China's new stealth fighter revealed!!
Discussion
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5341327&...
Photos of Chinese 5th-Generation Fighter Revealed
By WENDELL MINNICK
Published: 30 Dec 2010 08:02 TAIPEI - China's fifth-generation stealth fighter program took a noticeable step forward this week when the first high-resolution photographs appeared on Chinese non-governmental websites of a prototype of the Chengdu J-20 fighter being built for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)
In the photos, the J-20 appears to be conducting a high-speed taxi test. There have been suggestions the photographs are fake, including questions over the unusually large Chinese red star painted on the tail. PLAAF red star insignias are normally smaller with parallel adjacent red bands.
In the past, due largely to grainy photos taken by cell phones, the existence of the J-20 was treated with some skepticism by many observers.
However, the newest photos are "the real deal," said Richard Fisher, an Asia military affairs analyst at the Washington-based International Assessment and Strategy Center.
The photos reveal the J-20 has a canard-delta twin-engine configuration, diverter-less supersonic intakes, and a shaped nose consistent with the use of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.
The J-20 design is similar to the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Sukhoi T-50 fighters. Sources indicate the twin-engine J-20 prototype could be using the Russian-built Saturn 117S (AL-41F1A) engine, the same being used in the T-50 and Su-35 prototypes. China has expressed interest in procuring large quantities of the Saturn 117S from Russia and rumors at the recent Zhuhai Airshow in China indicate a J-20 prototype had been outfitted with the 117S.
There is also the possibility the prototype is being outfitted with the Chinese-built Shenyang WS-10 or WS-15 engine.
"At first glance this fighter has the potential to be competitive with the F-22 and to be an efficient F-35 killer," Fisher said. Fisher is the author of the new book, "China's Military Modernization."
The release of the J-20 photos follows comments made last week by U.S. Pacific Commander Robert Willard in the Japanese media that China had reached the "initial operational capability" of its first anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM), the Dong Feng 21D. The DF-21D has been dubbed the "aircraft carrier killer" in China, a reference to China's overall anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) strategy.
China's ability to undermine two critical pillars of U.S. deterrence in Asia, with the ASBM and now with the advent of its first 5th generation fighter, "points to a real crisis in U.S. political-military leadership" in Asia, Fisher said
Photos of Chinese 5th-Generation Fighter Revealed
By WENDELL MINNICK
Published: 30 Dec 2010 08:02 TAIPEI - China's fifth-generation stealth fighter program took a noticeable step forward this week when the first high-resolution photographs appeared on Chinese non-governmental websites of a prototype of the Chengdu J-20 fighter being built for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)
In the photos, the J-20 appears to be conducting a high-speed taxi test. There have been suggestions the photographs are fake, including questions over the unusually large Chinese red star painted on the tail. PLAAF red star insignias are normally smaller with parallel adjacent red bands.
In the past, due largely to grainy photos taken by cell phones, the existence of the J-20 was treated with some skepticism by many observers.
However, the newest photos are "the real deal," said Richard Fisher, an Asia military affairs analyst at the Washington-based International Assessment and Strategy Center.
The photos reveal the J-20 has a canard-delta twin-engine configuration, diverter-less supersonic intakes, and a shaped nose consistent with the use of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.
The J-20 design is similar to the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Sukhoi T-50 fighters. Sources indicate the twin-engine J-20 prototype could be using the Russian-built Saturn 117S (AL-41F1A) engine, the same being used in the T-50 and Su-35 prototypes. China has expressed interest in procuring large quantities of the Saturn 117S from Russia and rumors at the recent Zhuhai Airshow in China indicate a J-20 prototype had been outfitted with the 117S.
There is also the possibility the prototype is being outfitted with the Chinese-built Shenyang WS-10 or WS-15 engine.
"At first glance this fighter has the potential to be competitive with the F-22 and to be an efficient F-35 killer," Fisher said. Fisher is the author of the new book, "China's Military Modernization."
The release of the J-20 photos follows comments made last week by U.S. Pacific Commander Robert Willard in the Japanese media that China had reached the "initial operational capability" of its first anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM), the Dong Feng 21D. The DF-21D has been dubbed the "aircraft carrier killer" in China, a reference to China's overall anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) strategy.
China's ability to undermine two critical pillars of U.S. deterrence in Asia, with the ASBM and now with the advent of its first 5th generation fighter, "points to a real crisis in U.S. political-military leadership" in Asia, Fisher said
no doubt some information was compromised, however there is more to it than simple data theft as it's a lot harder to actually build a 5th gen plane than to design it...
A lot of specialised materials and production processes( many of them useless for anything else) have to be developed and mastered to produce an aircraft like this.
Many doubted China's industrial capacity to build something like this. I guess we will know shortly.
A lot of specialised materials and production processes( many of them useless for anything else) have to be developed and mastered to produce an aircraft like this.
Many doubted China's industrial capacity to build something like this. I guess we will know shortly.
Edited by jbi on Friday 31st December 15:26
jbi said:
no doubt some information was compromised, however there is more to it than simple data theft as it's a lot harder to actually build a 5th gen plane than to design it...
A lot of specialised materials and production processes( many of them useless for anything else) have to be developed and mastered to produce an aircraft like this.
Many doubted China's industrial capacity to build something like this. I guess we will know shortly.
And even more likely that they compromised the networks of those 3rd party suppliers that make the parts.A lot of specialised materials and production processes( many of them useless for anything else) have to be developed and mastered to produce an aircraft like this.
Many doubted China's industrial capacity to build something like this. I guess we will know shortly.
Edited by jbi on Friday 31st December 15:26
N Dentressangle said:
Have you ever had a look at the build quality of a Chinese made motorbike? 
Postwar we used to laugh at stuff 'made in Japan' - until they got rather good at it and wiped out our motorcyle and car industries. No doubt China will follow - but by then we won't be able to afford their stuff because China will have all our money.
Simpo Two said:
N Dentressangle said:
Have you ever had a look at the build quality of a Chinese made motorbike?
Postwar we used to laugh at stuff 'made in Japan' - until they got rather good at it and wiped out our motorcyle and car industries. No doubt China will follow - but by then we won't be able to afford their stuff because China will have all our money.
Simpo Two said:
N Dentressangle said:
Have you ever had a look at the build quality of a Chinese made motorbike?
Postwar we used to laugh at stuff 'made in Japan' - until they got rather good at it and wiped out our motorcyle and car industries. No doubt China will follow - but by then we won't be able to afford their stuff because China will have all our money.The real Apache said:
I doubt it, the Japanese are very different to the Chinese. China has had the opportunity to do this for some time now......and haven't, I know people in several industries that say the same thing, China is great at mass production, supervised, but not much else
An odd view, much like the caricature of the Japanese all being short sighted and frail that was made during the early years of the second world war. Turned out to be just a tad wrong. Robert Gates of Obama administration fame, confidently said, no stealth fighter to challenge the F22 for at least 20 years, seems the Russians and Chinese just proved him wrong. Underestimate the Chinese at your peril. China is just getting started, plus they have the economic might and lots and lots of disposable government money, and no democratic issues to worry about, perfect for building a serious military.
A good website with info on both the Anti shipping ballistic missile and stealth fighter.
Defence tech
Edited by Traveller on Saturday 1st January 13:00
A nation merely has to move from copying to innovating, and from neutral to militaristic. The manpower and wealth of China (not to mention their less-than-fluffy attitude about life in general) is massive.
I'm reminded of Alan Coren's take on German history: 'Before Bismarck, Germany comprised 200 states that fought each other. After Bismarck they combined and fought everybody else'.
I'm reminded of Alan Coren's take on German history: 'Before Bismarck, Germany comprised 200 states that fought each other. After Bismarck they combined and fought everybody else'.
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