China's Liaoning aircraft carrier set for sea trials of take-offs and landings
Liaoning's readiness for flight manoeuvres of jets will focus on return from sorties over 19 days of exercises in Bohai starting tomorrow
A 19-day sea trial of China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, starting tomorrow is expected to include take-offs and landings by fighter jets.
Earlier reports and photographs that were published by the People's Liberation Army Daily and the website of the Ministry of National Defence showed the ship had successfully completed touch-and-go tests involving a carrier-based fighter aircraft, which military experts said was probably an indigenous J-15, last month.
A navigation warning has been issued by the Liaoning Maritime Safety Administration, banning all civilian vessels from part of the northern Bohai Sea from 8am tomorrow to 6pm on November 30.
Li Jie , a naval expert who is based in Beijing, said the ship had achieved some success in test take-offs during the previous sea trial.
"This time, it will mainly focus on landings because, compared with take-offs, landing operations are much more challenging and dangerous," he said.
Li also said landing tests involved more cooperation and co-ordination between pilots and technicians aboard the carrier, with accurate judgment calls a must.