theoretically yes with J-15s, but I don't recall any country constructing "land carriers" as operational military bases. I think cost could be one of the reasons.
Ladakh Flash Point
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Perhaps a more sensible and cost effective solution might be to launch fighters with their normal loadout and enough contingent fuel to return to base (just in case), then have the fighters rendezvous with a tanker to top up on gas enroute before proceeding to the area of operation?
Just basing this on what the British RAF do - while the RAF doesn't have the same issue with performance and altitude, their Typhoons don't exactly have the fuel capacity to intercept Russian warplanes in the North Sea and return to base after. Based on what I know the RAF seemingly scramble the Typhoons, and a Voyager is sent to meet them north of Scotland to refuel once they've achieved their mission objective.
Not confirmed but it is believed that Swiss Air Force used F-18A Hornets with arrestor hooks for short landings on high altitude mountain airstrips.
Rocket assisted take offs have been used to get heavily loaded aircraft into the air on shorter airstrips (or no airstrips), or airstrips at altitudes as you can see from the dramatic Soviet era video:
May be off topic. But an interesting video of Daocheng Yading Airport (4411m ASL) for aviation enthusiasts who wanna see high altitude flights (albeit commercial) in action. Though I would recommend to watch the entire video (there are landing and take off sequences). You may skip to the 12 minute mark to see the takeoff action of a Chengdu Airlines A320 with relatively full passenger load. Longer takeoff than usual, but very much doable and quite routine. No need for lighter capacity, catapults, rocket assist, or any of that stuff.
No Indian media will ever show any of this. Chinese pilots, commercial and military have vast experience with high altitude flying. Its no sweat for them. No bragging, no chest thumping, no "we are the best" statements. Indian and many international defence analyst can never give the Chinese people any credit.
No Indian media will ever show any of this. Chinese pilots, commercial and military have vast experience with high altitude flying. Its no sweat for them. No bragging, no chest thumping, no "we are the best" statements. Indian and many international defence analyst can never give the Chinese people any credit.
MwRYum
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Installing land-based catapult takes some thing like 6 months to a year if we go by what the Chinese did in their carrier aviation training base, and do remember that was an operational airbase to begin with, meanwhile most other places it's just simpler to lay a longer runway to get the job done...if not, RATO kit has been around for more than 50 years, remember that.
Meanwhile, India is everything the opposite, a public that is eager for a war, been for months promised a swift and victorious total war against China.
Some pretty interesting footage of heavily loaded C-130s using RATO. The opening footage shows a ski equipped C-130 taking off from a high altitude frozen lake or glacier ringed with mountains ( this may be in Alaska or Bavaria). There is an un-identified delta wing combat aircraft using RATO
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Or catapult on the runway to increase the take off momentum.
The PLAAF seems to have solved this issue using special engines sometime back. See this 2018 report with India bemoaning the fact that PLAAF has solved the high altitude problem:
I've heard this idea before, but wouldn't this only work on J-15? And new J-15 intended for 003 no less not the current ones.
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