The 2024 edition of the Zhuhai Airshow is showcasing significant developments in the modernization efforts of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) combat aircraft fleet. Alongside the official unveiling of the J-35A stealth fighter by the PLA Air Force, the Chinese Navy has also officially revealed the new carrier-based Shenyang J-15T fighter, which will equip its aircraft carrier fleet.
Through a series of photos and videos that have gone viral on social media, followed by reports from Chinese state-backed media, it was learned that yesterday, Wednesday, November 6, a new Chinese Navy aircraft landed at Zhuhai Airport, which turned out to be none other than the new carrier-based fighter J-15T.
This new combat aircraft was previously referred to by experts as the J-15B due to the lack of an official designation by Shenyang and the Naval Aviation of the Asian Giant. The main difference from the J-15A, which equips the air groups of the Liaoning and Shandong carriers, is that the new J-15T is configured to operate from ships equipped with catapult launch and assisted recovery systems (CATOBAR), a configuration featured on the new Fujian aircraft carrier, equipped with advanced electromagnetic catapults.
However, during the recent joint deployment of the Liaoning and Shandong, it was confirmed that the J-15B, now officially designated as the J-15T, was part of the deployment, operating from these carriers. This confirmed two important points: first, that the J-15T, in addition to operating from the future Fujian, can also operate from the Liaoning and Shandong, which have a STOBAR configuration and use a ski-jump ramp to launch their embarked air group, composed of J-15As to date.
Secondly, the presence of a significant number of J-15Ts during the operations of both carriers confirms that this new carrier-based aircraft is already in service with the Chinese Navy’s Naval Aviation, although it is unclear if it has reached Initial Operational Capability or is on the way to achieving this milestone.
Returning to the Zhuhai Airshow, the various visual materials of the aircraft have also highlighted differences from its predecessor. The most notable difference is that the J-15T displayed at Zhuhai is equipped with the new locally-developed WS-10 engines, replacing the Russian-origin AL-31F engines used on the original J-15s, which were based on the Soviet-era Su-33. This suggests that the initial production batches of the J-15T and later models will already be equipped with these new powerplants.
Other notable avionics details include a new and larger wide-angle holographic Head-Up Display (HUD), as well as new grips inside the cockpit for pilots during carrier deck takeoffs.
Additionally, as observed during the recent deployment with the Liaoning and Shandong carriers, the J-15T’s radome is lighter in color and differently shaped than the J-15A’s, likely due to a new AESA radar, similar to the one used in the J-11D, one of the most advanced Flanker variants in service with the PLA Air Force.
In the absence of further information, it is presumed that the Chinese Navy already has an initial batch of J-15Ts in service, operating from the aforementioned carriers, and is expected to begin landing and takeoff trials on the new Fujian in the future. According to estimates by open-source intelligence (OSINT) specialists, Chinese Naval Aviation has more than 60 J-15As in service, produced in four production batches, to which an additional 14 J-15Ts should be added according to images released in recent days. Mention should also be made of the upcoming introduction of the J-15D electronic warfare aircraft, of which two units are currently undergoing testing and evaluation aboard the Shandong carrier.
Photo credits to whom it may belong.
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