China conducts navy drill on aircraft carrier

World Today

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy conducted a drill that saw naval aviators flying the Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark onboard the country’s only aircraft carrier, Liaoning, in the Bohai Bay last week.

China conducts navy drill on aircraft carrier

The footage of the drill, which was released today, shows J-15 pilots practicing touch-and-goes, missing approaches and preparing for other contingencies for carrier-based operations.

Members of China’s Central Military Commission, PLA commander Wu Shengli and the PLA’s political commissar Miao Hua were onboard the carrier to observe the training exercises.

China conducts navy drill on aircraft carrier

The PLA’s navy showcased its ability to launch and recover multiple jets quickly and its aircraft handling both above and below decks.

The latest images showed the PLA’s growing capacity with regard to operations onboard a carrier. While the Liaoning carrier used to be thought of as a training ship, this mission has showed that it will be capable of being used in combat in the near future, said Yin Zhuo, a military expert.