Fighter pilots' graduation
signals China's readiness to police the seas
Announcement highlights navy's ability to train carrier-based pilots
China has stepped up preparation of its aircraft carrier's fighting force, with a new batch of carrier-based fighter pilots graduating this month.
The People's Liberation Army has built up its largest carrier-based pilot team after more than three years of intensive training, the PLA Daily reported in a front-page article on Tuesday.
A class of carrier-based jet fighter pilots graduated this month. Photo: SCMP Pictures
The news comes on the back of a report in Jane's Defence Weekly last week that China's first home-built Type 001A aircraft carrier was now largely complete, with just an aircraft elevator, superstructure and some deck sections left to be finished.
The images were from Airbus Defence and Space, a division of the Airbus Group, a European multinational aerospace and defence corporation.
The article did not say how many carrier-based fighter jet pilots graduated but highlighted that they were all classmates of Zhang Chao, a 29-year old PLA pilot who died when his J-15 fighter jet crashed during a simulated landing at an inland base in April.
Fatal crash of Chinese J-15 carrier jet puts question mark over troubled programme
The navy suspended all J-15 training flights for nearly two months after Zhang's death, which was reported by state media after the training resumed last month.
The PLA Daily said the pilots all trained on China's Liaoning aircraft carrier for the most challenging night-time take-offs and landings.
The pilots trained on take-offs and landing aboard the Liaoning aircraft carrier. Photo: SCMP Pictures
The military mouthpiece's article - which comes after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled against Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea on July 12 - signals China's push to build up its aircraft carrier fighting group.
South China Sea: 'provocative US action' could prompt faster Chinese
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