China's military unveils new warplane ahead of Hagel visit

Published December 20, 2015

April 9, 2014: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, second from left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping, second from right, during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People. (ap)

China’s military has allowed the public release of the first photographs of a warplane variant deployed on the Liaoning — the aircraft carrier that saw its first visit by U.S. officials this week.

The new Shenyang J-15, also known as the Flying Shark, is based on the Russian SU-33 design and was disclosed on an official Chinese website.

Several photos of the J-15 revealed its tail hook used for carrier deck landings.

The photos were posted on the Global Times website March 31. The news outlet is part of the official Communist Party newspaper group.

“The existence of the J-15 mystery is finally revealed,” the news outlet reported, noting the imperative of training carrier jet pilots for the Liaoning.

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