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China lands first military jet on aircraft carrier
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China lands J-15 jet on Liaoning aircraft carrier
BBC
China has successfully landed a jet fighter on its new aircraft carrier for the first time, officials say.
A Chinese-made J-15 fighter landed on the 300m (990ft) former Soviet carrier during recent exercises, China’s defence ministry said on Sunday.
The Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier, entered into service in September.
China says the vessel has had extensive sea trials and will increase its capacity to defend state interests.
Analysts say the aircraft carrier will allow Beijing to help project its military might in territorial disputes.
China’s state TV showed a hook on the rear of the J-15 catching hold of a cable on the deck of the vessel to slow the plane to a halt during the drill.
China had not previously announced that its navy possessed such highly technical landing technology, according to the AFP news agency.
The J-15 can carry anti-ship, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles as well as precision-guided bombs, China’s official news agency Xinhua reported, citing unnamed naval sources.
Sea row with Japan
Named after the province where it was refitted, the Liaoning is a refurbished Soviet ship purchased from Ukraine.
The aircraft carrier’s development comes at a time when Japan and other countries in the region have expressed concern at China’s growing naval strength.
China and Japan are embroiled in a row over disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Several South-east Asian nations are also at odds with China over overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The country’s Communist leaders are spending billions modernising their armed forces so they can project military power far beyond China’s borders.
The Russian designed aircraft carrier utilizes many American features. The arresting wires to capture the jets as they land and the blast deflectors when the jets rev up. The Liaoning is roughly 60% the tonnage of a U.S. Nimitz class carrier and has half the aircraft.
The Chinese carrier uses the “ski jump” at the bow of the ship to help launch the aircraft. Ski jump was designed by the British in the sixties for use on their smaller carriers. The ski jump is necessary as these carriers do not utilize catapults as the U.S. Navy carriers do.
2012-11-25 23:20:07
Source: http://markosun.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/china-lands-first-military-jet-on-aircraft-carrier/
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