?..once they feel that the pilots and the ships crew are ready they will embark the air wing on the Liaoning. China has already spend billions of dollars over the past 16 years or more on the aircraft carrier project they won't slack or be cheap now.
I agree.
And with actual production J-15 aircraft rolling off the line now, we can make some potential predictions about what course they may take.
With almost all nations, when you move from the prototype stage to the initial production aircraft, those initial aircraft first go into test squadrons, then to training squadrons, and then to actual front line squadrons.
We are all going to get to watch and see how the PLAN proceeds with their business in this regard for the J-15s and their carrier(s).
If they intend to get the Liaoning air wing up as quickly as possible, we'll see the initial squadron or two doing all three duties. Moving more rapidly to an initial production squadron on the Liaoning carrier.
If, OTOH, they take a longer, more conservative and structured view, intending to prepare for and train multiple air wings for multiple carriers, we may see them move more slowly. First forming up a full test squadron to do the testing and qualifying of current and future weapons and sensors...and then a training squadron or two to train pilots at their extensive land based facility for the coming air wings, starting with the Liaoning, and then moving those trained and certified pilots into production, front line squadrons for the carrier(s).
We shall just have to see.
