The J-15 is built in China and is indegenous.. But it was an illegal copy of the Russian SU-33 based on the SU-27 kits the Chinese were using to build their J-11s (which they have also now completely copied) and a prototype SU-33 they opbtained from the Ukraine. They abjectly violated Russia's intellectual; rights.
Fine...this is Red on Red arguement. but it makse clear that what Romney says is true. The Chinese have no respect for international law our copyright or intellectual rights. Either militarily or in normal commerce.
As to the J-15s. They will be good aircraft, but they only have six prototypes now and are just starting production. It will be at least 18 months before they have a squardon ready for that carrier...and then they have to get trained...which will take another year or two. The carrier will be fangless for another 3-4 years.
If they are all-Chinese made, then they won’t last long.............but they’ll be cheap..................
Stealing someone’s design is like stealing computer code. You know what it does but not why and how it does it. You are constantly reacting to the unexpected. If something doesn’t work as expected, you have no idea if the design is wrong or you copied it wrongly.
Even though our traitorous 'State' Department gives our enemies advanced technology, unless one understands system level thinking, the only thing the Chinese will produce are targets.
This is not to discount the advances that can be made using US Government Cliff Notes. When Hughes Aerospace and Ron Brown (Commerce) gave away MIRV technology to the Chinese, they leap-frogged 40 years of experience and made the Chinese missiles a threat.
But vastly simpler missiles are not front line fighter aircraft.
The other thing we have going for us is that the Chinese are utterly corrupt. Besides copying designs from everyone, they counterfeit everything. They fake EVERYTHING. To meet PLA schedules I can envision sub-standard titanium/aluminum being used in critical stress areas (their supply chain will fake testing and certify it 'good')
I would not want to be Colonel Yang doing the maiden takeoff and landing on their refurbished Ukrainian carrier.
Even IF the Chinese manage to build a solid plane, it's got to be able to detect enemies without giving itself away, acquire the target without giving itself away and give and receive good intel without giving itself away. And they need the whole system including AWACS-type platforms.(All requiring world-class antennas and electronics the Chinese will have to develop.)
Not to discount their determination, or the Kenyan's ability to sell us out, but the Chinese can't steal everything. They will have to earn the top slot.