Diverse New Equipment to Make Joint Appearance! Highlights of the China Airshow Previewed

This year, the 16th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition will be held from December 7 to 13 in Zhuhai, Guangdong. This year's airshow will set historical records in terms of exhibition scale, participation system, and new equipment achievements.

The scale of this airshow will reach new heights, with the breadth of international cooperation continuing to expand. The indoor exhibition area will cover nearly 150,000 square meters, while the outdoor exhibition and support area will increase to 335,000 square meters. Currently, over 1,100 enterprises from nearly 50 countries and regions are eager to participate, showcasing more than 3,000 pieces of equipment, with about 10% of the exhibits being "first-time" displays. Various new equipment from the Chinese Air Force and Navy will be showcased together, presenting a systematic display of new combat capabilities.

This year's airshow will also innovate with a layout of "one exhibition, three zones," namely the main exhibition area of the airshow center, the Lianzhou unmanned equipment display area, and the Gaolan maritime equipment display area.

The Gaolan maritime equipment display area will showcase static displays of active naval vessels and will also exhibit amphibious armored vehicles and other equipment on land.

The Lianzhou unmanned equipment display area will create a systematic demonstration platform for drones and counter-drone systems. The exhibition area is planned to have an indoor exhibition space of 6,000 square meters and approximately 4,000 square meters of outdoor booths, with 90 enterprises registered to participate. The dynamic demonstration of counter-drone equipment will be a major highlight, with participating enterprises presenting the latest developments and practical applications of current drone countermeasures. Additionally, several new types of drones have registered for flight demonstrations.

This year's airshow lineup for aerial performances is also highly anticipated, with the Russian Aerospace Forces "Warriors" aerobatic team officially signed up, and the UAE Air Force "Knights" aerobatic team also invited to perform. This marks the first time since 2016 that two foreign military aerobatic teams will participate in a Chinese airshow simultaneously.

This participation will mark the return of the UAE Air Force "Knights" aerobatic team to the Chinese airshow after 12 years. This aerobatic team was established in 2011 and is regarded by the UAE public as a "national treasure" aerobatic team. In 2025, it will have fully transitioned to the domestically developed L-15 advanced trainer aircraft and will complete its global debut after the transition at the Dubai Airshow.

With the "one exhibition, three zones" layout, how do you view the changes in exhibition scale?

Military commentator Zhang Xuefeng: It can now be said that the China Airshow has become a large-scale comprehensive high-tech exhibition that integrates aviation and aerospace exhibitions, ground defense exhibitions, and maritime exhibitions. Especially in the maritime equipment display area, it can more fully and comprehensively present the achievements of the People's Navy's equipment modernization in a more three-dimensional and multi-faceted manner. On this basis, it means that the range of exhibits at the China Airshow is continuously expanding. This not only allows domestic audiences to enjoy a visual feast but also attracts more international professional audiences to attend, which is more conducive to showcasing China's achievements in defense modernization and the latest results of China's defense industry, defense manufacturing, and aerospace industry, further promoting our defense products to the world.

What impact does the L-15 advanced trainer aircraft have on aerobatic performances?

Military commentator Zhang Xuefeng: It can be said that this is the L-15 advanced trainer aircraft's "homecoming." In 2014, the Knights aerobatic team actually participated in the China Airshow. At that time, their trainer aircraft was the MB339, an advanced trainer developed in Italy. The then team leader had several expectations for the performance aircraft:

First, it should have an attractive appearance and be able to perform all maneuvers.

Secondly, it should have excellent power performance.

Additionally, the performance aircraft needs to have a small flight radius.

Now it can be said that our L-15 advanced trainer aircraft can fully meet all of his expectations.

First of all, from an aerodynamic appearance perspective, it adopts a similar aerodynamic layout to that of fourth-generation aircraft, using large, pointed, arch-shaped leading edges, which is very beneficial for subsonic maneuvers and can reduce the turning radius.

Moreover, it features a twin-engine design with a relatively high thrust-to-weight ratio, which is more than sufficient for vertical maneuvers.

The L-15 advanced trainer aircraft also uses a fly-by-wire control system, allowing for worry-free flying, which is more conducive to showcasing the aircraft's best performance and innovating some brand-new performance maneuvers. From this perspective, I believe the L-15 will empower its aerobatic team, making their maneuvers more attractive and captivating.