Some very interesting pictures have cropped up on CDB in relation to carrier AEW.
Firstly a larger copy of those Z8 landing trials, clearly not a Photoshop and it is the AEW variant to boot:
On another note the big picture clearly shows the wire raisers for the arresting gear.
Further from that we have already seen that mock up of a carrier fixed wing AEW and a blurred distant shot of what might be the real thing. Well CDG have this blurred distant picture of what might be one in flight. Its not the ZDK-03 as it has a different tail:
This does pose some questions, this type really needs a catapult something which is clearly not on the Varyag going on the recent deck pictures. In theory they cold run it off the ski jump but that has its risks which leans me to the theory that considering they have been inducting two heli type AEW types that this might be for the indigenous carrier in very secretive construction and she might well have cats. Of course this goes with China’s general high and low risk solutions to new defence projects.
Low risk: rebuilt Varyag using an airgroup very similar to Admiral Kuznetsov. Also allows to build up general carrier skills.
High risk: CATOBAR indigenous carrier using some as yet of unseen types.
It makes me wonder how that would play out, could the J15 design be adapted into a CATOBAR configuration? Or are we going to see yet another new fighter type. Again going down the low/high risk root considering the J15 is a known equation vs an indigenous CATOBAR fighter type.
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