Satellite imagery showing changes to Liaoning's weapons elevators after its 2023 refit. (Map data: Google, 2024 CNES/Airbus/2024 Janes)
China carried out several modifications on the flight deck of its first aircraft carrier Liaoning during the ship's latest refurbishment.
Liaoning underwent its latest refurbishment works from February 2023 to late February 2024, according to dates published in Chinese state-affiliated news websites.
No details have been provided by these news outlets on what the refurbishment programme comprised.
Butt images of the vessel taken at its post-refurbishment sea trials in March 2024 indicate the presence of full-scale fighter aircraft mock-ups on its flight deck.
Specifically, the mock-ups are of the J-15 and J-35 fighter aircraft.
Recent satellite images of the modified Admiral Kuznetsov-class vessel confirm that China has added a weapons elevator in the aft section of the aircraft carrier's flight deck after the refurbishment.
It measures about 6×2 m, and it is located across the flight deck's foul line at about 3.5 m forward of the vessel's stern. Satellite images taken of the ship before its latest refurbishment do not show the presence of this elevator.
In addition to this new weapons elevator at aft, China has also incorporated two weapons elevators in between the aircraft carriers jet blast deflectors in the forward section.
These replace the four smaller elevators that were present prior to Liaoning undergoing its refurbishment in February 2023.
Like the aft weapons elevator, these new forward orifices also measure about 6×2 m each and provide crew members with the flexibility to switch out an aircraft's weapons payload configuration on short notice after the aircraft is readied for launch.
Liaoning
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