Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, northeast China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of J-15T fighter
2. Various of tow bar, landing gear
3. J-15T fighter

FILE: In Air - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Fighters flying in formation

Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, northeast China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Landing gear of J-15T fighter
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Guo'en, test pilot, J-15 fighter, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force (starting with shot 5/ending with shot 7):
"This tow bar is J-15T's signature feature. The catapult of the aircraft carrier pulls the aircraft via this bar before release at takeoff."
7. Landing gear of J-15T fighter
8. Li talking to reporter

FILE: At Sea - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Fighter taking off from aircraft carrier

Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, northeast China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. Various of landing gear of J-15T fighter

FILE: At Sea - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Fighter landing at aircraft carrier

Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, northeast China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
12. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Guo'en, test pilot, J-15 fighter, PLA Air Force (partially overlaid with shots 13-14):
"The aircraft's attitude is like this. Then when the tailhook catches, the front landing gear smacks down onto the deck. This tests its strength. Secondly, the energy absorption of this front landing gear is a major technical challenge. You can see the landing gear is extremely thick. Our country's overall industrial capability is advancing. In the future, we hope to make its structure slimmer and lighter. The lighter the aircraft, the better its airborne performance."
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++

FILE: At Sea - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
13. Various of fighters landing at aircraft carrier, landing signal officer

Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, northeast China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
14. Various of J-15T fighter
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++

FILE: In Air - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
15. Fighters flying in formation

Chinese engineers have overhauled the J-15T carrier-based fighter with reinforced landing gear and a catapult tow bar, optimizing it for the electromagnetic catapults aboard the soon-to-commission Fujian aircraft carrier.

These upgrades - including 20-percent thicker struts and dual-wheel main gear, address the extreme stresses of catapult launches and arrested recoveries, marking a critical step in China's push to narrow the gap with global naval aviation leaders.

A major difference between J-15T and its predecessor J-15 is a tow bar in front of the nose gear.

"This tow bar is J-15T's signature feature. The catapult of the aircraft carrier pulls the aircraft via this bar before release at takeoff," said Li Guo'en, test pilot of the first J-15 fighter of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force.

To withstand the brutal demands of carrier landings, the J-15T's landing gear has been completely redesigned. It is equipped with a 20-percent thicker struts and dual wheels to distribute landing impact pressure evenly, reducing deck wear.

"The aircraft's attitude is like this. Then when the tailhook catches, the front landing gear smacks down onto the deck. This tests its strength. Secondly, the energy absorption of this front landing gear is a major technical challenge. You can see the landing gear is extremely thick. Our country's overall industrial capability is advancing. In the future, we hope to make its structure slimmer and lighter. The lighter the aircraft, the better its airborne performance," said Li.

On Monday, the naval fleet led by Shandong aircraft carrier left the special administrative region after concluding its five-day visit to Hong Kong.

During its stay, J-15T made its first public appearance on the aircraft carrier deck, attracting significant attention.