Liaoning tests speeding up

The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning has returned to port after its longest sea trial to date. The trial included over 100 sorties with J-15 aircraft. Flights included maximum weight take offs on both runways, maximum weight arrested landings, multi-weapon sortie generation, as well as quick turn sorties.

China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, has returned to its home port after its longest sea trial to date, during which over 100 sorties with its Shenyang J-15 fighters took place.

In a statement on its web site, China’s defence ministry announced what appears to be rapid progress in flight testing with the ship, which it has designated as a platform for researching carrier operations.

“During the tests, the ship-borne J-15 fighters made 100-odd sorties in all, conducting the tests of such subjects as taking-off with maximum payload along the long and short runways on the aircraft carrier, arresting-cable-controlled landing with maximum payload, and multi-weapon configuration take-off and landing.”

In addition, the warship appears to have recovered and launched aircraft at short intervals, suggesting the navy is exploring techniques and procedures for rapid sortie generation.

This was the ship’s longest duration sea trial since its maiden voyage in October 2012. The Liaoning was previously the Soviet-era carrier Varyag, which China has refurbished.

www.flightglobal.com...

reply to post by Zaphod58


You know, sometimes I find it incredible that China has been a world power for as long as it has, and yet had no aircraft carrier capability up until now, but then I look at the size of China and it's land borders particularly, and realise that given the unique defence requirements that it's sheer scale demand, the nations defence bigwigs have had other, more pressing matters to deal with than extending the reach of their aircraft by way of sea going runways with guns on them!

That does rather beg the question however, why now? Is it simply that China has found itself in an advantageous position financially over the last couple of decades, and therefore has the money to invest in defence infrastructure projects like this, or has this construction been bought on by geopolitical events?

reply to post by Zaphod58


Just your opinion please, which I value by the way, but how would you consider this as matched up against a US Carrier?

TrueBrit
reply to post by Zaphod58

 

You know, sometimes I find it incredible that China has been a world power for as long as it has, and yet had no aircraft carrier capability up until now, but then I look at the size of China and it's land borders particularly, and realise that given the unique defence requirements that it's sheer scale demand, the nations defence bigwigs have had other, more pressing matters to deal with than extending the reach of their aircraft by way of sea going runways with guns on them!

That does rather beg the question however, why now? Is it simply that China has found itself in an advantageous position financially over the last couple of decades, and therefore has the money to invest in defence infrastructure projects like this, or has this construction been bought on by geopolitical events?

Very true China has some of the largest Armys on eath on its borders with Russia, India, Vietnam and North and South Korea. Not to mention unrest in east. China has had border conflicts with pretty much everyone on their borders so that is what the Chinese military is focused on. However, China has no ability to project power beyond those borders. It does not even dominate the water ways around it. The carrier gives them something to build on to become a legit sea power in the region. China is not going to be able to go up against the USN but, it at least has stick to use in never ending regional bickering that goes on. The problem for China is they this naval expansion has gotten most of Asia to join lockstep and jump deep in bed with the US. It is also spurring a new arms race in the region. Everyone is offering the US bases , wanting to upgrade navel weapons and are moving to counter China. India will shift its carrier fleets to China side etc. I honestly do not think China is going to get agressive in the region because the safe open sea lanes the US keeps open is vital to Chinas survival. A regional navel conflict even without the US getting into it would be a mess for them. China is just doing what it thinks a power should do.

reply to post by semperfortis


Given a couple years to achieve FOC and get more experience, and I'd put it between an LHD and a Nimitz.

It's useless really but to join the big boys' club, you need some big boys' toys too. They're going to have some belated fun, that's all.

reply to post by mypan


Its not useless. Its a fully operational aircraft carrier, deploying some of the best aircraft (still) in the world. As part of an integrated package it will be quite formidable.

The only useless thing here is the attitude displayed by people that if its not American, it's not capable or doesn't matter. That's a foolhardy kind of arrogance that tends to come back and bite people in the backside.

reply to post by neformore


Their biggest problem is going to be trusting her commander and giving him levels of flexibility unheard of in their military. He's going to HAVE to be allowed to do pretty much anything he wants.

reply to post by Zaphod58




I eagerly await the US first commission of the Gerald R Ford class to met this contemporary Chinese Carrier.

I wish they picked a better name for the new US class.

reply to post by neformore


The Chinese themselves said that. It's a showboat and since they can afford it, why not ? They have the carrier-killer DF-21 and they expect others to have something like that too. My remark wasn't pro America BTW but thanks anyway.

neformore
reply to post by mypan

 

Its not useless. Its a fully operational aircraft carrier, deploying some of the best aircraft (still) in the world. As part of an integrated package it will be quite formidable.

The only useless thing here is the attitude displayed by people that if its not American, it's not capable or doesn't matter. That's a foolhardy kind of arrogance that tends to come back and bite people in the backside.

You are joking right, compare that bucket of rust to our top of the line nuclear powered carrier and all the bells and whistles. Pathetic..... Carrier is only as good as her support fleet.

The Bot

reply to post by dlbott


Chinese escorts are just as advanced as anything the West has. The Type 052 and her variants are as advanced or more advanced than any early flight Arleigh Burke class ship out there. The Type 052D will have a datalink, a 64 cell VLS and capabilities similar to the Burke.

As for the carrier why do they NEED a 100,000 ton nuclear powered aircraft carrier? Have you SEEN the navies in the region? The Liaoning is perfect for the South China Sea. The Philippine navy consists of 1960s destroyers, and patrol boats. The Vietnamese navy isn't in much better shape. The only real naval force in the region is Japan, and their biggest ship is a new helicopter cruiser, that isn't even capable of fixed wing operations.

But you're right, it's not American, so it's got to suck, and be utterly pathetic.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Against it's main adversaries, wouldn't that carrier be a giant floating target? The Indian's have what is probably the best anti ship missile in the world right now.

reply to post by D_Mason


The main opponents that China would go up against are Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, or the Philippines. There's really nowhere that they and India would go against each other.

Interestingly the Sina Military Network has released an article calling the J-15 "Flying Shark" a "Flopping Fish" instead. To get airborne off the ski-jump deck, they can only carry a load of less than 12 tons, and a partial load of fuel. If the aircraft is fully fueled it can carry only two tons of weapons, which limits it to a pair of PL-8 air-to-air missiles, and a pair of YJ-83K anti-ship missiles, and have an attack range of only 75 miles.

www.wantchinatimes.com...

Zaphod58
Interestingly the Sina Military Network has released an article calling the J-15 "Flying Shark" a "Flopping Fish" instead. To get airborne off the ski-jump deck, they can only carry a load of less than 12 tons, and a partial load of fuel. If the aircraft is fully fueled it can carry only two tons of weapons, which limits it to a pair of PL-8 air-to-air missiles, and a pair of YJ-83K anti-ship missiles, and have an attack range of only 75 miles.

www.wantchinatimes.com...

Seems like they should have just waited a few years to purchase Su 33s, instead of pissing the Russians off by making cheap copies of Russian jets illegally.