China releases air operation film of its Liaoning Carrier

It appears that over the last 24 hours China has released the first (?) reports (and footage above) of successful J-15 landings and takeoffs from its aircraft carrier Liaoning.

A J-15 landing - using arrester gear. 

The whole issue of carriers is a set complex timings and functions calculations and then comparisons.

This Liaoning aircraft activity would be of concern to India because China's Liaoning can most probably carry far more J-15s than the remaining Sea Harriers on India's only operational carrier INS Viraat. It is highly likely that the (perhaps) ten year old J-15 design is superior to the performance of India's decades old Sea Harriers.

Liaoning may not be fully operational (not just a training platform?) for several years but it has to be said that India may not really take delivery of its own ex-Russian carrier, INS Vikramaditya (ex Gorshkov) until late 2013 and probably longer. Vikramaditya then may take two or three further years to enter service.  Completion and in-service of India's indigenous carrier(s), under construction, may occur years after Liaoning is in service.

See further comments on the Liaoning below.

Pete

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Posted by David Cenciotti at The Aviationist reports http://theaviationist.com/2012/11/25/liaoning-landings/ 

"Chinese TV airs first stunning footage of J-15 flight ops on board China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning, November 25, 2012"
 

Although it’s still decades away from achieving a combat capability comparable to that of the U.S. Navy, China’s People Liberation Army Navy is trying to fill the gap quite quickly.

According to Alert5, the first arrested landing on Liaoning took place on Oct. 21 with a J-15 piloted by a China Flight Test Establishment pilot.

On Nov. 20, PLANAF (People Liberation Army Navy Air Force) performed the first successful arrested landing on the Liaoning, China’s first Aircraft Carrier by a made-in-China Shenyang J-15, a multi-role Gen.4.5 plane (based on the Su-33 airframe with Chinese-developed technology).

On Nov. 23, flight ops on the aircraft carrier involved two PLANAF pilots.

Purchased in 1998, the Kutznesov Class 60,000 ton aircraft carrier, previously named “Varyag”, will be used to test qualify Chinese pilots flying with the navalised J-15 as well as to test and validate procedures, equipments for another future operative aircraft carrier (expected no sooner than 2020).

Purchased in 1998, the Kutznesov Class 60,000 ton aircraft carrier, previously named “Varyag”, will be used to test qualify Chinese pilots flying with the navalised J-15 as well as to test and validate procedures, equipments for another future operative aircraft carrier (expected no sooner than 2020).

Hence, not only China is currently the only country known to be developing two stealth fighters simultaneously (the J-20 and the J-31) but the successful landings on Liaoning have put its Navy on track for a future role as a maritime power capable to pose a threat to the U.S. naval forces in the Asia-Pacific theatre."