China's L-15 advanced jet trainer made its debut at the Dubai Airshow 2021. The aircraft is capable of undertaking both air defense and ground attack missions.
Growing Pains: China’s Air Force Needs More Pilots
What good is an aircraft carrier without carrier-trained pilots?
Here s What You Need to Know: The fact that China is looking for a specialized training jet is evidence that Beijing’s carrier plans are maturing. A single aircraft carrier, like Russia has, is a novelty. But China may build four or more carriers, which will require infrastructure and equipment such as carrier training jets.
What good is an aircraft carrier without carrier-trained pilots?
For the U.S. Navy, that’s no big deal. For nearly a century, it has been teaching fledgling aviators how to land on a little floating airfield on a dark night in the middle of the ocean. But for China’s navy, it’s a different story. The aircraft of the People’s Liberation Army Navy Air Force have been almost a totally land-based force, as befits a navy that only got its first carrier a decrepit ex-Soviet model a few years ago.