CV-16, CV-17 STOBAR carrier thread (001/Liaoning, 002/Shandong)

[gelgoog]

I suspect only half the J-15s were replaced with J-15Ts because the rest of the aircraft are planned to be replaced with the J-35.
I was kind of hoping some of the helicopters would have been replaced with the Z-20 but seemingly this has not happened.

 

[supersnoop]

Funny quirk, there are a mix of simplified script and traditional script banners, they always seem to do this whenever they have these PLA events in HK.

Also, they have T95 on display but those troops on deck have QBZ191

 

[tamsen_ikard]

I suspect only half the J-15s were replaced with J-15Ts because the rest of the aircraft are planned to be replaced with the J-35.
I was kind of hoping some of the helicopters would have been replaced with the Z-20 but seemingly this has not happened.

What will happen to the J-15, they are only a few years old. Kinda waste to retire so early.

 

[TheWanderWit]

What will happen to the J-15, they are only a few years old. Kinda waste to retire so early.

Some will probably just get relegated to land-based PLANAF units, replacing any older PLANAF J-11s or J-10s, and some will be used and designated for training. Maybe some of the last few and latest ones that rolled off the production line will still have uses on their carriers, even as the J-15T begins to proliferate even more. Any other ones, like say, probably the earliest, original J-15s that were built early on may just get scrapped entirely or mothballed.

 

[lcloo]

PLA is not known to waste, they used their assets till they are expired. They put their best on the frontline, which is normal for all countries, then the older ones are placed on the second lines and also used for training.

PLAN is still using the obsolete type 053H3 frigates because these ships have not yet reach their retiring age. They are still using a lot of other old ships like type 072 LST and type 022 missile boats. This shows that PLAN, like other PLA branches, don't waste anything, they used them till they expire. Another example is PLAAF Y5(AN-2 derivative), J7, JJ7, JH7, J8, J11A and so on.

Also, quantity has its advantage.

 

[Tomboy]

Another example is PLAAF Y5(AN-2 derivative), J7, JJ7, JH7, J8, J11A and so on.

J-8 and Y-5 still have a decent amount of use left in them, JZ-8F is the currently the only manned high speed recon aircraft while Y-5 is useful for SpecOps and training. JZ-8F might be soon replaced by advanced air breathing hypersonic drones but Y-5 IMO will still likely stay for years considering they are so good at their job(Capable of taking off basically anywhere and fly extremely slow for cheap) that no modern plane currently comes close in performance and cost which is basically why no one tried making a modern An-2/Y-5 equivalent despite the use cases for these aircrafts are still quite abundant in military and civilian markets.

PS: I kinda of lied cause the TVS-2MS do exist and has seen some orders but IMO no point in replacing current Y-5s considering they don't really offer too much improvement in the important aspects other than a brand new airframe, but these Y-5/An-2 are built so sturdily that they could probably be kept in service as long as parts are available.

 

[by78]

More...

 

[by78]

(Continued from last post...)

 

[by78]

Close-up images of carrier Shandong's arresting wires.

 

[GiantPanda]

What will happen to the J-15, they are only a few years old. Kinda waste to retire so early.

The carrier fleet didn't have a trainer until the JL-9G around 2020 and even then it is not rated to do an actual launch and trap from an carrier.

So both land and sea training, certification and deployments of two carriers were all done with the 60-odd airframes of the original J-15s for over a decade. Those aircraft have been used extensively if not exhaustively especially when taken into the account of the beatings carrier planes take on landing and trapping. The way that the J-15 had been used is anything but wasteful.

With the JL-9G and especially the JL-10J being able to do carrier operations available from the start, the J-15T airframes could be conserved a lot more than the J-15.