Images confirm China is operating J-15 fighter aircraft from third batch

Images published by Chinese state-owned media on 7 October have provided further evidence that the Shenyang Aircraft Company (SAC) has continued production of the J-15 carrier-borne multirole fighter, with at least two aircraft from the third batch now confirmed to be in service.

One of the images, which were released by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)-sponsored China Military Online website, shows two J-15 fighters attached to the PLA Naval Aviation University taxiing during a training course held in late September.

An image showing two J-15 multirole fighters attached to the PLA Naval Aviation University during a training course in late September 2020. One of them bears production number ‘0306’: an indication that the platform belongs to the latest, third production batch. (China Military Online)

One of the fighters bears production number ‘0206’ – indicating that it is part of the second batch – while the other bears number ‘0306’: an indication that it belongs to the latest, third production batch. A second image shows another J-15 bearing production number ‘0303’.

Although the location of the training course was not revealed, Janes understands that the aircraft have been operating from the training facility at Huangdicun.

The latest developments come after China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned its second aircraft carrier, Shandong , in December 2019. About three months later, SAC, which is a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), indicated that it had resumed production of the J-15. The manufacturer had released images showing at least one J-15 painted in green primer, suggesting that the aircraft was part of a new batch.