A Chinese Shenyang J-15 fighter jet has successfully carried out the first arrested deck landing on the country’s only aircraft carrier,...
A Chinese Shenyang J-15 fighter jet has successfully carried out the first arrested deck landing on the country’s only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, Xinhua reported on Sunday citing naval sources.
This achievement marks a crucial step in the development of China’s ambitious aircraft carrier program as landing tests of carrier-based aircraft are the most challenging to perform.
“Capabilities of the carrier platform and the J-15 have been tested, meeting all requirements and achieving good compatibility,” the Chinese Navy said.
The J-15s had made many landings on land-based mock-ups of Liaoning’s deck and performed a number of touch-and-go take-offs and landings during sea trials last month before attempting an arrested landing on the deck of the aircraft carrier, according to Chinese naval experts.
J-15 is a clone of Russian-designed Sukhoi Su-33 fighter. China acquired an unfinished Su-33 prototype, the T-10K-3, from Ukraine which was later reverse engineered.
