--- title: "Chinese J-15 Fighters Fly Directly Over U.S. Navy Destroyer In New Video" description: "Chinese J-15 fighter jets, apparently operating from the aircraft carrier *[Liaoning]()*, are seen flying over a U.S. Navy [*Arleigh Burke* class]() destroyer in a video recently shown on state-run China Central Television. The footage comes soon after imagery emerged of…" date: "2022-09-26" modified: "2022-09-26" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/chinese-j-15-fighters-fly-directly-over-u-s-navy-destroyer-in-new-video" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "Arleigh Burke Class" - "Around The Globe" - "China" - "Destroyers" - "Fighters" - "Indo-Pacific" - "Navies" - "News & Features" - "People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)" - "Sea" - "U.S. Navy" --- # Chinese J-15 Fighters Fly Directly Over U.S. Navy Destroyer In New Video ![J-15\_ARLEIGH\_BURKE copy]() *via Twitter* Chinese J-15 fighter jets, apparently operating from the aircraft carrier *[Liaoning]()*, are seen flying over a U.S. Navy [*Arleigh Burke* class]() destroyer in a video recently shown on state-run China Central Television. The footage comes soon after imagery emerged of a full complement of 24 J-15s arranged on the deck of the same carrier, and while it’s unclear when these date from, their appearance now is certainly interesting in light of the [current raised tensions]() between China and the United States [over Taiwan](), as well as reflecting the increasingly routine nature of interactions between U.S. and Chinese forces in the Asia Pacific region. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwHC8KGGyV0 It’s also unclear *where* the video of the J-15s overhead the unidentified U.S. Navy destroyer was taken, but there has been speculation that the incident took place in the Taiwan Strait that separates Taiwan from mainland China. While that can’t be confirmed at this stage, we have reached out to the U.S. Navy for clarification. If the footage is from the Taiwan Strait then it was likely a response to the sort of ‘show of force’ that U.S. warships [have conducted]() here in the recent past — as well as [elsewhere]() in the wider [Asia Pacific region](). https://twitter.com/SnowLotusFlame/status/1574295204030316544?s=20&t=7AkPOF4jfA2DrOl37-49Rg https://twitter.com/louischeung\_hk/status/1574289774449283072?s=20&t=7AkPOF4jfA2DrOl37-49Rg Indeed, the Taiwan Strait has been the scene of recent intense military activity by China and the U.S. and its allies. In particular, [the visit to Taiwan]() by U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in early August triggered a [series of military drills]() in the strait that continued [throughout the month](). Only last week, meanwhile, the *Arleigh Burke* class destroyer USS *Higgins* (DDG-76) and the Royal Canadian Navy’s [*Halifax* class]() frigate HMCS *Vancouver* passed through the Strait. This is only the most recent transit of the strait by a U.S. Navy warship and the J-15s were not passing over this warship, which is a Flight II vessel, identified by its hangar deck. Nevertheless, U.S. destroyers operate across the region routinely, including in the [South China Sea](), where they could also encounter J-15s from *Liaoning*. https://twitter.com/eastwind6699/status/1573336800193806339?s=20&t=QiB7snUO3jKSeksGRCg\_PA U.S. Navy warships conducting so-called Freedom of Navigation Patrols, or [FONOPs](), typically draw a sharp rebuke from Chinese authorities. That was also the case back in July when three U.S. vessels — including the *Arleigh Burke* class destroyer [USS *Benfold*]() — transited the Strait [in the space of a week](). As for the *Liaoning,* in recent months it has been noted operating in waters [further east of Taiwan](). Reports and photos released by the Japan Ministry of Defense in early May showed the carrier and its air wing exercising around 100 miles south of Ishikagi Island, a Japanese island southwest of Okinawa. https://twitter.com/ryankakiuchan/status/1525263613594058752?s=20&t=K-8JnLNj\_75\_doiPB6uStQ More recently, satellite imagery shows that *Liaoning* spent a brief period at sea between September 5 and 7, before returning to port by September 8. https://twitter.com/d\_viekass/status/1568312753223532544?s=20&t=87BrGtd1vxt2ZILG3Z0naQ Wherever this latest incident took place, it was apparently in international waters where it’s not unusual for one country’s naval vessels or aircraft to shadow those of another. Currently, there is nothing to suggest one way or another that the J-15s acted in a dangerous or otherwise unprofessional way during the encounter, although that would not be the first such instance of something like that happening, based on statements [from the U.S. Navy]() and [other allies](). What the encounter does seem to show is further evidence that the carrier arm of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, is increasingly being used in a more active way, to monitor the movements of warships from the U.S. and other navies. There are many accounts suggesting that the primary role of the *Liaoning* is to develop the PLAN’s operational carrier capabilities, ahead of the service inducting its first truly home-grown carrier, the *[Fujian]()*. A comparison of the *Liaoning* (CV-16), *Shandong* (CV-17), and *Fujian* (CV-18): https://twitter.com/louischeung\_hk/status/1537402220303376388?s=20&t=dbyS-dGQNb97cbtqZ90lTw What’s also unclear from the short video is where the *Liaoning* was during the overflight of the destroyer. It’s quite possible that the U.S. warship was in turn shadowing the PLAN carrier, something that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force [has also done]() in the recent past, for example. With that in mind, a flight of J-15s being sent over the destroyer is a very normal response, signaling presence and perhaps warning the vessel off attempts to approach closer to the *Liaoning*. Interestingly, while it is unclear whether the J-15 from which the video was taken is carrying external weapons, at least one of the other two jets seen in the formation does appear to be carrying air-to-air missiles under its wings, although it is impossible to determine if these are live weapons or not. For combat air patrols, J-15s can carry various air-to-air missiles of primarily [Chinese origin](). ![]() *J-15 fighters on the deck of the aircraft carrier *Liaoning*. The jets are carrying a mix of Chinese-made PL-12 and PL-8 air-to-air missiles, plus air combat maneuvering instrumentation pods. *AFP via Getty Images** As it is, other recent imagery of the *Liaoning*, perhaps originating from this same deployment, shows — apparently for the first time — how the J-15 component of the carrier air wing is now at full strength. This imagery, which began to appear over the weekend, includes aerial views of the carrier with 24 J-15s on deck. As well as these fighter jets, the carrier is seen embarking a pair of [Z-8/Z-18]() series ship-borne helicopters, which fulfill a variety of roles, including anti-submarine warfare and early warning, and a single [Z-9]() helicopter that is typically used as a plane guard. https://twitter.com/GardaAramis/status/1574319435254358016?s=20&t=7AkPOF4jfA2DrOl37-49Rg https://twitter.com/louischeung\_hk/status/1573969331523751946?s=20&t=7AkPOF4jfA2DrOl37-49Rg According to reports in the Chinese media, the sequence with 24 J-15s was shot during maneuvers in the Bohai Sea, an area of water off the east coast of China that extends into the Yellow Sea. That would put it a long way from the Taiwan Strait, but that’s not to say that the carrier wasn’t in both those locations at different times during this deployment. It’s also possible that the imagery is unconnected and was simply published within the same time period — and perhaps as a method of signaling military strength in a time of elevated tensions. As it stands, it seems Chinese media coverage of the *Liaoning* has certainly [stepped up]() of late, as the carrier marks its 10th anniversary in PLAN service, a milestone reached on September 25. In that decade, the *Liaoning* and its embarked J-15s played a pioneering role in carrier aviation within the PLAN. Like the J-15, which is a Chinese-built version of the Russian [Su-33 ]()carrier fighter, the *Liaoning* also traces its root back to the Soviet Navy, having been built for that service as the *Riga* (later *Varyag*) being sold to China. ![]() *The carrier *Liaoning* photographed from a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship that was shadowing it approximately 180 miles east of Kitadaito Island, Okinawa, in December 2021. *JMSDF** Only two months after commissioning, in November 2012, a J-15 performed the first [landings and take-offs]() onboard the *Liaoning*. China’s second aircraft carrier, the *[Shandong]()*, was commissioned in December 2019 and followed very much the same pattern as the *Liaoning* although it was built in China. With more than 60 J-15s now understood to be in PLAN service, the aircraft has already far outstripped the production numbers of the Su-33. At the same time, the aircraft has introduced a true multirole capability that’s absent from the Russian equivalent and, while there has been [some criticism]() of the aircraft’s capabilities, its development has continued to encompass a [two-seat version]() that can conduct electronic warfare and strike missions. Work is also now underway on a version of the J-15 to operate from [catapult-equipped carriers]() such as the *Fujian* and other potential flattops that might follow it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=encV6n3hntA Launched in June this year, the *Fujian* is also expected to include the next-generation [J-35]() low-observable fighter and the [KJ-600]() airborne early warning aircraft in its air wing. Currently, the new carrier is undergoing [mooring trials](), during which onboard systems are put their paces with the vessel docked in port. Undoubtedly, *Liaoning* has played a key role in China realizing its ambition of becoming one of the world’s few operators of fixed-wing-capable aircraft carriers. A video sequence, albeit brief, of armed and operational J-15s buzzing a U.S. Navy warship is just one demonstration of how far the PLAN has come in a remarkably short time. At the same time, while this kind of interaction itself appears fairly innocuous, it does still highlight how closely the PLAN and the U.S. Navy are engaging with each other at a time of particularly chilly relations between the two countries. *Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()