J-15 carrier-borne fighter thread
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
Blackstone
Brigadier
Doesn't look right... that image suggests an exploding shark (J-15), or one about to explode.
Looks to me like a shroud of electricity/energy around the shark... which would neatly correspond with a J-15D EW variant of the Flying Shark J-15.
The biggest thing to look out for when the pictures eventually hopefully emerge, is whether its landing gear is catapult compatible.
I assume it would be, because it would make no sense to develop an entirely new variant of J-15 for a launch method that will soon be second best for the Navy's flat tops, but having confirmation would definitely provide additional indicators and weight towards the direction the Navy wants to head with its flat tops and the comprehensiveness of their future capabilities.
GREAT! I am excited to see them fly off of the Liaoning!
SinoSoldier
Colonel
Interesting; do they not plan to build a multirole variant of the J-15S (i.e. one that can carry out day-to-day CAP/strike missions akin to the F/A-18F)? Or is the J-15D variant capable of that as well (with removable EW equipment)?
SinoSoldier
Colonel
Highly doubtful. A twin-seat fighter brings tremendous tactical flexibility to a carrier air wing and allows the J-15 to carry out strike missions without the need for buddy targeting.
That would really depend on whether J-15D could also operate in non explicit EW/ECM roles, in the way you described in your last post.
If they are able to remove various EW/ECM pods easily and that the integrated EW/ECM equipment is not a significant impairment to the rest of the aircraft's performance and flexibility, then the idea of forgoing a dedicated twin seat J-15 and only having the first J-15S act as a developmental bedrock for J-15D could make sense.