[Foreign Media: J-15T Carrier-Based Fighter Takes Off from Aircraft Carrier with Four Anti-Ship Missiles for the First Time]

According to a report by U.S. Warzone (TWZ) on July 9, 2026: A new photo has been released, capturing for the first time China's J-15T catapult-launched carrier-based fighter taking off while carrying four anti-ship missiles. This image clearly confirms that China's rapidly advancing aircraft carrier force is overcoming a long-standing operational limitation — the ability of heavy, fully loaded attack aircraft to successfully launch from an aircraft carrier.

As visible in the accompanying image, the J-15T aircraft is operating at full afterburner, preparing to leave the flight deck of the Fujian, China's first aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults. The aircraft is carrying four YJ-83K anti-ship missiles — double the standard number carried by previous J-15 variants. The combined weight of these four missiles alone is approximately 6,400 pounds, not including other external stores not visible in the frame. In fact, prior to this, the J-15T, which was still in prototype testing phase, had only ever been seen carrying a single YJ-83K training missile in public footage.

The YJ-83K is a widely fielded subsonic anti-ship missile used by China, whose overall performance is comparable to the U.S.-made AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile. It features a turbojet engine and radar guidance, with an officially stated range of about 112 nautical miles. Its warhead weighs 360 pounds and is a high-explosive semi-armored penetrator. The missile flies low over the sea surface throughout its flight, cruising at an altitude of 65 to 100 feet, and can descend further to just 16 to 24 feet during terminal penetration. Each individual missile weighs around 1,600 pounds.

The core purpose behind developing the J-15T is to fully exploit the combat potential of the Su-27 series aircraft on the Fujian and future catapult-equipped carriers. Compared to the basic J-15 variant, the J-15T has been significantly upgraded to support Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) operations, while also remaining compatible with Ski-Jump Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) modes.

As previously analyzed, the J-15T’s main advantage lies in its ability, thanks to the catapult system, to take off with greater fuel and heavier weapon loads. The Su-27 airframe inherently possesses strong payload and fuel-carrying capacity, but the ski-jump takeoff method severely restricts its maximum load capacity. This limitation has similarly plagued Russia’s naval aviation operations. Another key improvement: the J-15T has been fitted with the domestically produced WS-10H turbofan engine, replacing the earlier Russian AL-31F engines used in initial production models of the J-15.

Previously, J-15s launched from the Liaoning and Shandong carriers using ski-jump takeoffs had publicly demonstrated a maximum anti-ship payload of two YJ-83K anti-ship missiles plus four air-to-air missiles; for air superiority missions, the configuration consisted of four PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missiles paired with two PL-8B short-range dogfighting missiles.

The fact that the J-15T has now taken off carrying anti-ship munitions totaling approximately 6,400 pounds marks a milestone. Beyond substantially enhancing anti-ship strike capability, this heavy-load takeoff capacity can also be converted into additional fuel or allow for replacement with other types of onboard weapons.

Other optional armaments include more advanced short-range dogfighting missiles such as the PL-10, long-range air-to-air missiles like the PL-15; the J-15T has also been photographed carrying long-range YJ-15 anti-ship missiles and buddy refueling pods. The improved variant YJ-83KH, featuring an infrared imaging seeker and extended range, is also compatible with this platform.

The J-15T’s capability to achieve heavy-load takeoffs via electromagnetic catapults not only enhances the combat effectiveness of the single-seat attack variant but also benefits twin-seat specialized versions of the catapult-enabled J-15 series. Among them, the core model is the J-15DT electronic warfare aircraft designed for catapult operations, which serves as a counterpart to the U.S. Navy’s EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft. This aircraft requires external mounting of multiple electronic jamming pods and must perform heavy-load takeoffs and landings to fully realize its electronic warfare suppression capabilities.

Additional reports indicate that a twin-seat variant, the J-15S, will also receive a catapult modification, potentially serving as a carrier-based trainer or as a multirole attack aircraft comparable to the F/A-18F. The electromagnetic catapult system will unlock its full integrated combat performance across all mission profiles.

This real-world photograph not only signifies another major step forward in the development of China’s carrier-based aviation forces but also proves that the combination of the J-15T and the Fujian’s electromagnetic catapult system has finally achieved the long-elusive capability of fully loaded, heavy-payload takeoffs — something previously unattainable for ski-jump carriers.

Disclaimer: All equipment data cited above originates from Warzone network reporting.

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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870278262685707/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.