J-15T Equipped with YJ-15 Exposed for the First Time — China's Aircraft Carrier Task Force Finally Completes a Key Component

On February 7, a photo of the J-15T carrier-based aircraft circulated online. The quality of the photo is average, but upon closer inspection, two missiles can be identified under the wings — their shape closely matches that of the YJ-15 supersonic anti-ship missile, which made its debut during the military parade last September. If this photo is authentic, it will serve as the first solid evidence of the YJ-15 being equipped in the naval aviation.

The reason I noticed this detail is simple: for a long time, China's aircraft carrier task force has had a significant shortcoming in anti-ship strike capabilities. The J-15s on the Liaoning and Shandong can carry the YJ-83K subsonic anti-ship missile, but this missile's range and penetration capability have proven inadequate against modern naval air defense systems. The more powerful YJ-12, due to its large size and weight exceeding 2 tons, cannot be carried by the J-15 — only large bombers like the H-6K can carry it.

What Gap Does the YJ-15 Fill?

The emergence of the YJ-15 precisely addresses this issue. Based on public information, this missile uses a ramjet engine, achieving terminal speeds of 4 to 5 Mach, with a range of about 500 kilometers. In simple terms, this means that carrier-based aircraft finally have a usable "carrier killer" — with sufficient range, speed, and a size that allows the J-15 to take off and land.

Interestingly, an old photo from 2022 has also surfaced online, showing an Air Force J-16 carrying what appears to be a YJ-15. If the information is reliable, it indicates that this missile has achieved standardization across the naval and air forces — the same model of missile can be launched from carrier-based aircraft as well as land-based fighters, simplifying logistics and tactical coordination.

An Easily Overlooked Detail

The J-15T in the photo is the catapult version, specifically developed for the Fujian aircraft carrier. There is a technical background worth mentioning here: the Liaoning and Shandong use ski-jump takeoff, and the J-15 is limited in carrying heavy weapons when fully loaded due to the deck length. The Fujian's electromagnetic catapult system theoretically allows carrier-based aircraft to take off with heavier payloads, creating conditions for carrying large missiles like the YJ-15.

In other words, the combination of YJ-15 + J-15T + Fujian forms a complete capability loop. None of these three can be missing.

Where the Gap Lies Compared to the U.S. Military

Some analysts believe that the performance of the YJ-15 has surpassed Russia's Kh-31AD and India's BrahMos, making it "the fastest air-launched anti-ship cruise missile in the world." This statement is not an exaggeration — the U.S. Navy's mainstay AGM-84 "Harpoon" is still a subsonic missile, and its speed is indeed not in the same league.

However, I believe we should not be overly optimistic because of this. First, the U.S. military is advancing the deployment of the AGM-158C LRASM long-range stealth anti-ship missile, which, although not fast, has high stealth capabilities and a high degree of intelligence, following a different technological path. Second, anti-ship operations have never been about comparing missile parameters, but rather about whether the overall reconnaissance-location-strike chain can function effectively. China's aircraft carrier task force still has much work to do in terms of situational awareness during independent operations in distant seas.

How Fast from Parade to Deployment?

What surprised me a bit was the speed. The YJ-15 was publicly unveiled for the first time during the military parade on September 3 last year, and now, just five months later, news of its deployment on ships has emerged. If true, there are only two possibilities: either the development of this missile was already completed, and the parade was merely a "unveiling ceremony"; or the timestamp on the photo is incorrect.

I lean towards the former. Looking back at the timeline of the YJ-21 — it was showcased at the 2022 Zhuhai Airshow, shortly thereafter spotted being carried on the H-6K for training, and later appeared directly in realistic exercises. China's military-industrial system has indeed been shortening the cycle from "showcasing" to "deployment" in recent years.

What is truly worth paying attention to is: when will the Fujian aircraft carrier be able to form a complete air combat capability? The J-15T combined with the YJ-15 is merely an equipment-level match; the construction of soft capabilities such as coordinated training between ship and aircraft, ammunition support systems, and tactical operation procedures may still require a considerable amount of time. After all, having good weapons does not equate to knowing how to use them.