interception and missile defence.
The goal of the exercises was to “test the performance of weapons and the training level of the team”, the statement said.
China’s national broadcaster CCTV showed footage of J-15 fighter jets taking off from the carrier and firing missiles.
The drills come as a heated war of words intensifies between Beijing and the US president-elect, Donald Trump, who broke convention by speaking directly to the Taiwanese president, Tsai Ing-wen, and even suggested Washington could jettison the decades-old “One China policy” – a diplomatic compromise allowing the US to do business with both China and Taiwan while only recognising Beijing.
Since Trump’s and Tsai’s phone call, China has sent military aircraft close to Japanese territory near the Miyako Strait and reportedly sent a bomber to circumnavigate disputed territory in the resource-rich South China Sea – flights its air force has described as “routine”.
The US Pacific commander said on Wednesday that the US would keep challenging China’s “assertive, aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea” despite Beijing’s rapid development of artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

Satellite images published this week by a US thinktank showed structures on Chinese-built artificial islands that appeared to be large anti-aircraft guns and close-in weapons systems (CIWS) designed to take out incoming missiles and enemy aircraft, the thinktank said.
China’s defence ministry said the construction was mostly for civilian use and necessary military installations were for self-defence.
Beijing is seeking to build a “blue water” navy capable of operating in distant seas and has embarked on an extensive project to modernise its two million-strong military, the world’s largest.
The Liaoning is a secondhand Soviet ship built more than 25 years ago. It was commissioned in 2012 after extensive refits.
In December 2015 China’s defence ministry announced the country was building a second aircraft carrier based entirely on domestic designs.
theguardian

Operational J-15s loaded onto China Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier

The People's Liberation Army has begun loading operational J-15 carrier-based fighter jets onto the Liaoning, China's first and only aircraft carrier.
Recently leaked photos reveal that four J-15s have been moved onto the Liaoning, which will eventually be able to carry up to 24 fighter jets of similar size.
Unconfirmed reports state that the Liaoning conducted its first naval drills for 2015 between April 10 and April 18 in northeast China's Bohai Bay.
Though there is currently no confirmed publicly information about the specifications of the J-15, reports suggest that the fighter is based on the Su-33.
wantchinatimes

Brazil may buy China's J-15

China was probably trying to interest Brazil in its first first generation carrier-based fighter, the J-15 according to a March 6 report in a Chinese-language military magazine based in Canada.
A military cooperation agreement may be signed to enhance the relationship between the People's Liberation Army Navy and the Brazilian Navy. As Brazil is still constructing its first nuclear-powered submarine, the SNB Alvaro Alberto and China may assist in training the crew. China could also benefit from the experience of the Brazilian Navy in operating an aircraft carrier and carrier-based aircraft.
China is continuing the improvement of J-15 fighters, as a steam-powered catapult will be installed on board China's future aircraft carrier, so stronger landing gear will be needed for the carrier-based fighter.
wantchinatimes

PLANAF J-15 jets complete second landing test aboard Liaoning

Eight pilots from the PLA Navy Air Force completed the second landing test on the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, in late November with their J-15 fighters.
A photo posted on the internet earlier this month showed at least four J-15 fighters on the carrier's flight deck. The country is moving closer to establishing its first carrier combat group.
The first landing test took place on Nov. 23, 2012 when a J-15 touched down aboard the carrier using its tailhook to stop before taking off from the Liaoning's ski-jump ramp. Between June and July 2013, pilots of J-15 fighters practiced their flying and landing skills from the PLA Navy's land bases to prepare for the second test.
wantchinatimes

Chinese Carrier J-15 Fighter Now In Serial Production

China has put the Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark carrier-borne multirole fighter into serial production, with at least eight production examples known to be flying already. This is in addition to the six J-15 prototypes, some of which conducted carrier trials on board China’s refurbished former Soviet Kuznetsov-class carrier, Liaoning.
Undated photos published on Chinese online forums in October showed J-15s bearing the tail numbers 107 and 108 operating from an undisclosed airfield in China. Both aircraft carried the Flying Shark motif on the tail, along with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ensign on the fuselage, similar to all production J-15s seen so far.
Earlier, in October 2013, Chinese state-run media showed news clips of J-15 production facilities at Shenyang Aircraft Corporation in which they revealed a production aircraft said to be being readied for delivery to the PLAN. This was followed by photos of J-15s bearing tail numbers 100, 101, and 102.
usni.org

China's carriers may carry modified J-20 stealth fighter

China is likely to complete the construction of its second and third aircraft carriers with the ability to carry J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighters, although a carrier-friendly model may need to be designed first.
China's domestic aircraft carriers will look very similar to the Liaoning, the country's first aircraft carrier bought from Ukraine and refitted. They are most likely to be equipped with a ski-jump ramp. The displacement of each vessel will be somewhere between 65,000 and 70,000 tons.
The PLA Navy is planning to form two composite air hangar decks, with 50 fighters for each carrier. However, the design of the Chengdu J-20 is currently too large to be deployed aboard the Liaoning. Domestic carrier versions will have to be larger to accommodate them, putting them at an estimated 80,000 tons. Furthermore, they may use a steam catapult or electromagnetic aircraft launch system.
The current J-20 prototype lacks the design specs necessary to take off from a carrier. The length of the first domestically built aircraft carrier may be be longer than the Liaoning by an estimated 20 meters but a new version of the J-20 will have to be designed in any case to be more like the more compact J-15. China's new carrier wing may come equipped with 25 J-15Bs and 25 J-20s.
wantchinatimes

China PLA Could Commission Four Carrier Battle Groups

The People's Liberation Army Navy will commission between three and four carrier battle groups over the next 15 years.
Photos on the internet revealed new facilities and vehicles on the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier which is now undergoing maintenance at Dalian Shipyard. PLA Navy has gained more experience in operating an aircraft carrier in the 18 months since the Liaoning was commissioned.
China already has plans to build two domestic aircraft carriers after the Liaoning. Over the next 15 years, the PLA Navy may be able to maintain four carrier battle groups. For the US Navy, meanwhile, there is currently debate over whether it is necessary to keep 11 aircraft carriers in active service.
Through gaining more diesel-electric submarines from Russia or producing them domestically, the PLA Navy possesses enough underwater threat to take on the United States Navy in any potential conflict. All of the diesel-electric submarines are equipped with air-independent propulsion systems, which allow a non-nuclear submarine to operate without the need to access atmospheric oxygen and to stay underwater for a longer period of time.
The nuclear strike capability of the PLA has increased dramatically with the DF-41 nuclear solid-fueled road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile and the JL-2 intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile in service.
At the same time, China is producing more and more fourth-generation fighters such as the J-11B, the J-15, the J-16 and the J-10B. China has no intention of challenging US influence around the globe, however, it has enough air and naval forces to conduct an anti-access and area-denial strategy over the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
defense-studies

F-35 is Liaoning's worst nightmare

The US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is capable of combating China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.
In a hypothetical aircraft carrier battle between China and the United States, the main fighter jets would include the United States' F-35C and China's J-15.
The F-35 is equipped with extremely powerful offensive capabilities for both land and sea combat, with a weapons load of eight tonnes and the capacity to carry four AIM20C and AIM-9X mid-range and short-range air-to-air missiles.
In an attack on the Liaoning the F-35 could carry joint strike missiles developed in Norway, which have a range of 290 kilometers. The J-15, on the other hand, could carry two YJ8-3 anti-missiles with a range of only 180 km.
In terms of radar technology, the US has the clear upper hand with its AN/APG-81 AESA radar developed by Northrop Grumman, which has a thousand transceivers with the ability to simultaneously search for 23 moving targets, including 19 targets in just 2.4 seconds, after which it would turn to tracking mode.
Even against China's J-20, the F-35 would still be the first to detect its opponent due to its superior radar.
wantchinatimes

China may build 3 more carriers amid territorial disputes

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy may build three Liaoning-class aircraft carriers to prepare for a potential conflict with Japan in the Asia-Pacific region.
Light aircraft carriers such as the Liaoning and Japan's Izumo have become vital for the PLA Navy and Japan Maritme Self-Defense Force amid territorial disputes between the two countries. It added that Japan may become an even greater threat to China if the country successfully introduces a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship from the United States and deploys its F-35B fighters with vertical take-off and landing ability aboard the ship.
To face Japan in a potential combat situation, the PLA Navy needs to construct at least three aircraft carriers based on the Liaoning.
Meanwhile, if Japan is unable to purchase the Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship, the Izumo alone can carry at least 24 F-38B fighters after the vessel's fuel supply facility is removed, while Tokyo will likely choose to purchase cheaper but older AV-8 fighters.
Japan's F-35B fighter is designed mostly for surface attack missions and it is thus unable to compete against China's J-15 carrier-based fighters. But neither China nor Japan is likely to deploy aircraft carriers against each other over a narrow battlefield like the disputed East China Sea. If the local conflict escalated into a full scale war, it would be up to the United States to decide whether or not to fight for Japan.
wantchinatimes

China's newest fighter jet J-16 revealed online

China's most advanced fighter jet, the J-16, has been revealed online in flight.
The J-16 shown online was believed to be a prototype of the jet fighter because it carries the serial number "1601."
It marked the first time that the warplane was shown in flight.
Military analysts speculated that the plane should still be in the test-flight stage.
Some Chinese netizens said the plane is undergoing tests at a People's Liberation Army flight test and training base in Hebei province in northern China.
The plane was developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corp for the use of the PLA Navy's aviation corps.
Military analysts said the J-16 was an improved version of Russia's Su-30MKK. It can carry a maximum load of 12 tons of bombs or missiles, including YJ-62 and YJ-83 anti-ship missiles.
Previous media reports said the J-16's navigation electronics were much better than those on the J-15, and expected the new jet to gradually replace the J-15 in maritime battles.
One of the stories drawing the greatest attention was China's new aircraft carrier — the Liaoning — making its first long-distance voyage to the South China Sea on a testing and training mission.
Other milestones to be highly publicized were the test-firing of the land-based Dongfeng 41 multi-warhead intercontinental ballistic missile and the test-firing of the submarine-launched JL-2 missile.
wantchinatimes

New aircraft carriers to be built in Dalian and Shanghai

China will construct two conventionally powered aircraft carriers in Dalian and Shanghai between 2014 and 2015.
Under the Commission's Project 048, China aims to establish three carrier battle groups by 2020 so that all three major fleets of the PLA Navy will be able to carry out missions with the full support of an aircraft carrier. The two new Type 001A indigenous carriers will be updated versions of China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. They will also likely be designed with a ski-jump ramp, according to Duowei.
The General Equipment Department of the PLA has already signed a contract with the Beijing-based China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation to build the two carriers.
China has yet to decide whether its J-31 stealth fighter will replace the J-15 to become the country's next generation carrier-based fighter. The J-31 fighter entered service before the J-15, and is able to land or take off from the flight deck of the Liaoning. Sources said that a decision will only be made after the construction of the nation's second and third aircraft carriers is completed.
wantchinatimes

First carrier-based fighter enters production in China

The Shenyang J-15, China's first carrier-based fighter designed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, has entered mass production and has been received by various units of the PLA Navy Air Force.
It's estimated that the production of six or eight J-15 fighters has been completed recently while between six and seven aircraft are still being constructed.
Based on the Russian-built Sukhoi Su-33 carrier-based fighter, the J-15 is said to be only a transitional aircraft, before the PLA Navy receive its own fifth-generation stealth fighter which shares similar capabilities with China's Chengdu J-20 and Shenyang J-31. China has nine J-15 prototypes in total, seven of which are single-seater fighters. Flying the J-15 from the Liaoning will provide Chinese naval aviators with experience in anticipation of operating more advanced fighters aboard the aircraft carrier in future.
wantchinatimes

Three J-15 fighters can take off simultaneously from Liaoning carrier

During its three-week exercise in open seas, Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier was able to launch three Shenyang J-15 fighters simultaneously from its flight deck.
The Liaoning has a total of three jet blast deflectors. While two parallel deflectors are located immediately forward of the island superstructure, a third is located closer to the stern of the ship. With all three positions fully operational, the aircraft carrier is capable of launching three J-15s from its forward ramp at the same time.
The ability of Liaoning's crew to disassemble and reassemble J-15 jet engines aboard the carrier was tested as well during the three-week test mission.
However, The PLA Navy Air Force is unable to transfer new fighter engines to the Liaoning through a carrier onboard delivery aircraft like the Northrop Grumman C-2 operated by the US Navy. The Chinese defense ministry did not mention whether Liaoning was able to launch or recover fighters at night.
wantchinatimes

Canadian military officials don’t think China’s aircraft Liaoning is much of a threat to anyone

A secret briefing note for Canada’s defense minister revealed that Canadian military officials don’t think China’s sole aircraft carrier Liaoning is much of a threat to anyone.
Canadian officials believe it will be years until China will be able to make full use of the ship’s capabilities and with limitations.
The Liaoning, was unveiled to much fanfare in September 2012 as part of an ongoing Chinese effort to flex its muscles and assert itself as a major player in its neighbourhood and around the globe.
A secret briefing note for defence minister written last December indicates Canadian military officials were largely unimpressed.
Canadian officials acknowledged the aircraft carrier puts China among a handful of countries with the potential ability to launch and recover aircraft at sea, but the note makes clear they believe it will be years until China will be able to make full use of those capabilities, and even then with many limitations.
Canadian officials quoted the deputy commander of the Chinese navy as having “asserted that pilots have ‘mastered’ take-off and landing skills, even under unfavourable conditions such as poor visibility and unstable airflow.”
“The photographs and videos of the drill, however, show a sunny day with a calm sea state.”
Canadian military officials also cited Chinese media reports that five pilots had taken off and landed on the carrier, “though photographs and video of the event show only two planes landing and one plane taking off.”
And they noted that the Liaoning is much smaller and less capable than its American counterparts, while the J-15 fighter jets “used in the drills are themselves test aircraft, with full production many years away.”
“Deck space and layout will be at a premium, since the J-15 will need to run about half the length of the warship at full afterburner for a ramp-assisted launch”(...) “This would make it challenging, if not impossible, to conduct the simultaneous launch and recovery of aircraft.”
The Liaoning was originally built by the Soviet Union as a hybrid cruiser-aircraft carrier and operated under the name Varyag until it was sold to China by Ukraine. Its unveiling as the Liaoning last year came after a decade of Chinese renovations and repairs.
There has been a debate in some circles in recent months over whether Canada should shift more of its military assets, particularly those of the Royal Canadian Navy, towards the Pacific.
Several other countries have already done so, including the United States, which has stated it will maintain 60 per cent of its military in the region.

Chinese aircraft carrier expands capabilities

China’s first aircraft carrier has completed a three week cruise during which the crew achieved several milestones. The cruise ran from 23 October and was completed when the Liaoning returned to port on 11 November.
One accomplishment appears to be the launching of aircraft from “all the take-off positions” aboard the ship. Images of the Liaoning suggests she has three jet blast deflectors. Two parallel deflectors are located immediately forward of the island superstructure, while a third is located closer to the stern of the ship.
Having all three positions fully operational would allow the Liaoning to rapidly launch three Shenyang J-15 fighters off the warship’s forward ramp.
Another important first during the cruise was the disassembly and assembly of jet engines aboard the ship. Jet engine maintenance is a crucial element of maintaining an effective carrier air wing. US aircraft carriers have extensive facilities for engine maintenance.
The defence ministry adds that the Liaoning’s cruise also saw more flight deck crews qualified for operations.
The defence ministry, however, made no mention about whether the Liaoning had attempted to launch or recover fighters at night.
flightglobal

Chinese Media Takes Aim at J-15 Fighter

In an unusual departure for mainland Chinese-language media, the Beijing-based Sina Military Network (SMN) criticized the capabilities of the carrier-borne J-15 Flying Shark as nothing more than a “flopping fish.”
On Sept. 22, the state-controlled China Daily Times reported the new aircraft carrier Liaoning had just finished a three-month voyage and conducted over 100 sorties of “various aircraft,” of which the J-15 “took off and landed on the carrier with maximum load and various weapons.” This report was also carried on the official Liberation Army Daily.
Contradicting any report by official military or government media is unusual in China given state control of the media.
What sounded more like a rant than analysis, SMN, on Sept. 23, reported the new J-15 was incapable of flying from the Liaoning with heavy weapons, “effectively crippling its attack range and firepower.”
The fighter can take off and land on the carrier with two YJ-83K anti-ship missiles, two PL-8 air-to-air missiles, and four 500-kilogram bombs. But a weapons “load exceeding 12 tons will not get it off the carrier’s ski jump ramp.” This might prohibit it from carrying heavier munitions such as PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missiles.
To further complicate things, the J-15 can carry only two tons of weapons while fully fueled. “This would equip it with no more than two YJ-83K and two PL-8 missiles,” thus the “range of the YJ-83K prepared for the fighter will be shorter than comparable YJ-83K missiles launched from larger PLAN [People’s Liberation Army Navy] vessels. The J-15 will be boxed into less than 120 [kilometers] of attack range.”
Losing the ability to carry the PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missiles will make the J-15 an “unlikely match” against other foreign carrier-based fighters.
“Even the Vietnam People’s Air Force can outmatch the PL-8 short-range missile. Without space for an electronic countermeasure pod, a huge number of J-15s must be mobilized for even simple missions, a waste for the PLA Navy in using the precious space aboard its sole aircraft carrier in service.”
Built by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, the J-15 is a copy of the Russian-made Su-33. China acquired an Su-33 prototype from the Ukraine in 2001. Avionics are most likely the same as the J-11B (Su-27). In 2006, Russia accused China of reverse engineering the Su-27 and canceled a production license to build 200 Su-27s after only 95 aircraft had been built.
Vasily Kashin, a China military specialist at the Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, suggests the J-15 might be a better aircraft than the Su-33. “I think that there might be some improvements because electronic equipment now weighs less than in the 1990s,” he said. It could also be lighter due to new composites that China is using on the J-11B that were not available on the original Su-33.
Despite improvements, Kashin wonders why the Chinese bothered with the Su-33 given the fact that Russia gave up on it. Weight problems and other issues forced the Russians to develop the MiG-29K, which has better power-to-weight ratio and can carry more weapons. “Of course, when the Chinese get their future carriers equipped with catapults, that limitation will not apply and they will be able to fully realize Su-33/J-15 potential — huge range and good payload,” Kashin said.
The Liaoning is the problem. The carrier is small — 53,000 tons — and uses a ski jump. From Russia’s experience, “taking off from the carrier with takeoff weight exceeding some 26 tons is very difficult,” Kashin said.
A possible answer is that it was unable to take off with both. “The article says that it can only carry ‘two tons’ of missiles and munitions when fully fueled, which is 4,400 pounds, and two YJ-83s plus two PL-8s would weigh over 4,000 pounds, leaving no margin for any PL-12s. But I don’t see why it couldn’t take off with PL-12s if it wasn’t carrying YJ-83s.” Cliff concludes that the J-15 should be capable of carrying PL-12s when it is flying purely air-to-air missions and that “it probably just can’t carry PL-12s when it is flying a strike mission.”
Kashin said the J-15, unlike the Su-33, should have a “potent” internal countermeasures suite, thus allowing for more space for weapons. The SMN report suggests it has an external electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod.
Weight issues should also not be too much of a problem for the J-15, he said, since the Su-33 did fly from the same type of carrier carrying “6-8 air-to-air missiles and Sorbtsia ECM pods carrying something like 6 to 6.5 tons of fuel.”
China’s next carriers will reportedly use electromagnetic catapults, Kashin said, but “limitations are significant when it comes to air-to-surface weapons, which limit the J-15’s use as a multirole fighter.
defensenews

China aircraft carrier flight tests gather steam

China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, has returned to its home port after its longest sea trial to date, during which over 100 sorties with its Shenyang J-15 fighters took place.
In a statement on its web site, China’s defence ministry announced rapid progress in flight testing with the ship, which it has designated as a platform for researching carrier operations.
During the tests, the ship-borne J-15 fighters made 100-odd sorties in all, conducting the tests of such subjects as taking-off with maximum payload along the long and short runways on the aircraft carrier, arresting-cable-controlled landing with maximum payload, and multi-weapon configuration take-off and landing.
In addition, the warship appears to have recovered and launched aircraft at short intervals, suggesting the navy is exploring techniques and procedures for rapid sortie generation.
This was the ship’s longest duration sea trial since its maiden voyage in October 2012. The Liaoning was previously the Soviet-era carrier Varyag, which China has refurbished.
flightglobal

J-15 testing buddy refueling on board Liaoning

J-15 sea trials with weapons on board carrier

The J-15 started sea trials on board Liaoning with air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons on Sept. 15

China’s Carrier-Based J-15 Likely Enters Mass Production

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.
thediplomat