Shenyang J-15
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The Shenyang J-15, also known as Flying Shark is a Chinese all-weather, twinjet, carrier-based fourth-generation multirole fighter aircraft developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) and the 601 Institute, specifically for the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) to serve on People's Liberation Army Navy's aircraft carriers.
The T-10K-3, an unfinished prototype of the Su-33, was acquired by SAC from Ukraine in 2001 and is claimed to have been studied extensively and reverse-engineered, with development on the J-15 beginning immediately afterward. While the J-15 appears to be structurally based on the prototype of Su-33, the fighter features indigenous Chinese technologies as well as avionics from the Shenyang J-11B program. In February 2018, discussions about replacing the aircraft appeared in several Chinese media outlets including Xinhua and China's main military newspaper, discussing that it belongs to the 4th- or 4.5-generation fighters. Thus, the J-15 is viewed as an interim carrier-based fighter until a fifth-generation successor enters service, one that may be based on the Chengdu J-20 or Shenyang FC-31. Learn More
Aircraft Specifications
Country: China
Manufacturer: Shenyang Aircraft Corporation
Year: 2013
Number Built: 60
Active: Yes
Powerplant: 2 x Saturn AL-31 afterburning turbofans
Number of Crew: 1
Length: 22.28m
Height: 5.92m
Vertical Stabilizers: 2
Wingtype: Fixed
Wingspan: 15.00m
Wing Area: 67.84m²
Gross Weight: 27,000kg
Max Speed: 2,964 km/h (Mach 2.40)
Range: 3,500km
Thrust to Weight Ratio: 0.93