The Chinese Navy's First Three Aircraft Carriers Will Stay Close to Home (For Now)

David Axe

Security, Asia

That's one conclusion of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency's January 2019 report on Beijing's military capabilities.

The Chinese navy's first three aircraft carriers will stick close to Chinese shores as they pursue a mostly defensive, regional mission.

That's one conclusion of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency's January 2019 report on Beijing's military capabilities.

The People's Liberation Army Navy commissioned its first aircraft carrier Liaoning, a refurbished former Ukrainian vessel, in September 2012. "China’s first aircraft carrier signaled a new age for PLAN aviation, which is now evolving from an almost exclu­sively land-based force to one with a sea-based component," the DIA explained in its report.

"China’s current aircraft carrier and planned follow-on carriers will extend air-defense umbrellas beyond the range of coastal sys­tems and help enable task group operations in far seas," the DIA reported.

With the 999-feet-long Liaoning, China "join­[ed] the small group of countries that have an aircraft carrier," according to the DIA. "Since that time, the PLAN has fol­lowed the long and difficult path of learning to operate fixed-wing aircraft from a carrier."

"The first launches and recoveries of J-15 fighter aircraft occurred in November 2012, with additional testing and training in early July 2013. With the first landing complete, China became only the fifth country in the world to have conventional takeoff and landing fighters aboard an aircraft carrier.

"In 2017, the Lia­oning concluded its second deployment to the South China Sea for training—its first with embarked J-15 fighters—and conducted its first port visit to Hong Kong."

The J-15 is a clone of Russia's Su-33 naval fighter. Outwardly, the fighter has a lot in common with U.S., French and British carrier planes. "The J-15 has folding wings, strengthened landing gear, a tailhook under a shortened tail stinger, two-piece slotted flaps, canards and a retractable inflight-refueling probe on the left side of the nose."