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| China Is Looking For Trained Pilots Which Suitable To Operate Fighter Jets From Carriers |
Beijing - As a country with a very formidable military, China is also equipped with aircraft carriers. By having an aircraft carrier, of course, in the operation of fighter jets, the Chinese military can be more flexible. Therefore, China is currently reportedly looking for trained pilots to operate carrier-based fighter jets.
The search for the fighter jet pilot, according to defense view, is for the Type 003 aircraft carrier Fujian and the Type 002 aircraft carrier Shandong. After the introduction of two new aircraft carriers, the demand for fighter pilots in the Chinese Navy has increased. “Now plans are struggling to meet this important goal. Currently, China operates a limited number of J-15s as carrier-based fighters.” explains Defense View, October 2, 2022.
Fujian is China's third and most advanced aircraft carrier, which recently began sea trials. Sources say China needs at least 200 carrier-based fighter pilots who are qualified. The pilot is to operate 130 fighter aircraft carried by the aircraft carrier.
Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie also gave his account, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. "It is full of challenges, because aircraft design and pilot training is one of the most difficult and complex core technologies in the world, which of course will not be shared with you," Li said.
He added that while China was producing aircraft carriers at high speed, it was still a work in progress for the J-15 carrier-based fighter jet, which it said was too heavy to be placed on an aircraft carrier. Fujian is a Chinese aircraft carrier equipped with advanced electromagnetic catapults, similar to those on the US supercarrier Gerald R Ford. While China's first two aircraft carriers use a ski-jump design. So the Chinese Navy now needs to master the newly introduced aircraft launch system.
Dai Mingmeng, who flew the J-15 prototype on its maiden flight from the deck of the Liaoning on November 3, 2012. He was one of the first five Chinese pilots to achieve certification on board. He and other senior carrier-capable pilots are now training the latest generation.
State-run China Central Television said the navy had been directly recruiting cadets from high school graduates between the ages of 16 and 19 since 2020. The average age of the newest generation of new naval aviation pilot cadets is 20, at least 10 years younger than their predecessors. .
The Chinese Navy began training its own pilots rather than selecting qualified candidates from the air force after the founding of the Naval Aviation University in Yantai, Shandong province, in 2017. Chinese Navy pilots use the Chinese-made JL-9G. It is a single-engine twin-seat aircraft which was first revealed in 2011. It is an aircraft carrier-trainer variant, but cannot be used to simulate emergency landings on the flight deck due to drawbacks such as being too light and too slow.
In addition, Ordnance Industry Science Technology, said in a report marking the 10th anniversary of the operation of the Liaoning on Sept. 25, 2012. The weakness has kept it limited to ground-based simulated carrier training, the Post quoted the report as saying.
As a country with three aircraft carriers, of course, China needs a lot of capable carrier jet fighter pilots.