Updated Monday, November 26, 2012 at 06:30 AM
BEIJING — The Chinese military has successfully landed a fighter jet on the Liaoning, China's first seaworthy aircraft carrier, according to a report Sunday by Xinhua, the state news agency.
China Central Television showed video of the jet, the J-15, landing on the deck of the carrier, which was put into service in September after years of construction work. The video also showed the jet, which is painted yellow with the number 552 written in red beneath the cockpit, successfully taking off from the carrier.
Many Chinese and foreigners see the Liaoning as a symbol of China's military modernization and its desire to extend its combat capacity.
But the carrier will not be combat-ready for some time, and foreign military analysts say China's military abilities and budget still lag far behind those of the United States, which is China's greatest rival for influence in the western Pacific.
China bought the carrier years ago from Ukraine, where it had been called the Varyag. The Xinhua report said the carrier had undergone a series of "sailing and technological tests" since Sept. 25, when it was formally put into service by the People's Liberation Army, whose navy is modernizing more rapidly than any other military branch.
The report said the J-15 jet was designed and made in China and is able to carry anti-ship, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, as well as precision-guided bombs, Xinhua reported. The jet is comparable to Russia's Su-33 and the United States' F-18, according to Xinhua.
The Chinese navy's modernization plans come as China faces rising tensions with Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines over marine areas believed to be rich in oil, gas and fish.
Aerospace firm'sleader dies at test
HONG KONG — The head of the Chinese company that built the jet tested Sunday on the country's first aircraft carrier died of a suspected heart attack while helping oversee the tests, a Chinese official said. Luo Yang, 51, was chairman and president of Shenyang Aircraft. The company, based in northeastern China's Shenyang city, also builds light sport aircraft with Cessna, and parts for other manufacturers, including Boeing.Bloomberg news
ZHA CHUNMING / AP
A carrier-borne J-15 fighter jet lands on China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.
