The rise of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as a formidable maritime power has transformed the strategic calculus in the Indo-Pacific. At the center of this transformation stands CV-17 Shandong, China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, symbolizing a decisive shift from coastal defense to blue-water naval operations. Unlike its future CATOBAR counterparts equipped with electromagnetic catapults, Shandong operates under the Short Takeoff But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) system — a legacy model reliant on ski-jump launches and arrested landings. Despite its inherent limitations in launch weight, sortie rates, and operational tempo, Shandong has demonstrated the ability to adapt, evolve, and fight under pressure. The fictional but technically grounded scenario of "Skyfire from the Ski-Jump" illustrates how this carrier, though constrained by its design, transforms into a combat-capable platform during high-stakes wartime operations — bridging the past and future of Chinese carrier warfare.
1. Red Sea Alert: The Carrier in the Crosshairs
It was the fifth night since PLA Naval Task Group 15.3, led by CV-17 Shandong, crossed into the contested Spratly Corridor, escorting a logistics convoy bound for reclaimed island fortifications. The moonlight cast a silver sheen over the steel deck as J-15s were prepped under red-light discipline. At 0420 hours, Type 052D destroyer Xiamen detected multiple F/A-18F radar signatures from the east — likely launched from USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Ticonderoga-class cruiser Bunker Hill was also radiating SPY-1 radar at high power.
Onboard Shandong, the Combat Direction Center (CDC) snapped into action. Rear Admiral Qiu Fang, mission commander, stood quietly behind the Air Boss, watching the operations unfold in silence.
“Enemy strike package approaching from 280. Elevation high. Out of tanker range. Likely a sweep. Prepare deck for rapid launch.”
This wasn’t a drill. Shandong, still relying on the Short Takeoff But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) model with a ski-jump ramp, had to do everything right — and faster than it ever had in peacetime trials.
2. Battle Ballet on the Ski-Jump Deck
On the flight deck, yellow shirts sprinted into place with glowing wands, guiding J-15 Flying Sharks armed with PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles and YJ-91 anti-radiation missiles toward the takeoff spots near the bow. The deck was alive with heat shimmer, jet fumes, and sweat. No catapults. Everything here relied on afterburner thrust, speed, and raw momentum.
Each J-15 had to be launched one at a time, with minimum fuel weight and a short payload profile, due to STOBAR’s inherent launch restrictions. Fueling crews (purple shirts) had to coordinate perfectly with ordnance teams (red shirts) to keep aircraft within weight thresholds for the ski-jump's arc to produce enough lift.
As the first J-15 lined up on Spot 1, the Air Boss's voice cracked over the internal circuit:
“Green deck. Wind across bow 30 knots. Go.”
The pilot, Lt. Col. Sheng Liu, pushed twin throttles to military power, held brakes, then kicked into full afterburner. The aircraft roared forward, climbed the ski-jump, and went airborne with a steep nose-up angle — the familiar “leap of faith” all STOBAR pilots knew too well.
Within six minutes, six J-15s had launched. One KJ-200 AEW aircraft maintained radar track overhead, having been airborne since pre-dawn.
3. The Dragon's Claws Strike Out
As the enemy Growlers and Hornets approached, the J-15 CAP (Combat Air Patrol) group intercepted. The battle evolved into a beyond-visual-range missile exchange. PL-15s screamed into the sky, locking on to radar emissions, while American AIM-120D AMRAAMs sliced back in return. The PLA Navy fighters leveraged the KJ-200’s battle management radar picture, dynamically relaying target vectors.
Meanwhile, Xiamen launched HHQ-9B surface-to-air missiles, extending the layered air defense grid. Jammers aboard the Type 055 Dalian activated digital RF memory (DRFM) pods, scrambling inbound radar pulses.
But the price of STOBAR showed itself again: two J-15s couldn’t take full fuel and weapon loads due to takeoff limitations. They had to disengage early and return — low on fuel and vulnerable.
4. Recovery Under Pressure: Arrested by Steel
The first of the returning J-15s called in. Hook down. Fuel almost bingo.
The arresting gear system, though reliable, had no digital modulation like the AAG systems on Fujian or Ford-class carriers. Every trap carried higher stress on airframes and cables.
“Wire 2 ready,” called the LSO.
“Call the ball. Altitude 450, 1.1km.”
The fighter slammed into the deck, hook catching Arresting Wire 2, which stretched and retracted with brutal tension. The wire snapped back with a whip-like crack but held. The jet screeched to a stop, canopy glinting with salt and firelight.
Each subsequent recovery had to be staggered — the deck crew needed time to reset the mechanical wire system, clear the heat from impact zones, and ensure no Foreign Object Debris (FOD) endangered the next aircraft.
Then came the wounded bird. The sixth J-15 had taken a shrapnel hit to its right intake and suffered hydraulic failure. Landing gear down, but minimal control.
“Barrier net ready. Prepare Crash Team Alpha.”
The fighter missed all three wires and screamed into the emergency arresting net — a brutal catch, but it stopped the aircraft. The pilot ejected inside the net, battered but alive. Crash crews in silver suits doused sparks and secured the wreckage.
5. Adaptive Response: Strike Package Bravo
By midday, the skies had been cleared, but Admiral Qiu Fang wanted to make a point — Shandong would not just survive. It would strike.
“Prepare Strike Package Bravo. Limited range, dual YJ-83Ks. Target their forward oiler support ships.”
The pilots knew the cost. With limited payloads, due to ski-jump limits, the J-15s couldn’t carry drop tanks and cruise missiles together. They would launch light, refuel in-flight from Xian H-6U aerial tankers, then proceed.
Three J-15s took off, roaring like dragons from the steel bow, trailed by vapor, heat, and national will.
6. The STOBAR Strain: Debrief Below Deck
In the dim, red-lit Ready Room, pilots peeled off soaked G-suits and sat upright despite exhaustion. Admiral Qiu Fang stood beside the Air Boss.
“Eight sorties launched. Six recoveries. One damaged airframe. One successful strike. All weapons expended. STOBAR worked — but just.”
The Flight Deck Chief, Master Sgt. Ren Hu, added:
“We’re at operational saturation. We can’t surge sorties like Fujian or the Americans. Our crews are pushing limits. We lost time between launches due to deck clearance. We’re doing triage, not tempo.”
Lt. Col. Sheng Liu, the first pilot launched, spoke up:
“Ski-jump launches are beautiful — until you're carrying 1,500 kg of munitions and praying you generate enough lift. We need EMALS. This platform is near her peak.”
The admiral nodded grimly.
“But today, this old steel ramp held the line. Tomorrow, the flat deck era will take over. But Shandong was never built to hide. She was built to fight. And today, she did both.”
7. Conclusion
“Skyfire from the Ski-Jump” is not merely a story of aerial duels and deck operations; it is a symbolic narrative of evolution. Shandong is not the most advanced carrier in the region, but it represents a critical phase in China’s carrier development curve — one built not just on steel and engineering, but on operational grit, leadership, and adaptability. While the future of Chinese naval aviation lies with flat-deck EMALS-equipped supercarriers like the Type 003 Fujian, CV-17 Shandong stands as a proud transitional workhorse, capable of holding the line under fire. In the crucible of war, where systems are tested and limits exposed, Shandong proves that even older platforms — when operated with discipline and ingenuity — can still project power and win battles. The skyfire that erupted from its ski-jump deck was not just firepower — it was a statement of resilience.
Note: This story is entirely fictional and does not reflect any real-life events, military operations, or policies. It is a work of creative imagination, crafted solely for the purpose of entertainment engagement. All details and events depicted in this narrative are based on fictional scenarios and have been inspired by open-source, publicly available media. This content is not intended to represent any actual occurrences and is not meant to cause harm or disruption.
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