On September 22, the relevant naval authorities revealed that the J-15T, J-35, and KJ-600 aircraft have completed their first catapult takeoff and landing training on the Fujian aircraft carrier.
Different from previous aircraft carriers, this "platform" is different — the Fujian is China's first fully independently designed and built catapult-type aircraft carrier. The type of aircraft is also different — this is the first time these three types of aircraft have conducted catapult takeoff and landing training on the Fujian.
｜｜The J-35, J-15T, and KJ-600 are lined up on the flight deck of the Chinese Navy's Fujian aircraft carrier
This special "new addition" has three major highlights.
The first highlight is that the Fujian's strike range can cover the Second Island Chain.
The strike range of an aircraft carrier is directly related to the operational radius of its carrier-based aircraft.
We all noticed that the ski-jump decks of the Liaoning and Shandong are upward-curving. This is because the upward-curving deck increases the takeoff angle of the aircraft, combined with the aircraft's own thrust, allowing the carrier-based aircraft to take off.
｜｜The top image shows the Shandong, with a deck that curves upward, while the bottom image shows the Fujian, with a flat deck for electromagnetic catapult takeoff.
However, this method places more restrictions on carrier-based aircraft — if the aircraft is too heavy, it may still be difficult to take off.
Electromagnetic catapult systems do not need to consider these factors. They can provide catapult thrust, allowing carrier-based aircraft to take off with full fuel and weapons.
"Full fuel" means a longer operational radius and longer airborne time, while "full weapons" means stronger striking power.
According to military expert Zhang Junshe, combining the range of carrier-based aircraft and missiles, the operational range of the Fujian aircraft carrier group can be greatly expanded. This distance will give the Chinese Navy the capability for long-range comprehensive defense, with an operational range covering the Second Island Chain in the western Pacific.
｜｜Fujian aircraft carrier
Secondly, the response speed of the electromagnetic catapult system is very fast, requiring only 15 minutes from cold start to readiness.
This significantly improves the sortie efficiency of carrier-based aircraft, enabling the aircraft carrier to launch as many carrier-based aircraft as possible in the shortest time, transitioning into a high-intensity combat mode known as "full deck launch."
In other words, the aircraft carried by the carrier can quickly be transformed into actual combat power. Only when this process is realized can the carrier truly be considered the core of the entire formation.
Aircraft carriers like this have greater deterrent power in long-range missions. This means that in the future, Chinese aircraft carrier groups will not only carry out near-sea missions in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, but also appear in the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean, and even further seas, providing strategic protection for China's overseas interests.
The second highlight is that the number of carrier-based aircraft types on an aircraft carrier equipped with a catapult system has increased, enhancing the system's combat capabilities.
Electromagnetic catapults can precisely adjust the takeoff angle and force, so fighter jets, drones, and other aircraft types can all take off using electromagnetic catapults.
As a result, almost all core carrier-based aircraft, such as fighter jets, early warning aircraft, and drones, can be rapidly launched and recovered on the same aircraft carrier. Multiple aircraft types working together greatly enhance the aircraft carrier's system combat capabilities.
What is system combat capability?
Do you remember the India-Pakistan air battle a few months ago? Both sides engaged in beyond-visual-range combat. In such a situation, better battlefield situational awareness, battlefield detection capabilities, and longer-range missiles largely determined the outcome of the air battle.
These capabilities combined make up system combat capability. Put more straightforwardly:
｜｜See, know where you are, know what weapons you have launched, and know your deployment;
｜｜Hide, able to remain undetected by the enemy or to mislead them with false targets;
｜｜Strike accurately, this accuracy involves not only the strike range but also the precision of the strike. The sea, land, and air forces need to share information in real-time, each performing their roles in the most scientific and efficient way to complete the strike.
Military expert Zhang Junshe told Tan Zhu that the combination of the KJ-600 fixed-wing early warning aircraft and the J-35 stealth fighter jet, among others, on the Fujian aircraft carrier will significantly improve the carrier's overall combat capabilities for air, sea, and land attacks.
We'll start with the KJ-600. As the "eyes" of the aircraft carrier, compared to the previously used Zhi-18 early warning helicopters in the carrier fleet, the KJ-600 has a longer radar detection range and longer airborne time.
｜｜The KJ-600 carrier-based early warning aircraft is guided by the release team before taking off via electromagnetic catapult on the Fujian aircraft carrier
It not only detects targets earlier, but can also serve as a "mobile airborne command post" — it can provide wide-area situational awareness for the entire fleet, fundamentally improving the coordination and combat efficiency of the carrier fleet.
The J-35 stealth fighter jet has features such as stealth and air superiority, enabling it to detect and attack the enemy first, creating more airspace for subsequent strike formations and making the aircraft safer for the side.
｜｜The J-35 carrier-based fighter jet takes off via electromagnetic catapult on the Fujian aircraft carrier
The J-35 is equipped with advanced avionics and sensor systems, capable of sharing information with other aircraft, ships, and ground units through data links.
The J-15T, as a heavy carrier-based fighter jet, is responsible for firepower suppression and air domain control.
｜｜The J-15T carrier-based fighter jet takes off via electromagnetic catapult on the Fujian aircraft carrier
In the future, more drones can be deployed on the aircraft carrier, allowing drones to cooperate in reconnaissance, electronic interference, and strike missions, achieving coordinated operations between manned and unmanned aircraft.
This complete kill chain from detection, identification, to precise strike will significantly enhance the overall combat effectiveness of the aircraft carrier group, granting it the powerful capability to conduct "penetrating strikes" against deep targets, giving it a significant advantage in the vast, diverse, and intense air and sea battlefield of the Western Pacific.
The third highlight is the enhancement of influence on regional situations brought by having another aircraft carrier.
Having two aircraft carriers has several advantages.
For example, during high-intensity missions, the two aircraft carriers can operate at different rhythms, one focusing on the main attack, while the other provides vigilance. This ensures that air defense and anti-sea attacks never stop.
Looking at China, if the Fujian and another aircraft carrier are seen together, it equals having two air defense rings and two supply systems:
｜｜Two air defense rings can be overlapped, expanding the safe area;
｜｜Two supplies can be staggered, with one being replenished while the other continues operations, ensuring uninterrupted supplies.
Additionally, the carrier-based aircraft on the Fujian and another aircraft carrier can land on each other. Part of the aircraft can patrol and protect in the air, while the rest return to refuel and rearm. This way, the risk of being attacked is minimized, and the continuity of the strike is guaranteed, greatly enhancing the survivability of the entire formation.
｜｜In early June, the Chinese Navy's aircraft carrier group conducted training in the Western Pacific, and this image shows carrier-based fighter jets conducting flight training.
Zhang Junshe analyzed with Tan Zhu that the air and sea coverage of joint operations by multiple aircraft carriers is larger, and the operational range and protective depth will increase.
The KJ-600 on the Fujian can guide the fighter jets that take off via the ski-jump deck on the Shandong and Liaoning, conducting joint operations including air and sea control and even land attacks, which is a tangible improvement in the ability to conduct long-range oceanic and continental defense.
With three aircraft carriers, the rhythm can be more flexible, the sortie frequency higher, and the endurance and support more stable.
For warfare, once the system is in place and the support is available, the deterrent effect is self-evident.
It can be said that the greatest role of two or even three aircraft carriers is the deterrence of the situation.
What is the specific manifestation of this deterrent power? Two days ago, the Fujian passed through the Taiwan Strait, triggering discussions in Taiwan. Tan Zhu analyzed the views on the Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian aircraft carriers in the Taiwanese media using big data techniques:
When the Liaoning was officially commissioned, 40% of the opinions questioned its actual combat capability and the time it would take to form a combat force. A large number of reports and expert analyses mentioned that the Liaoning was "a ship without aircraft" or "a hollow shell," lacking mature carrier-based aircraft takeoff and landing capabilities, and was still in the research and testing phase, needing a long time (such as 2 years, 3 years, or even 3-7 years or "never becoming a combat-ready aircraft carrier").
But when the Shandong was commissioned, these discussions shifted to "re-shaping the strategic balance of the First Island Chain and even the Second Island Chain," and "changes in the Western Pacific structure."
From these discussions, it is clear that military strength is the backing for maintaining national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and is the best deterrent against those with ulterior motives who seek to split the country.
Re-shaping the strategic landscape is the true significance of the Fujian's "new addition."
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7552854014690411050/
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