Thirteen years after the first touchdown of a J-15 fighter on the deck of the Liaoning, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has signaled a transformative leap in its maritime strike capabilities. Recent footage released by state media captures a pivotal moment in naval history: the integration of the J-35 stealth fighter with the Fujian, China's first carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults. This progression marks the end of the PLAN’s reliance on Soviet-era ski-jump designs and the beginning of a modern, flat-deck era.
The deployment of the J-15DT and the next-generation J-35 on the Fujian represents more than just a hardware upgrade; it reflects a sophisticated shift in aerodynamic design and launch mechanics. By utilizing the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), the PLAN can now launch heavier aircraft with greater fuel and weapon payloads at higher frequencies. The transition to the J-35, a twin-engine stealth fighter, specifically targets the technological gap between China’s carrier wing and the U.S. Navy’s F-35C.
Operational complexity reached a new peak with the recent dual-carrier exercises involving the Liaoning and the Shandong. This is the first time the PLAN has successfully coordinated two carrier strike groups in tandem, demonstrating a level of command and control maturity previously reserved for the world’s most seasoned blue-water navies. These drills indicate that China is moving beyond experimental training and into the realm of sustained, multi-carrier power projection across the First and Second Island Chains.
The human element remains central to this rapid expansion, with pilots like Yuan Wei and the crews of the Fujian achieving milestones that were once considered decades away. As the Fujian progresses through its sea trials and aircraft integration phases, the PLAN is essentially building a template for a future fleet of even larger, nuclear-powered vessels. This trajectory underscores Beijing's commitment to challenging maritime dominance in the Indo-Pacific through a combination of high-tech naval aviation and overwhelming industrial capacity.