According to Chinese sources, China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, conducted sea trials ahead of schedule after a year of docking for refurbishment, taking a step ahead of the Fujian carrier, and as expected, it embarked on the sea trials with the J-35 stealth fighter, which is about to enter service on the Liaoning. The captain of the Liaoning stated that after this mid-term maintenance and upgrade, the Liaoning will complete its transformation from a training ship to a combat ship, indicating the significant impact brought by the deployment of the J-35.
Analysis by Tencent News suggests that the mid-term refurbishment of the Liaoning, which began on February 28th of last year and lasted until February 29th of this year, marks a whole year, and after this mid-term refurbishment, there shouldn’t be any major changes for over 10 years.
While the specific improvements and changes made to the Liaoning during this upgrade are not clear, it is certain that there would have been no shortage given it was a mid-term upgrade. The deputy captain of the Liaoning had previously stated that after this mid-term maintenance and upgrade, the Liaoning would complete its transformation from a training ship to a combat ship, indicating the significant impact brought by the deployment of the J-35.
Analysis suggests that it is certain now that the J-35 will not be exclusive to the Fujian carrier. Previously, it was speculated that it would only be used for catapult-type aircraft carriers, but now it’s even being used on ski-jump carriers. With the Liaoning conducting sea trials, it demonstrates that the J-35 can not only be launched by catapult but also by ski-jump, making it a versatile option.
The J-35 has long been anticipated as a stealth carrier-based aircraft by the outside world, with many expecting it to rival the F-35. The FC-31 project manager once stated in an interview that the FC-31 aircraft is designed to serve four roles, similar to the multi-role positioning of the American F-35. With the Fujian carrier about to undergo sea trials and the need for the next-generation Type 076 amphibious assault ship, there are high expectations about whether the J-35 will adopt a multi-role configuration.
As for its capabilities against American carriers, an analysis article points out that the Liaoning, derived from the Soviet Varyag, underwent major changes after its acquisition, initially being positioned as an all-around warship, with missiles even to be installed below the deck. Despite extensive improvements, it could only carry 24 J-15s due to design constraints. Although the Soviet-style Su-33 series twin-engine heavy carrier-based aircraft are powerful, they are limited by ski-jump takeoff and cannot take off with full fuel and ammunition, significantly reducing their combat effectiveness. Even with a 60,000-ton platform, it cannot carry more carrier-based aircraft, making it inferior to American supercarriers. With the introduction of the J-35 alongside the J-15, the total number of carrier-based aircraft can be increased to 30, along with the KJ-600, providing a formidable force against American supercarriers.
