Shenyang makes progress on J-15 fleet

Cornelius Weening, Beijing - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
28 October 2014


Two new Shenyang J-15 aircraft, numbered 104 and 105, are ready for delivery by SAC to the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF)

New photos that have appeared on Chinese aviation websites suggest that mass production of the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-15 carrier-based multirole fighter is gathering pace.

Two new J-15 aircraft, numbered 104 and 105, are ready for delivery by SAC to the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF). The new additions take the total of known J-15 aircraft to 11, including prototypes.

At the same time testing continues with the J-15S, the twin-seat variant of the J-15. New photos show a bright yellow prototype conducting flight tests. The aircraft appears to be very close to production status.

Chinese internet sources state that there will be three variants of the J-15S: an advanced trainer for J-15 pilots; a multirole combat variant; and an electronic warfare variant modelled on the US Navy's Boeing EA-18G Growler.


Shenyang is also testing J-15S tandem-seat aircraft. Chinese internet sources state that there will be three variants of the J-15S: an advanced trainer for J-15 pilots; a multirole combat variant; and an electronic warfare variant modelled on the US Navy's Boeing EA-18G Growler

The J-15S will also be able to function as a command-and-control platform within a fleet of J-15/J-15S combat aircraft: a capability that Sukhoi developed on the Su-30MKK2 - a version of the legacy Su-30 family (the basis for the J-15) that was optimised for naval operations. This ability is especially relevant to the PLANAF as China has yet to put a fixed-wing carrier-based airborne early warning and control aircraft into service.