China trains more carrier-borne fighter pilots

A group of J-15 fighter jet pilots completed their training Thursday as China is building its carrier force into one that provides tactical and support capacities.

According to a report carried by the PLA Daily Friday, the training programs included wave-off practices and arrested landing.

Wu Shengli, commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy, witnessed the activities from onboard the Liaoning aircraft carrier.

The paper said China's carrier force had made considerable progress in fighting capacity this year, with more fighters parked on the carrier and more flights handled by the carrier.

The carrier-borne fighter jets takeoff and landing technology marks a key breakthrough in real applications, said the report. The number of trained pilots was not revealed.

The selection and training of China's carrier-borne fighter jet pilots was initiated after the first aircraft carrier was commissioned in late 2012. The fist test pilot Dai Mingmeng, was honored as a hero for his skills.

Source: XINHUA