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The Telegraph
The Telegraph
12 Nov 2024
David Axe


China’s carrier air power is building. But for now, the Royal Navy would win in a fight

The Chinese navy’s two active aircraft carriers drilled together for the first time in late October. And the dual-carrier operations in the South China Sea, involving the ex-Soviet flattop Liaoning and her Chinese-built sister ship Shandong, weren’t the only surprise for Western observers of China’s rising naval power.

The Chinese fleet’s newest carrier borne warplanes also made their operational debuts during the maritime show of force. The first deployments of the Shenyang J-15B fighter and Shenyang J-15D electronic-warfare jet are big steps forward for China’s naval air power.

Beijing was understandably proud of the navy’s combined carrier ops in the South China Sea late last month. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) circulated a lot of photos and videos of the exercise. Scrutinising the imagery, aviation expert Andreas Rupprecht counted more than 30 J-15s in the air or on Liaoning’s and Shandong’s decks. 

The fighters included at least 16 older J-15As, 13 upgraded J-15Bs and two or more J-15Ds. The main difference between the models of the twin-engine, supersonic J-15 – besides the radar-jamming gear on the D – is that both new models have tougher landing gear for launching via catapult.