Buddy refueling enhances combat capability of China’s aircraft carrier: experts

GUANGZHOU, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) — In an impressive display of air-sea combat capability, China’s aircraft carrier-based fighter jets captivated onlookers at the Airshow China on Tuesday with buddy refueling techniques lauded by military experts as a significant naval aviation achievement.
The display at the ongoing event’s opening ceremony, which was conducted by China’s J-15D and J-15T, both affiliated with the Chinese Navy, marked an improvement in the far-sea combat capability of China’s aircraft carrier.
The two fighter jets, debuting at the airshow, are the core weapon system of China’s aircraft carrier battle group and serve as a vital force for naval aviation.
“The buddy refueling capability is of great operational importance to carrier-based aviation, acting as a force multiplier for carrier-based aircraft,” said Cao Weidong, a military expert, adding that the refueling technique enables carrier-based aircraft to carry a larger weapon load during takeoff and then replenish fuel in the air.
The term “buddy refueling” means both the feeding aircraft and receiving aircraft in air-to-air refueling are the same or similar type of warplane. The capability can effectively address the limitation of large tanker aircraft that are unable to take off from aircraft carriers, making it an essential operational skill for carrier-based fighter jets.
As one of the most challenging tactical maneuvers performed by carrier-based fighter jets, buddy refueling is a skill possessed by only a select few nations, according to experts.
Liang Libin, a pilot instructor with the Naval Aviation University, told Xinhua that another vital function of buddy refueling is improving the safe landing rate of carrier-based aircraft during operations.
For instance, carrier-based aircraft may face hazardous weather conditions that temporarily prevent landing or result in unsuccessful landing attempts, while fuel shortages can occur during return flights from missions in distant seas. In such situations, buddy refueling can increase the endurance time of the aircraft awaiting landing and ensure flight safety, Liang added.
However, due to the small size of carrier-based fighters, the close distance between the two aircraft during refueling, and the high flight speed, accidents can easily occur. “Technically speaking, the difficulty of buddy refueling is greater than refueling with a large tanker aircraft,” Liang said.
Officially known as the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, the airshow is scheduled for Nov. 12-17 in the southern coastal city of Zhuhai. ■