China’s state media has highlighted a discrete but consequential upgrade to the navy’s carrier fighter: the J-15T. Li Guo’en, a decorated air force test pilot and the J-15’s first flight test pilot, described the latest variant’s defining feature as “弹” — a catapult launch capability enabled by a dedicated “弹射牵引杆” (catapult tow bar) that mates with a carrier’s launch mechanism and releases once launch speed is reached.
The refinement may sound technical, but it matters operationally. The original J-15 was optimized for ski-jump (STOBAR) launches used on China’s early carriers, limiting take-off weight, fuel loads and weapons carriage. A J-15 that can interface with a ship’s catapult—whether a steam or electromagnetic system—can lift heavier payloads, take off with more fuel and reach launch speed more reliably, expanding mission flexibility and sortie rates.
The timing of the disclosure is notable. Beijing has been steadily commissioning larger carriers equipped with catapult systems and developing carrier-capable airborne early warning aircraft and unmanned systems that depend on catapult launches. A fighter airframe reworked to accept a catapult tow bar signals an intent to standardize air wings around CATOBAR-style operations and to make fuller use of the capacities of newer carriers.
The engineering behind such a change is not trivial. Adapting a carrier fighter for catapult launches typically requires structural reinforcement, changes to landing gear and arresting hooks, recalibration of flight controls and engine tuning to withstand the different stress profile of a catapulted launch. Deck handling, maintenance cycles and pilot training must also evolve to the faster tempo and mechanical complexity of catapult operations.
Strategically, the practical effect would be to improve the PLAN’s ability to project air power farther from shore and sustain higher sustained sortie rates in crisis scenarios. This changes the operational math in the western Pacific by increasing the payload and endurance that Chinese carrier air wings can bring to bear, and by enabling the routine deployment of larger airborne early warning and support platforms that enhance situational awareness.
Limits remain. One aircraft type’s modification does not instantly solve logistics, training or experience shortfalls. Carrier aviation is a systems problem: deck infrastructure, escort logistics, maintenance depth and pilot experience all determine whether new technical capabilities translate into durable operational advantage. Still, the J-15T disclosure is a concrete marker of China’s steady transition from experimental carrier operations toward a more mature, CATOBAR-capable naval aviation force.