【Foreign Media: China's New J-35 and J-15T Fighters Conduct Touch-and-Go Training on the Fujian Carrier】
According to a report from the Military Watch Magazine website on June 5, 2026: Newly released footage from the South China Sea shows that the J-15T and J-35 fighter jets have conducted touch-and-go training operations aboard the People's Liberation Army Navy’s new aircraft carrier, the Fujian. This marks a solid step forward for the ship’s air wing toward achieving full combat capability planned for this year.
Touch-and-go landings are a crucial phase in carrier aviation training: pilots execute a complete carrier landing approach, aligning with the deck, briefly touching down with the landing gear before immediately applying full thrust to take off again without coming to a complete stop. Onboard carriers, this method allows pilots to repeatedly practice the most challenging part of carrier operations—the precise control during final approach and deck touchdown—in a very short time, without bearing the full load of a complete recovery landing. Prior to transitioning to conventional arrested landings, pilots typically spend extensive time mastering glide path control, alignment corrections, throttle management, and deck landing accuracy through repeated touch-and-go drills.
For the crew aboard the Fujian, touch-and-go training serves as a comprehensive test of the entire carrier aviation operation system—including landing guidance systems, optical landing aids, precision approach equipment, air traffic control procedures, and coordination among deck personnel. Each successful approach confirms that the carrier can provide stable guidance signals under real-world conditions. Since the aircraft rapidly accelerates away after touchdown, this exercise imposes significantly less wear on arresting wires and airframe structures compared to full landing recoveries, while still generating valuable data on flight deck operations. The fact that both the J-15T and J-35—new members of the Fujian’s air wing—can now conduct synchronized touch-and-go training is a strong signal: the ship and its air wing have moved beyond basic sea trials and have officially entered the high-difficulty phase of integrated ship-aircraft fusion.
The coordinated operations of the J-15 and J-35 indicate China’s ongoing efforts to build a mixed carrier air wing concept similar to that of the U.S. Navy—where, after full integration of the F-35, Ford-class supercarriers employ a mix of F/A-18E/F and F-35 aircraft. These two fighters offer highly complementary capabilities: the J-15T, a “4++ generation” air superiority heavy fighter, boasts a more powerful radar, longer operational range, and greater weapons payload; meanwhile, the smaller J-35 gains an edge through world-leading stealth performance. The timing of this release of Fujian’s touch-and-go footage coincides with confirmation that the J-35 is also undergoing testing on the older carrier Liaoning, suggesting China plans to modernize its first two carriers by introducing mixed fifth-generation fighter air wings.
The Fujian entered service in November 2025, marking a major milestone in China’s aircraft carrier development—it is China’s first supercarrier and the first to feature electromagnetic catapult systems. In addition to hosting the J-35, it is also the first vessel to integrate the KJ-600 (KJ-600) carrier-based early warning aircraft, which is considered a key force multiplier across multiple combat scenarios. Currently, only the U.S. Navy possesses carriers with comparable capabilities (i.e., Ford-class supercarriers). Operational experience gained from the Fujian holds immense reference value for future Chinese carrier projects. It is reported that two more carriers of the same class are currently under construction, with several others in planning stages. The touch-and-go experience accumulated on the flat deck of the Fujian is expected to be passed on to crews of subsequent supercarriers, helping them achieve full combat readiness more smoothly and quickly.
Disclaimer: The above equipment data and images originate from reports published on Military Watch Magazine website.
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Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867666457822347/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author