"Complete the 'Five-Piece Set'! A Key Component of Carrier Strike Group Operational Capability is Formed"

Today is the August 1st Army Day. In September 2025, the People's Navy announced that the J-15T, J-35, and KJ-600 successfully completed catapult takeoff and landing training on the Fujian ship, marking the first time in our country that multiple advanced carrier-based aircraft achieved electromagnetic catapult and arrested landing on a catapult-type aircraft carrier.

With the induction of various new fighter jets, the People's Navy has successfully equipped the "five-piece set" for aircraft carriers, which is a key link in forming the operational capability of carrier strike groups.

In November 2025, the Fujian ship conducted its first live training at sea after being commissioned. Multiple types of carrier-based aircraft, including the J-35, J-15T, J-15DT, and KJ-600, successively completed multiple catapult takeoffs and landings on the Fujian ship, effectively testing the ship's electromagnetic catapult, recovery, and deck operation capabilities, further validating the compatibility of the aircraft with the ship.

The J-15T has been equipped with a catapult rod based on the J-15, adapting to the electromagnetic catapult system of the Fujian ship, marking a historic leap for the naval carrier-based fighter from ski-jump to catapult launch.

The J-35 is a new stealth carrier-based fighter independently developed by our country, featuring an integrated design with a single-seat, twin-engine, and outward-canted twin vertical tail layout. It complements the J-15T, achieving a "1+1>2" effect, effectively enhancing the long-range operational capability of carrier strike groups. The KJ-600 is an all-weather carrier-based early warning aircraft independently developed by our country, known as the "Sea and Air Command Center."

The induction of these three types of carrier-based aircraft has given the carrier strike group the wings to win in sea and air, and the amphibious combat forces of the People's Navy have also welcomed new elite troops.

On the August 1st Army Day in 2025, the People's Navy's fourth 075-class amphibious assault ship, Hubei ship, made its appearance. The Hubei ship features a straight flight deck and can carry various types of carrier-based helicopters, air-cushion landing craft, and amphibious armored vehicles, possessing capabilities for three-dimensional landings, long-range delivery, and system operations. Since its commissioning, the Hubei ship has continuously engaged in high-intensity realistic training. Not long ago, the Hubei ship, carrying Z-20 carrier-based helicopters, went to a certain sea area in the South China Sea to conduct multi-subject realistic training, integrating the new generation of utility helicopters into the core configuration of naval amphibious operations. The Hainan ship is the lead ship of the 075-class amphibious assault ships, providing a large number of experienced personnel for other ships of the same class and laying a solid foundation for the rapid generation of new combat capabilities.

Multi-chain integration

Forming joint operational capabilities in sea and air

Lao Chunyan: What does the induction of these three types of carrier-based aircraft mean for the combat capability of the Fujian ship?

Military commentator Du Wenlong: Carrier-based aircraft are the core of aircraft carrier operations and are like a fist. This time we have introduced three types of carrier-based aircraft, which essentially integrate the previous chains of offense, defense, reconnaissance, and support. Many countries have fighter jets but lack early warning aircraft, whereas we have synchronized the early warning aircraft into the mix, combining airborne radar command posts with sea and air combat forces, establishing both "fist" and "eyes" simultaneously, which is rare globally and plays a particularly important role in forming joint operational capabilities in sea and air.

Du Wenlong: The J-15T, J-35, KJ-600, and the aircraft carrier are all new, referred to as "four new integrations." If we were to follow the "multiple new integrations" approach used abroad for adaptation, the period would be very long, which also indicates that our country has achieved the highest starting point in multiple elements such as carrier-based aircraft, electromagnetic catapults, and aircraft carriers compared to other countries. Currently, there are three types of carrier-based aircraft, and more will continue to be added in the future. As operational demands continue to increase, the comprehensive combat level of the Fujian ship will reach new heights. In the future, through joint training of carrier-based aircraft and cooperative operations within the strike group, our long-range operational capabilities will be rapidly developed.