Chinese navy to show off its warplanes for first time at Zhuhai air show

IT is the first time the J-15T carrier-based fighter has appeared at the event, where China’s second stealth fighter will also be unveiled

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A PLA Navy J-15T fighter lands at Zhuhai on Wednesday. Photo: PLA

Published: 4:41pm, 6 Nov 2024Updated: 5:28pm, 6 Nov 2024

Chinese navy warplanes will make their first appearance at the country’s largest air show next week, an event that will also be the first to feature three stealth fighters – two from the host country along with one from Russia.

A J-15T, a variant of the country’s first carrier-based fighter J-15, landed in Zhuhai on Wednesday, making it the first time a PLA Navy jet goes on display at the event in the southern province of Guangdong, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The J-15 is a 4.5-generation fighter jet that was based on the Soviet Su-33 and the planes are currently based on the country’s Liaoning and Shandong carriers.

The J-15T has been designed to be launched with a catapult – suggesting it may be deployed on the country’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian.

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China airs footage of Fujian aircraft carrier featuring advanced catapult launch system

Unlike its two predecessors, which use ski-jump take-off ramps, the Fujian has an advanced electromagnetic catapult launch system – technology that allows planes to be launched more frequently.