Feature
A People’s Liberation Army Navy J-15 of the Liaoning’s carrier air wing lands aboard the ship.
Chinese internet
For the first time, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Surface Force Type-001 aircraft carrier Liaoning has deployed to the disputed South China Sea region. It sailed at the heart of a massive carrier group made up of at least 50 other ships. The usual complement of combat aircraft comprises 24 J-15s (a Chinese version of the Su-33), six Z-18F anti-submarine helicopters and four Z-18Js, AEW variants of the licence-built version of the French SA321 Super Frelon, fitted with a multimode active electronically scanned array radar. A small detachment of Z-9s (licence-built AS365 Dauphins) is also carried.
Beijing has not revealed the purpose of the deployment, but the move is likely to be seen as a challenge to US hegemony in the region.
