People's Liberation Army Air Force : News & Discussions

I had posted this article on 27th Nov. night. The article enacts a hypothetical battle between China's new 5th Generation aircraft J-20 Chengdu and India's about to be acquired 4.5 Generation French Rafale.

Indian Rafale v/s Chinese J-20 Chengdu : Musings on a Mouth-watering Face-off – Global Defence Watch

Among other things, I had argued that Chinese haven't been able to develop Thrust-Vectoring Engine for their aircraft and are unlikely to do that anytime soon. French on the other hand are at an advanced stage of developing a Thrust-Vectoring version of Rafale's engine. So I had given advantage to Rafale at short ranges against J-20 Chengdu.

In response to the article, Chinese, 3 days later on 30th Nov in an airshow in China, showcased for the first time their 4.5 Generation aircraft J-10B powered by a Thrust-Vectoring Engine. So Chinese have driven home the point that they are not far away from developing a TVC for their J-20 Chengdu either. Watch the video of J-10B powered by TVC in the airshow.

J-10B, incidentally, is the first in-service Delta Wing and Canard-wing fighter in the world to have been successfully integrated with TVC. J-10B is equipped with an Advanced AESA radar, capable of flying at the highest speed of 2400 km/h and 1450 km/h at sea level. It has a service ceiling of 18000 feet, and can carry out multirole missions at relatively short range of 700 kilometres.

 
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Among other things, I had argued that Chinese haven't been able to develop Thrust-Vectoring Engine for their aircraft and are unlikely to do that anytime soon. French on the other hand are at an advanced stage of developing a Thrust-Vectoring version of Rafale's engine. So I had given advantage to Rafale at short ranges against J-20 Chengdu.
Thrust-Vectoring is no revolutionary development. Americans and Europeans tested it out when it first appeared. They chose not to introduce it to their production varients (except F-22 ofcourse). If french has wanted TVC on rafale it would have happened a long time ago.

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China’s new flying saucer-like stealth drone seen in first public flight - Global Times

China’s new flying saucer-like stealth drone seen in first public flight
By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2019/1/6 17:23:33

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China's new stealth drone the Sky Hawk conducts takeoff and landing test at an undisclosed location and time. Photo: China Central Television



A video featuring China's flying saucer-like stealth drone, the Sky Hawk, was shown for the first time on China Central Television (CCTV) on Saturday, with leading military experts saying the technologies mastered by Chinese developers will allow the drone to fly faster, farther and avoid detection.

Independently developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, the Sky Hawk conducted a test flight at an undisclosed location in China, the CCTV report said.

The video showed the drone taking off and landing, marking the first time that the aircraft has been publicly seen in flight.

The drone reportedly first flew in February, but no video was available before Saturday's broadcast. It was on display at Airshow China 2018 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province in November but was never flown there.

The step-by-step revelations mean the drone is being developed and manufactured on schedule, and that China considers the drone feasible, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Featuring a "flying wing" aerodynamic design similar to the US B-2 stealth bomber, the Sky Hawk is a high-altitude, long-range and high-speed unmanned aerial vehicle capable of conducting reconnaissance and patrol missions in hostile environments, CCTV reported.

Controlling an aircraft with a "flying wing" design is much more difficult than controlling an aircraft with conventional design, Song noted. A turbofan engine on a flying wing aircraft allows it to fly much faster and farther compared with traditional turboprop or piston engine aircraft, he said.

Another Chinese stealth drone with a "flying wing" design, the CH-7, developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, was also on display at the air show. Its 22-meter wingspan makes it significantly larger than the Sky Hawk, providing another choice for domestic and international users.

The US has developed the X-47B stealth drone and run tests on aircraft carriers. Although the US project was suspended in favor of a stealth tanker drone, the US still has the edge in related technologies, Song said.

The Sky Hawk will also operate on China's future aircraft carriers that will use electromagnetic catapults, said a military expert who requested anonymity.

Electromagnetic catapults can launch a wide variety of aircraft, and since the Sky Hawk is smaller than the CH-7, it will be easier to use on an aircraft carrier, the expert told the Global Times.

China's new strategic bomber, the H-20, is expected to also use a "flying wing" aerodynamic design to gain stealth capability and other benefits.
 

First two J-20s deployed on the east coast of China

Since its entry into service, officially announced on February 9, 2018
in a statement from the Chinese Air Force, the question of where the new Chinese fighter J-20 will be sent in the first place is often debated. If some sources close to the program say that the "ram" will first be deployed on the east coast of the country, as we have also supposed in the file " Su-35 South, J-20 East " l Last year, there is nothing to verify it so far.

But with the arrival of the first J-20 at the base in Wuhu last Sunday, as reported by several local sources, rumors circulating for some time now seem to be confirmed.

According to this information, the 9th Fighter Squadron Brigade, former 9th Regiment of the 3rd Fighter Division, received two J-20 fighters on Sunday 13 January. The aircraft were followed by a Y-20 transport aircraft which took with it aeronautical support equipment.

This reception of the first J-20, although unconfirmed by any institutional source at the moment, could explain why HAO Jing Wen (郝井文), commander of the 9th brigade, has been the subject of extensive media coverage since the end of December , following his appointment as "Model of Times" (时代 楷模) by the information department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

The fact that there is no (yet?) Official communication on the subject also means that there is no dissemination of images about the event. But some Internet users have already been able to photograph one of the aircraft near Wuhu, flying over an amusement park located near the 9th Brigade airbase.

2019-01-16-Deux-premiers-J-20-d%C3%A9ploy%C3%A9s-sur-la-c%C3%B4te-Est-de-la-Chine-02.jpg
A J-20 flying over an amusement park in China, near Wuhu. (Photo: 被 遗忘 的 老 班长)

Indeed, we can see on this image a sign indicating the name of the park called "Fantawild Adventure" (方 特 欢乐 世界). A quick search on his site shows that it is a chain of amusement parks that has been established in ten Chinese cities (Wuhu, Tai'an, Shenyang, Datong, Shantou, Zhengzhou, Zhuzhou, Tianjin, Jiayuguan and Chongqing), including Wuhu.

And the 9th Brigade air base is actually less than 3 km northeast, as the crow flies, from Wuhu Fantawild Adventure Park. This could explain why the J-20 on the amateur photo had his landing gear out.
  • The location of Wuhu City in the region.
With more and more fifth-generation foreign aircraft deployed to its environs, such as the first two South Korean Air Force F-35As arriving by March, or the recent purchase of 42 F-35B by Japan to equip its quasi-aircraft carriers, to have equivalent planes to defend its coast Is highly developed economically and demographically seems to be a choice not only judicious, but necessary for the Chinese army.

No doubt that the number of J-20 endowment by the 9th briagde should increase steadily, if not fast, at a pace still kept secret for the moment.

As for the next unit of the Chinese army that will receive this new "ram" flying - a word used by some analysts to qualify the aircraft and which is partially approved by his chief engineer - it is likely that it is the one based in the northeastern part of China, to be able to face the Korean peninsula and also protect the capital, Beijing. But we should be fixed on the question very soon.
 
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ShieldAfrica 2019: China unveils its Sky Saker FX500 turbojet reconnaissance UAV | ShieldAfrica 2019 News Official Show Daily | Defence security military exhibition 2019 daily news category

ShieldAfrica 2019: China unveils its Sky Saker FX500 turbojet reconnaissance UAV
ShieldAfrica 2019 News Official Show Daily
26 JANUARY 2019
Chinese Company NORINCO (China North Industries Group Corporation Limited) unveils its new turbojet reconnaissance UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Sky Saker FX500 at ShieldAfrica 2019, the International Defense and Security Exhibition in Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire. The design of this new Chinese UAV seems very similar to the American Predator C.

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Chinese-made Sky Saker FX500 turbojet reconnaissance UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Picture source NORINCO brochure)

The Chinese-made Sky Saker FX500 reconnaissance UAV system adopts high speed UAV platform of low RCS (Radar Cross-Section) propelled by turbojet engine. It is equipped with GPS and INS combined navigation system, laser illuminator and can be loaded with such airborne mission equipment as multi-purpose opto¬electronic reconnaissance equipment, synthetic aperture radar and digital camera, etc. as required.

As an advanced high altitude and high speed aerial platform with stealth performance, The Sky Saker FX5OO UAV has significant advantages in efficiency and covering area of reconnaissance missions, battlefield penetrability and battlefield survivability compared with traditional ground reconnaissance vehicle and low-speed reconnaissance UAV. It is especially suitable for key targets preliminary reconnaissance & survey, target location, target illumination, artillery fire correction, damage assessment, etc ..

Meanwhile, FX500 adopts exterior contour stealth design with small RCS (Radar Cross-Section) , which can effectively reduce the detection probability by enemy radar and avoid most air-defense fire, thus featuring strong field survivability.

The Sky Saker FX500 has a payload capacity of 50 kg and endurance of 2 hours. The Sky Saker FX500 can fly at a maximum speed of 800 km/h. With high altitude penetration, it can perform penetration at an altitude up to 9,000 m.

The Sky Saker FX500 can be equipped with various mission payloads, such as GPS+INS combined navigation system, TV reconnaissance equipment, forward-looking IR reconnaissance equipment, laser illuminator, synthetic aperture radar, digital camera and information transmission equipment, etc.

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With the new photo of this 39th J-10C of patch 3, there are nearly 170 J-10B/J-10C devices produced since 2013.:oops: