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Albee Zhang

Alcott Wei

All three of China’s aircraft carriers could soon be able to operate the country’s J-35 stealth fighter, which Chinese experts say would “significantly” bolster the PLA Navy’s combat abilities.
Currently, only China’s most advanced carrier, the Fujian, can host the J-35 as it has an electromagnetic catapult to assist the fifth-generation fighter into the air.
The Liaoning and Shandong carriers launch J-15 fighters from an upwardly curved “ski-jump” deck.
However, there are signs that the two older vessels are being upgraded.
“The Liaoning is training in the western Pacific, could the J-35 be on board?” the military channel of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said in a social media post on Wednesday.
China does not usually announce military developments while they are still in progress, but it sometimes uses state media to imply or tease new developments.
Analysts also believe that satellite images of the Shandong show the carrier is being modified to accommodate J-35s.
On February 7, US firm Vantor took satellite images of the Shandong that showed construction work taking place on its deck, according to reporting from Jane’s Defence Weekly.
Images purportedly taken by Vantor which spread on social media earlier this month apparently showed that work had continued into April.
The South China Morning Post could not independently verify the authenticity of the images.


However, Chinese military analyst Fu Qianshao said it was highly likely that the Liaoning and Shandong would be given the upgrades necessary to host the J-35.
“Even if [CCTV] did not make that implication, I think electromagnetic-launched [jets] could totally use a ski-jump,” Fu said. “There is no technical difficulty for electromagnetic-launched fighters to ski-jump off Liaoning and Shandong.”
“This means the carrier strike groups’ combat capability has improved significantly, both in terms of battlefield situational awareness and long-range attack capabilities,” Fu explained.
If all three carriers can host J-35s, then they will be able to take off from one carrier and land on another, he added.
Song Zhongping, a military analyst and former People’s Liberation Army instructor, said the satellite images showed obvious signs of work on the Shandong’s stern arresting gear and bow brake wheel chocks.
This showed that the Shandong was undergoing work to better launch jets.
“The stern arresting gear is designed to allow aircraft to enter a safe taxiing or stationary position within a short distance during landing, so modifications to this device may aim to increase the arresting gear’s reliability,” Song said.


“The bow brake wheel chocks are designed to allow aircraft to obtain maximum thrust before take-off, modifications to this device may be to adjust the thrust and safety of catapult-launched aircraft,” he added.
China now has three aircraft carriers, behind only the 11 operated by the US Navy.
The Liaoning is a mid-sized vessel that was originally built by the Soviet Union. Later, Ukraine sold the vessel to China, which then refurbished it. The Shandong was built in China, based on the Liaoning’s design.
Six US aircraft carriers are capable of launching and recovering the country’s fifth-generation F-35C stealth fighter.


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Only one vessel can now host the cutting-edge jet, but satellite images and state media hints indicate that might be changing


Only one vessel can now host the cutting-edge jet, but satellite images and state media hints indicate that might be changing.


China’s aircraft carriers

Liaoning aircraft carrier

Could all of China’s aircraft carriers soon operate J-35 stealth fighters?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Only one vessel can now host the cutting-edge jet, but satellite images and state media hints indicate that might be changing

Only one vessel can now host the cutting-edge jet, but satellite images and state media hints indicate that might be changing