Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

US-made F-35B short takeoff and landing aircraft
Air Force active duty F-22A Raptor fighter

LONDON November 20, 2007: U.S. Global Strategic Network 17 reported that the Chinese Air Force claimed that it will be a performance during flight can be comparable to the most advanced U.S. fighter aircraft F-22′s new, and said the new aircraft will be fitted out within a decade. In this regard, although U.S. intelligence agencies believe China is still far can not currently get this capability, but also believes that China may have been the construction of F-22 fighters and F-35 performance of some advanced technology.

article quoted American intelligence experts as saying that China’s space technology, whether design or production capacity can not be independently developed F-22 or F-35 fighter levels, but China’s current self-designed two planes ( J-10 and JF-17), China may already have a production F-22 or F-35 fighter parts of the level of advanced technology.

article said China’s development of advanced fighter jet is one of the greatest difficulties in engine technology. Decades China has been independently developed aircraft engines – any high-performance aircraft, a key component – of the production technology. Up to now, China has not yet been manufacturing engines for its most advanced fighter of all necessary technical and production skills. For example, China is Russia RD93 engines (originally designed to power the MiG-29 fighters) an important customer, has purchased hundreds of the engine. Currently, RD93 engine priced at approximately $ 2.5 million.

reported that China has developed a similar engine and RD93 that WS-13, but China has reported that the engine be put into use. R & D engine in this period, China received help from Russia, the latter providing the former with a key part of the production engine technology required. Reported that China recently re-ordered another one hundred units RD93 engine. Construction of high-performance military jet engines is not easy, China in this regard has been encountered many difficult issues. This is not to say that China can not be built in high performance military jet engine technology, but access to this technology before they will certainly need Russian RD93 engines. According to Chinese official said the reason for China to buy more units RD93 engines, because they can not produce enough of the WS-13 engine.

reported that Chinese engineers have mastered the manufacture of Chinese version of Russian AL31F engine production technology, and research and development for the J-10 and was put into operation two years ago, the Chinese version AL31F WS10A engine is the engine . However, the Chinese Air Force WS10A engine reliability and performance are not satisfied, from Russia ordered another hundred units AL31F engine, coming off the production line as the F-10 fighter’s heart. At the same time, Russia is also trying its comparable with the new F-22 fighter planes to improve AL31 engine, but has encountered many serious problems. So, China can go beyond the overnight Russia?

J-10 is China’s first independently developed advanced fighters. The aircraft is able to create China to compete with foreign modern fighter aircraft made an attempt. J-10′s R & D work began twenty years ago, aims to develop a Russian-made MiG-29 with Su-27 and US-made F-16 or comparable fighter. However, until 1998, when the prototype aircraft which began test flights. Until 2000, when China to solve the in-flight testing, we found some of the basic design flaw. By 2002, when China built the nine prototypes, but in subsequent flight tests also found hundreds of small problems.

reported that the Chinese engineers, is this a great learning opportunity, but the F-10 fighter aircraft can not compete with Russian-made Su -27/30 is an indisputable fact. In fact, looks a bit like J-10 US-made F-16 fighters, and the two fighters are almost the same weight, are 19 tons. Different and Su-27, F-10 fighter and F-16 fighters, as are single engine.

weighing 13 tons of JF-17 aircraft equipped with RD93 engines, is developed by China’s US-made F-16 fighter aircraft low-cost alternative. Which aircraft jointly developed by China and Pakistan. Although the JF-17 fighter and the early models of F-16 fighter capability rather, it is only about the effectiveness of the new F-16 fighters to 80%. Which aircraft to the Russian MiG-33 fighters abortive project R & D infrastructure, which is equipped with electronic equipment manufacturing, mostly in Western countries, while the Italian company is the main supplier.

JF-17 fighter planes capable of carrying weight of 3.6 tons of weapons systems, the use of radar-guided and heat-guided missiles. Close to its maximum speed of about 2,000 km range of 1,300 km, service ceiling of 55,000 feet. So far, China still has not fielded its own FC-1/JF-17 whether a decision fighter. Obviously, this is because China believes that the F-10 (independent R & D) and J-11 (built under license in Russia, the Chinese version of the Su-27) aircraft is sufficient to meet their needs. However, with the JF-17 fighter similar to F-10 fighter’s performance did not achieve the desired results. (Compiled: Spring)