"China's 3rd Aircraft Carrier, Carrier-Based Aircraft Flight Test Imminent"…Will Pressure on Taiwan Intensify?

"Control Tower Radar Electronic Ejector Installed"
Key to Combat Capability of Indigenous Carrier-Based Aircraft J-15T

The third aircraft carrier of China, the Fujian. The covers that were on the deck and runway have been removed, and it is expected that test flights for carrier-based aircraft launch will take place soon. [Image source=Weibo]

The launch test of carrier-based aircraft on China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is reportedly imminent, drawing significant attention to whether China's carrier strike group capabilities will be greatly enhanced. The Fujian is said to be equipped not only with the J-15T, a carrier-based aircraft developed domestically by China, but also with an electromagnetic catapult to assist aircraft launches. If it becomes operational, the Chinese Navy's operational capabilities are expected to improve significantly. Military tensions with the United States around the Taiwan Strait are also anticipated to intensify further.

According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 10th, photos of the Fujian recently posted by experts on China's Weibo have become a hot topic both inside and outside China. The photos show the radar system on the control tower fully installed and the electromagnetic catapult in place, leading to assessments that preparations for aircraft takeoff and landing are complete.

Lu Lixi, a former instructor at the Taiwan Naval Academy, told SCMP in an interview, "The radar installed on the Fujian is estimated to be an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, and the next step for the Fujian will be the launch test of the J-15T fighter jets." He added, "Since the catapult installation was completed several months ago and the ship's power supply is stable, the fighter launch test will be conducted soon."

The J-15T is a carrier-based aircraft developed in China in 2021 by upgrading the existing main carrier-based aircraft, the J-15, to be compatible with catapult launches. While ground takeoff and landing training has been conducted, actual takeoff and landing training using the catapult on an aircraft carrier has not yet taken place. If the carrier-based aircraft launch training succeeds, the Fujian is expected to possess combat-ready capabilities.

Inside and outside China, it is anticipated that the Fujian's carrier-based aircraft launch test will take place between August and October. August 1 is the founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army, and October 1 is China's National Day, so it is analyzed that the test will be completed to showcase power on one of these two major anniversaries. Zhou Chenming, a Chinese military expert, told SCMP, "Since the catapult has undergone more than a year of precise calibration, the flight test of the J-15T should be completed by the end of this year." He explained, "If preparations are not ready by August, it is highly likely that the target will be National Day on October 1."

If the Fujian's carrier-based aircraft launch test is successful, China will possess an aircraft carrier using an electromagnetic catapult launch and recovery system for the first time. Until now, the Chinese Navy has only operated older ski-jump style carriers, which have been assessed as having limited operational capabilities. Once the Fujian is fully operational and deployed, concerns are rising that military tensions in the Taiwan Strait region will further escalate.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.