China's updated "flying shark" fighter jet makes debut at air show

China

China's updated "flying shark" fighter jet makes debut at air show

2024-11-12 22:07 Last Updated At：23:57

The latest models of China's upgraded J-15 fighter jet series made a spectacular debut with an impressive aerobatic performance on the opening day of the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China, in Zhuhai City of south China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday.

During the airshow's opening ceremony, a formation of three aircraft, consisting of one J-15D and two J-15T fighter jets, performed an arrested landing and aerial 'partner refueling' demonstration, highlighting the advanced capabilities of these carrier-based aircraft.

"Aerial 'partner refueling' refers to the mutual refueling between fighter jets, which is highly valuable when there is a lack of land-based refueling support in distant seas. This practice effectively extends the operational range of aircraft carriers, prolongs the airborne time of carrier-based aircraft, and significantly boosts the combat capabilities of the aircraft carrier formation," said Chinese Navy expert Li Jian.

Completing an arrested landing is a vital skill that naval pilots must possess in bringing the aircraft to a stop on the short space of a ship deck. During the airshow, the J-15D pilot skillfully guided the aircraft through the landing process, and brought the aircraft to a halt at the designated position to the acclaim of spectators. "Compared to traditional aircraft landings, arrested landings for carrier-based fighter jets are significantly different. On a warship, with its short deck runway and minimal margin for error, there is no room for a conventional go-around. Therefore, to ensure that an aircraft can swiftly take off in case it misses the arresting cable during landing, a unique approach is used. Pilots increase throttle, maintain thrust, decrease speed, and execute a gradual descent to facilitate a rapid takeoff if necessary," said Li.

The J-15, also known as "Flying Shark," is an updated version of the fourth-generation carrier-based fighter jet independently developed by China for its navy, which completed its maiden flight back from the Liaoning aircraft carrier back in 2012.

ROK president calls for learning lesson from anti-aggression history

The Republic of Korea (ROK) and China should cherish the historical experience of jointly resisting aggression and continue to work together for a prosperous future, said ROK President Lee Jae Myung.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee will pay a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7. It will be Lee's first visit to China since he took office last year.

In an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Seoul on Wednesday, Lee said that humanity must learn from the past to prevent the tragedy of war from repeating itself.

"While pursuing their own national interests to the fullest extent, countries must not harm the national interests of others, but should coexist peacefully. The act of invading other countries and massacring their people for one's own benefit must never be repeated. History of humanity often repeats itself, therefore we must learn from the past. In this regard, I believe the historical experience of ROK and China in resisting aggression and fighting together is invaluable. Of course, while historical experience is important, we cannot remain stuck in the past. For a better future for the people of both countries, we need to continuously explore possibilities for working together towards the future," said the president.