General Background

The J-15 is a Chinese twin-engine all-weather carrier-based fighter manufactured by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation in cooperation with the 601 Institute for the Chinese PLAN aircraft carriers. In China the J-15 is known as the Flying Shark with a NATO designation of Flanker-X2. The J-15 has the same basic airframe design as the Su-33. When the jet entered service in 2015 it was compared to the U.S. Navy’s two-seat FA-18 Super Hornet fighter. In 2018 it was announced the J-15 would stop production for the J-15B.

The Aircraft

Mid October 2016 the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and seven other Russian vessels left for the Syrian coast. On November 15, 2016 the carrier and its ten Su-33 and four MiG-29KR/KUBR aircraft took part in a large operation against ISIS in the Homs area using 500 pound bombs. Admiral Kuznetsov returned to its home port of Severomorsk in February 2017. One of the ten Su-33s was Bort 84 49051008201 of the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment 2nd Squadron “Tigers” was delivered on April 19, 1994.

Specifications

• First Flight: August 31, 2009
• In Service: 2013
• Crew: 1 – 2
• Dimensions
• Length: 21.19 m (72 ft)
• Wingspan
• Down – 14.7 m (48 ft 3 in)
• Folded – 8.4 m (27.56 ft)
• Height – 5.9 m (19.42 ft)
• Weights
• Empty – 175,000 kg (38,600 lb)
• Loaded – 27,000 kg (60,000 lb)
• Maximum Takeoff – 33,000 kg (72,752 lb)
• Performance
• Powerplants – 2 X Modified WS-10 Variants Producing 132kN Each
• Maximum Speed – Mach 2.4 (2,940 kph 1,826 mph)
• Ferry Range – 3,500 km (2,175 miles)
• Armament
• Cannon – 1 X 30 mm GSh-30-1 With 150 Rounds
• Munitions On 12 External Hardpoints
• 8 X PL-12 or R-77 And
• 4 X PL-9 Or R-73 Air-To-Air Missiles
• YJ-62 Or Kh-41 Anti-Ship Missiles
• YJ-91 Supersonic Anti-Ship Missiles
• ECM Pods
• Various Bombs And Rockets