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China’s military
ChinaMilitary

Does this video show a Chinese navy fighter jet warning off a US destroyer?

  • Video was aired on state media to mark 10th anniversary of Liaoning aircraft carrier
  • Experts say China now has a combat-capable aircraft carrier

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A video released by Chinese state media showed a Chinese fighter jet from the aircraft carrier Liaoning flying over a suspected US guided-missile destroyer. Photo: Weibo
Kawala Xie

A video released on Chinese state media appears to show a Chinese J-15 fighter jet scrambled at sea to warn off a suspected US guided-missile destroyer, according to an analyst.

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The video was released on a CCTV military programme to mark the 10th anniversary of the commissioning of China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.

The video showed a fighter jet taking off from the deck of the Liaoning. A vessel resembling an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer then briefly appears below a Chinese jet.
A still (left) from a video released by Chinese state media appears to show a US Arleigh Burke-class guided- missile destroyer (right).
A still (left) from a video released by Chinese state media appears to show a US Arleigh Burke-class guided- missile destroyer (right).

The video did not disclose the date, location, or the purpose of the mission.

Former Chinese colonel Yue Gang said the appearance and features of the warship, including a large, four-sided phased array radar antenna, a double funnel, anti-submarine torpedoes, and the lifeboats conformed to the characteristics of the US Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

“The J-15 was located on the side of the US warship and was a few hundred metres [above the water], which shows the fighter aircraft was conducting a warning and expulsion mission,” he said.

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“[It] shows that there is already a combat-capable aircraft carrier among China’s three aircraft carriers.”
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are widely used by the US Navy and similar vessels are in use in the South Korean and Japanese navies.
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