2 J-15 pilots killed during trials on china aircraft carrier

BEIJING (AFP) - Two pilots in a squadron conducting fighter jet take-off and landing tests for China's lone aircraft carrier were killed during trials, state media reported, offering a rare glimpse into the secretive project. The revelation of the deaths came in a report last week on the signing of an order of commendation for the crew of China's first carrier-based jet fighter, the J-15. "Two test pilots of the squadron sacrificed their lives during the tests," the official Xinhua news agency reported on August 27. No details were given on exactly how or when the pilots were killed or the timing of the tests. China's sole aircraft carrier, the 300m Liaoning - a Soviet-era vessel Beijing bought from Ukraine - was commissioned in September 2012. The Xinhua report said that Chinese President Xi Jinping signed the commendation order for the squadron, part of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force. The commendation was given to the squadron "for successfully conducting the take-off and landing tests of J-15 fighters" on the carrier.