Fighter jets cleared for take-off and landing in carrier success
By Yang Jian |
November 26, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Two J-15 fighter jets have successfully landed and taken off from China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, the Ministry of National Defense announced yesterday.
It said the exercise, carried out two months after the carrier entered service, represented a milestone on the vessel's path to full combat ability.
The carrier returned to its home port of Dalian in northeast Liaoning Province yesterday where it docked at No. 3 berth of the Dalian shipyard.
The landing and take-off exercises marked the debut of the J-15, also known as the Flying Shark, a carrier-based fighter-bomber developed by China from Russia's Sukhoi Su-33.
According to Xinhua news agency, the J-15 is able to carry anti-ship, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and precision-guided bombs.
The defense ministry's website carried photos of the jets, numbered 552 and 553, which took off and landed several times using a total of five pilots.
"Capabilities of the carrier platform and the J-15 have been tested, meeting all requirements and achieving good compatibility," the People's Liberation Army Navy said yesterday.
Since the Liaoning formally entered service on September 25, crew members have completed more than 100 training and test programs, Xinhua said.
A video carried by China Central Television yesterday showed a tail hook on the rear of one of the J-15s catching hold of a cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier as the jet landed and slowed to a halt within 30 meters.
The plane then folded its wings and was moved to another area where engineers inspected the aircraft.
It returned to the runway shortly after take-off.
"The success of the landing is an important sign that the aircraft carrier gains combat ability, and has also marked China's Navy forces reaching a new height," said Zhang Junshe, deputy director of the Naval Military Academic Research Institute.
Combat ability
The twin-engined Chinese fighter has comprehensive capabilities comparable to those of the US F-18, according to military experts.
Zhang said that the carrier would continue to conduct landing and take-off trials with other aircraft including early warning and anti-submarine planes.
"It will take another two years for the Liaoning to fully get combat ability. Before that, it will mainly be used for both military training and scientific experiments," he said.
Military experts say the carrier will be capable of landing about 30 J-15 fighters and helicopters and have a crew of around 2,000.
During the recent exercise, around 100 soldiers in seven different colored jackets were involved. About 60 were seen in the video walking in two lines across the carrier's deck making sure the landing area was clear.
Several soldiers operated as guides, using various gestures to guide the fighter pilot to adjust into the best position for landing.
Before the fighters took off, another two guides crouched beside them and threw their arms into the air to communicate to the pilots when to accelerate and take-off.
"The guides have more than 30 different gestures with various meanings, because it is too noisy during take-off and landing," said Li Xiaoyong, a military official on the Liaoning.
He said the different colors of jackets were for different tasks and positions.
For example, red uniforms were for safety officers, purple was worn by refuellers, green was for the maintenance crew and medical staff wore white.
Landing on the carrier is extremely difficult and dangerous, Li said, because the runway was so small. Though the deck is over 300 meters long, the landing section is just 100 meters.
Meanwhile, the ship would rock and sway with the movement of the sea, increasing the difficulty for pilots.
"Pilot recruitment for the aircraft carrier required even more severe standards than astronaut selection," said Zhang Hongtao, an official in charge of recruitment for the Liaoning.
It said the exercise, carried out two months after the carrier entered service, represented a milestone on the vessel's path to full combat ability.
The carrier returned to its home port of Dalian in northeast Liaoning Province yesterday where it docked at No. 3 berth of the Dalian shipyard.
The landing and take-off exercises marked the debut of the J-15, also known as the Flying Shark, a carrier-based fighter-bomber developed by China from Russia's Sukhoi Su-33.
According to Xinhua news agency, the J-15 is able to carry anti-ship, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and precision-guided bombs.
The defense ministry's website carried photos of the jets, numbered 552 and 553, which took off and landed several times using a total of five pilots.
"Capabilities of the carrier platform and the J-15 have been tested, meeting all requirements and achieving good compatibility," the People's Liberation Army Navy said yesterday.
Since the Liaoning formally entered service on September 25, crew members have completed more than 100 training and test programs, Xinhua said.
A video carried by China Central Television yesterday showed a tail hook on the rear of one of the J-15s catching hold of a cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier as the jet landed and slowed to a halt within 30 meters.
The plane then folded its wings and was moved to another area where engineers inspected the aircraft.
It returned to the runway shortly after take-off.
"The success of the landing is an important sign that the aircraft carrier gains combat ability, and has also marked China's Navy forces reaching a new height," said Zhang Junshe, deputy director of the Naval Military Academic Research Institute.
Combat ability
The twin-engined Chinese fighter has comprehensive capabilities comparable to those of the US F-18, according to military experts.
Zhang said that the carrier would continue to conduct landing and take-off trials with other aircraft including early warning and anti-submarine planes.
"It will take another two years for the Liaoning to fully get combat ability. Before that, it will mainly be used for both military training and scientific experiments," he said.
Military experts say the carrier will be capable of landing about 30 J-15 fighters and helicopters and have a crew of around 2,000.
During the recent exercise, around 100 soldiers in seven different colored jackets were involved. About 60 were seen in the video walking in two lines across the carrier's deck making sure the landing area was clear.
Several soldiers operated as guides, using various gestures to guide the fighter pilot to adjust into the best position for landing.
Before the fighters took off, another two guides crouched beside them and threw their arms into the air to communicate to the pilots when to accelerate and take-off.
"The guides have more than 30 different gestures with various meanings, because it is too noisy during take-off and landing," said Li Xiaoyong, a military official on the Liaoning.
He said the different colors of jackets were for different tasks and positions.
For example, red uniforms were for safety officers, purple was worn by refuellers, green was for the maintenance crew and medical staff wore white.
Landing on the carrier is extremely difficult and dangerous, Li said, because the runway was so small. Though the deck is over 300 meters long, the landing section is just 100 meters.
Meanwhile, the ship would rock and sway with the movement of the sea, increasing the difficulty for pilots.
"Pilot recruitment for the aircraft carrier required even more severe standards than astronaut selection," said Zhang Hongtao, an official in charge of recruitment for the Liaoning.
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