Expert comments on training of carrier-borne aircraft

After the J-15 carrier-borne fighters had successfully conducted take-off and landing flight training on the "Liaoning" aircraft carrier, reporters from PLA Daily interviewed Zhang Junshe, deputy director of the Naval Military Academic Research Institute under the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) at the first moment. During the interview, Zhang Junshe offered his interpretation on the hot topic of the take-off and landing flight training of the carrier-borne J-15 fighters.

Third-generation fighter J-15 has long-distance air-to-air and air-to-sea combat capability

What significance does the successful landing of the J-15 carrier-borne fighters have for the construction of the PLA Navy? Zhang Junshe indicated that the J-15 fighter's successful takeoff and landing on the "Liaoning" aircraft carrier marks a phased achievement in the enhancement of the combat power of the Chinese Navy's aircraft carrier.

Speaking of the carrier-borne J-15 fighter on the "Liaoning" aircraft carrier, Zhang Junshe introduced that J-15 fighter is the first-generation carrier-borne fighter independently developed by China. According to the classification of the American and European fighters, J-15 fighter belongs to the third-generation fighter internationally with strong air-to-air and air-to-sea combat capability. Besides, it has excellent super-sonic flight capacity with multiple types of anti-aircraft and anti-ship guided missiles to carry out long-distance air-defense and anti-ship operations.

According to the documents, J-15 can accomplish the ferry range of 3,000 kilometers without the auxiliary fuel tank, which manifest its powerful long-range combat capability, Zhang Junshe added.

Other aircraft will conduct Take-off and landing test flights

Since many readers are concerned whether the "Liaoning" aircraft carrier has any landing plans for other types of aircraft, Zhang Junshe said that aircraft carriers are generally equipped with early-warning aircraft, anti-submarine aircraft, anti-submarine-helicopter and the like. It'll take some time to let these aircraft to conduct take-off and landing tests.

"Liaoning" aircraft carrier bears double tasks of science & technology experiment and military training

The "Liaoning" aircraft carrier has shouldered double tasks of science and technology experiment and military training. Many readers are concerned whether the "Liaoning" will conclude its task of experiments and be devoted to military trainings after these take-off and landing trainings are completed. In this regard, Zhang Junshe believes that after these successful tests of take-off and landing, other systems of the "Liaoning" aircraft carrier still need to be tested. The take-off and landing test is just one of the tests.

Zhang Junshe emphasized that the tasks of experiment and training are simultaneously carried out so it's hard to clearly differentiate the experimental phase from the training phase.

Four to five years needed for aircraft carrier to form combat capability

Readers are also curious how long it'll take to form the real combat power of the "Liaoning" aircraft carrier. Zhang Junshe explained that it requires a certain period of time to form the combat power of an aircraft carrier. Based on the experiences of France, Russia and other aircraft-carrier-owned countries, China's carrier-borne fighters might need more than two years to have complete combat capability. There are still other models of aircraft in addition to the J-15 fighters to be tested. Since the whole flight training of the carrier-borne aircraft is a systematic project, it might need four to five years for the "Liaoning" aircraft carrier to form combat capability.