PLANAF J-10SH from 4th Division, 12th Air Regiment Crashed

A People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) from the 4th Division, 12th Air Regiment, crashed last 17 December in Zeguo town, Taizhou city, Zhejiang Province.

Possible "Initial Operational Capability" (IOC) for the J-20 Mighty Dragon may occur in the 2017-18 timeframe

In November and December 2014 two additional prototypes of the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation's (CAC) J-20 fifth-generation fighter emerged, advancing its development towards a possible initial operational capability (IOC) of 2017-18. The J-20 programme currently features six known prototypes. Two are early technology development articles (serial numbers 2001 and 2002) that emerged in 2009 and 2010, while four are modified versions closer to operational prototypes (serial numbers 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015) that all emerged in 2014.

Chinese aircraft spotters responsible for early internet photos report that the latest J-20 prototype, 2015, made its maiden flight from the CAC airfield on 18 December. Source: Chinese internet

No prototype numbered 2014 has yet to appear and may not, given the traditional Chinese view that four is an unlucky number. Chinese aircraft spotters responsible for early internet photos report that the latest prototypes, 2013 and 2015, made their maiden flights from the CAC airfield on 29 November and 18 December 2014 respectively. Both have most of the refinements seen on aircraft 2011, which emerged in February 2014: cropped canards and vertical stabilisers, a modified air intake, modified wing leading-edge extensions, and a new electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) under the nose. 

A view of the latest J-20 prototype, 2015, which made its maiden flight from the CAC airfield on 18 December. (Chinese internet)

 However, 2013 and 2015 lack the nose-mounted pitot tubes that featured on the earlier prototypes. In addition, number 2015 has longer and sharper-shaped rear-fuselage horizontal strakes. Although this aft surface does not appear to be movable, it may contribute to aircraft stability, as a similar - though movable - surface did for the Grumman X-29 technology demonstrator.

A detail of the strakes on the latest J-20 prototype, 2015. (Chinese internet)

 Early internet-sourced images have also emerged of the J-20's retractable refueling probe, placed on the upper starboard of the nose. The development status of an indigenous Chinese turbofan for the J-20, often referred to as the WS-15, remains unknown. There is speculation that early J-20 examples may use a version of the Russian Saturn AL-31 turbofan.

Former Chinese General Says Force An Option in 'Taiwan Problem'

BEIJING — An army general has warned that China will not leave the Taiwan problem “unresolved for a long time,” after the island’s Beijing-friendly ruling party suffered a bruising election defeat, a state-run newspaper said.

 

Taipei, Taiwan. (Getty Images).

Liu Jingsong told the annual conference of the Global Times newspaper that the Chinese government would not be afraid to use force to resolve “the Taiwan issue,” the Chinese-language paper reported Saturday on its website without specifying further.

“The Taiwan issue will not remain unresolved for a long time. We will not abandon the possibility of using force; according to the law, it is also an option to resolve the issue by military means if necessary,” said Liu, a former president of the influential Chinese Academy of Military Sciences.

He retired from active service with the People’s Liberation Army in 1997.

“Whoever has political power in Taiwan, the only path (for the island) is to preserve the development of peaceful relations between the two sides of the strait, and eventually to bring about reunification,” the general said.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 at the end of a civil war, but Beijing still claims the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification — by force if necessary.

Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang (KMT) was dealt a crushing blow in local polls in late November when it lost five out of six large municipalities on the island, prompting Premier Jiang Yi-huah to resign and President Ma Ying-jeou to step down as KMT chairman.

The KMT’s move to forge warmer ties with Beijing, and its perceived secrecy in forging deals with the mainland, was one of the core issues at stake in polls seen as foreshadowing the 2016 presidential race.

In face of the recent shakeup in Taiwan’s political landscape, China “should not fear the storm” and has formed “new judgments and countermeasures,” the Global Times paraphrased Liu as saying.

In March and April this year Taiwanese students staged a mass three-week sit-in in the parliament building in Taipei in protest at a proposed trade pact with the mainland.

Tense relations with China have warmed since Ma was elected in 2008 on a platform of improving cross-strait ties and reviving the slowing economy.

But with rising public anxiety over China’s influence on the island, sentiment has turned against the Beijing-friendly approach. Voters say trade deals have been agreed in secret and not benefited ordinary Taiwanese people.

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has traditionally been skeptical over closer ties with Beijing and has criticized the KMT for lack of transparency over trade deals with China.

The KMT denies any secrecy over deals with China.

Y-9 Military Transport Aircraft

The Y-9 (Yun-9) is a medium-sized, medium-range turboprop multi-purpose transport aircraft designed and manufactured by Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation. Derived from the Y-8 (An-12 Cub) transport aircraft, the Y-9 features improved engines and modern avionics including a ‘glass’ cockpit, and is believed to be comparable to the U.S. Lockheed Martin C-130J in general performance.

Development History

Shaanxi began to develop a new military transport designated Y-8X in 2001 to meet the PLA’s requirement for an advanced medium transport aircraft to replace its ageing Y-8 fleet. The aircraft later received a new designation Y-9. The Ukraine-based Antonov Aeronautical Scientific-technical Complex (ASTC) aircraft company provided some assistance to the Y-9 development, including the design of the airframe and wind tunnel testing.

Key Data

• Number in service: Unknown
• Designer: Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation
• Manufacturer: Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation
• Maiden flight: 2006?
• Crew: Four
• Powerplant: Four WJ-6C turboprop engines
• Max payload: 20 tonnes
• Max take-off weight: 65 tonnes

Design

The Y-9 has a similar aerodynamic layout to the Y-8, with high-mounted wings and four turboprop engines mounted under the wing’s leading edge. The rear cargo door also serves as a ramp to allow quick load/unload of cargoes. The tail flats and fin are mounted high. Additional small vertical stabilisers are installed on the tailplanes.

The aircraft has a two-wheeled nose landing gear and two four-wheeled main landing gears. The aircraft has a four-man crew, including two pilots, a flight engineer and a loadmaster.

Cargo System

The Y-9’s cargo bay is 16.2 m in length, 3.2 m in width, and 2.3 m in height, with an internal volume of 155 cubic metres. The payload requirement includes a range of military vehicles, cargo containers, pallets, and paratroopers. With a maximum payload capacity of 20 tonnes, the aircraft is capable of carrying 98 paratroopers, or nine international standard pallets of 108” X 88”, or eight 125” X 96” pallets. The cargo bay is also equipped with cargo handling rollers and tie-down rings.

Avionics

In addition to radio communication and navigation systems, the Y-9 features a ‘glass’ cockpit and modern avionics including ground proximity warning and collision avoidance systems. An electro-optical turret containing forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and TV sensors is mounted under the fuselage for day/night, all-weather operation.

Engines

The Y-9 is powered by four WJ-6C (Wojian-6C) turboprop engines each rated 5.100hp. The engine features a six-bladed JL-4 propeller.

Specifications

CARGO BAY DIMENSIONS
Length	16.2m
Width	3.2m
Height	2.3m
WEIGHTS
Empty	39t
Normal take-off	N/A
Max take-off	65t
Fuel capacity	23t
Max payload	20t
PROPULSION
Powerplant	4X WJ-6C turboprop
Thrust (dry)	N/A
PERFORMANCE
Max level speed	570km/h
Cruising speed	550km/h
Cruising altitude	8,000m
Service ceiling	10,100m
Range	5,000km
Take-off/landing distance	1,350m

From The Showcase of Zuhai: KJ-2000 AWACS

KJ-2000 AWACS in Zhuhai Airshow, 2014 :

From The Showcase of Zuhai: Refined Model of Shenyang J-31 Falcon Eagle Stealth Fighter Aircraft

Refined Model of Shenyang J-31 Falcon Eagle Stealth fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft at China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition 2014 (Airshow China 2014).

 

Pakistan Air Force Going To Induct 5th Gen. Stealth Fighter Before IAF Does!

An article in the People’s Daily at the end of last month did little to clarify matters. The article referred to the J-31 as a fourth-generation stealth fighter, while also saying that is comparable to the U.S.’ F-35 fighter jets. The report first said that it would be exported abroad as a competitor to the F-35, before discussing the possibility that it will be China’s next carrier-borne fighter.

“Experts predict that the J-31 will make rapid inroads in the international market in the future, and will undoubtedly steal the limelight from the F-35,” the People’s Daily report said, noting also that competition to sell the fighter jets to international customers was “becoming a new variable in the Sino-US strategic game.”
The report added that, “The J-31, with its main target as the export market, represents a serious threat to U.S. arms manufacturers.” Later in the same article, however, People’s Daily noted that the plane’s landing gear was built to sustain the impact of landing on a carrier better than the current J-15s, and therefore might be used as China’s future carrier-based jet.
One possibility is that China is building both a domestic and export version of the aircraft. Some foreign news outlets have indeed said that China may sell a version of the aircraft abroad under the name F-60, while maintaining a fleet of domestic J-31s for the PLA.
With so little known about the J-31, it’s hard to gauge how credible China’s claims are that the J-31 is a low-cost alternative to the F-35. In a report in Defense News last August, shortly after the first few images of the plane surfaced, Project 2049 Institute’s Robert Cliff dismissed the notion that the J-31 would pose a serious threat to the F-35 in terms of overseas sales.
““India won’t buy it. Russia won’t buy it,” Cliff noted, adding: “That pretty much leaves countries like Pakistan, Brazil, some Middle East countries, none of whom [the U.S. is] likely to sell the F-35 to anytime this decade or next.”
He also said that he did not believe Saudi Arabia was interested in the plane.
Pakistan is perhaps the most likely foreign purchaser of the fighter. Pakistan and China previously jointly developed the JF-17 Thunder advanced fighter, although only Islamabad has ended up purchasing the jet thus far. This week Pakistani officials called on China to increase cooperation in the area of defense production. Beijing has long helped Islamabad acquire the necessary knowledge and expertise to develop a more advanced domestic defense industry.

Rafale Can Be Shot Down Like 'Mosquitoes by Chinese-Made Flankers': Russian Envoy

Indirectly expressing his country's surprise over the Indian Government and its defence establishment's decision to go ahead with its reported plan to buy 126 Rafale combat aircraft from France, Russia's Ambassador to India, Alexander M. Kadakin, said the Dassault Aviation-manufactured fighter aircraft could be shot down like a mosquito by a Chinese-manufactured or produced Sukhoi jet should there ever be a conflict in the neighbourhood.

 

Ambassador Kadakin, who was attending an interaction between Russian and Indian journalists in the national capital yesterday, said, "We (Russia) are still very surprised that Rafale is being bought, because if the Rafale is intended to oppose Pakistani or Chinese planes, then the Sukhoi which the Chinese produce, or mobilizes, but which is only 50 percent of the Sukhoi which you (India) produce, then even for the Chinese Sukhoi, these Rafales will be like mosquitoes on an August night. They will be shot down like mosquitoes. That's why I don't understand why...."

Rafale had won the bid to supply the Indian Air Force with 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft. In July this year, Indian media reported that the Ministry of Defence is continuing its final negotiations for acquiring these aircraft for almost USD 20 billion.

The negotiations, which have been protracted and complex, are reportedly at a final stage, with over 50 per cent of the final contract as well as the inter-governmental agreement, and all that reportedly remains is for the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to give its political approval for the inking of the contract. Ambassador Kadakin, however, said that he or the Russian Government must not be misunderstood on the issue.

"There were some reports about difficulties. Of course, if you mobilize funds to buy Rafales, which has become from 10 million U.S. dollars to 23 million U.S. dollars (in terms of cost), then it is another story. That is a story of mobilizing finance and resources. But it doesn't have to affect the (sale or purchase of) fifth generation aircrafts," he said.

"The fifth generation aircraft, work is going according to schedule, and there were no problems reported about the designing work which carried out now by Indian and Russian scientists. Work is going according to schedule, and there were no complaints. There were some negotiations about the share of designing work. We understand India has already accumulated good experience in designing aircrafts, and that is why we were thinking of doing it fifty-fifty. But this has to be now specified and elaborated on paper because there are certain fields of aircraft building industry where India is not yet ready completely to take up responsibility for designing it. This can be done jointly by Indian and Russian designers and engineers," Ambassador Kadakin added.

Taking an apparent dig at New Delhi's reported shift towards acquiring weapons from the United States, Ambassador Kadakin said, "When people start speculating around world, U.S. their technology, and that there would be much more military supplies, all that, you understand, it is all just hullabaloo, it's all hype, it's not much technology coming from them (U.S.) to India. Or, should that be corrected, zero technology is coming from U.S to India."

He took pains to highlight Russia's contribution to India's defence sector over the years. "At the same time, India is building Russian Sukhoi 30s in Pune, India is producing the world's best cruise missile Brahmos, India is navigating in the open waters in nuclear powered submarines (Akula-II class). India is building Kudankulam with our help. These are the real facts, and wrong are those doomsayers," the Russian envoy said.

Once the project is finalized, the first 18 jets are to be delivered to IAF within 36-48 months, while the rest 108 will be manufactured by HAL with transfer of technology over the next seven years. In July, then British Foreign Secretary William Hague lobbied hard for the Eurofighter Typhoon, which is backed by UK, Germany, Spain and Italy, in his meetings with the Narendra Modi Government. Germany is also learnt to have renewed the push for Typhoons.

The U.S. lobby reportedly still hopes that either the F/A-18 'Super Hornet' or the F-16 'Super Viper' can fly back into the MMRCA competition. But the Indian defence establishment is quite clear there can be "no comebacks" in the ongoing MMRCA project. With IAF down to 34 fighter squadrons, when at least 44 are required, IAF has identified the MMRCA project as its "topmost priority" for the NDA Government.

The event was organized at the Press Club of India. The club's president, Anand Sahay, used the opportunity of the interaction to highlight the need for a greater exchange of views between journalists and media houses of the two nations. He said that media of both countries must play significant roles in a wide and broad range of spheres, and not just restrict themselves to geo-political or strategic coverage.

J-31 Shen Fei (Falcon Eagle) Goes On Chinese Aircraft Carrier "Liaoning"

It  was an aspect that J-31 Shen Fei (Falcon Eagle) stealth fighter jet will go on flight deck of Chinese aircraft carrier "Liaoning".

Full scale model of the Chinese J-31 Shen Fei (Falcon Eagle) Stealth Fighter Jet has been spotted on Flight Deck of Chinese Aircraft Carrier Replica.

 

Stealth Back On Track With Further Flight Tests!

Shenyang J-31 completed another test flight last week and here are photos of that flight.

 

H-20 Strategic Bomber: Which One Could Be A Headstorm For Washington

China is developing a new stealth bomber called the H-20 to firm up the PLA strategic bomber force, said Bill Sweetman, a military journalist and Richard D. Fisher, an expert in Chinese military development.

Russia and China are both proceeding with bomber plans while the United States is developing its own Long-Range Strike Bomber project, said the Washington-based Aviation Week & Space Technology report. China's H-20 bomber is most likely to be developed and produced by Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation. The aircraft concept will probably be a subsonic low-observable "flying wing" configuration.

The development of a stealth bomber received "renewed national attention" back in Oct. 2013, according to colonel Wu Guohui, an associate professor from China's National Defense University. "In the past China has been weak regarding bombers, but in the future will develop long-range strike aircraft," he said. Even though the PLA Air Force has said virtually nothing regarding their plans, the H-20's completion is rumored to fall somewhere around 2025.

By that time, China will need the stealth bomber to accomplish two important strategic ambitions. The first is denying the US from entering the First Island Chain, extending from Alaska to the Philippines. Second, China will have to solidify its leadership in the Far East with a wide force projection capability. The H-20 would allow the PLA Air Force to complement the gathering global aircraft carrier and amphibious projection capabilities of its navy.

The H-20 could be developed as an unmanned combat aerial vehicle if the US and Russia decide to design their future bombers as such.

In the meantime, the PLA continues to develop a new version of the H-6 bombers and upgrade obsolete models with new weapons. Russia's rejection of China's request to purchase the more advanced Tu-22M3 leaves the country with no option but to develop or upgrade its own aircraft.

How J-15 Flying Shark Arises!!!

It has finally happened. We finally have news confirmation from Xinhua and also have pictures of J-15's first take/off and landing from Xinhua. The news of first landing came a couple of days ago, but this is the first time we have seen the photos.

First Chinese made Carrier Borne fighter, J-15 Flying Shark

 

Here is a timeline of China's naval flanker program just to give you an idea:


2001, Assemble the T-10K-3 prototype that PLAN purchased from Ukraine. Use this for long term technical study.

January 2007, AVIC1 and PLAN’s major program (J-15) research work started.

July 2007, AVIC1 SAC had a large program tackling meeting
January 2008, blueprint work finished, start prototype research & production stage.

August 31st 2009, J15-0001 had maiden flight.

 

May 6th 2010, maiden take-off flight from the simulated jet-ski at CFTE. Continued production of single digit number of prototypes for future testing.

August 10th, 2011, China’s first aircraft carrier went out for sea trials. J-15-0005/CFTE-554 and J15-0008/CFTE-556 prototypes made numerous fly-overs, low altitude touch and go landing along the way.

 

July 2012, Finished certification test flights, given permission to product single digit number of batch 0 J-15s for initial testing/trials works.

September 25th, 2012, PLAN first aircraft carrier was named Liaoning and had its first sailing after commissioning in October.

November 3rd, 2012, J-15S-0001 had maiden flight.

Early November, 2012, Liaoning had second sailing after commissioning.

 

November 20th, 2012, a PLANAF pilot made the first carrier landing trial.

November 23rd, 2012, Two PLANAF pilots flying 2 J-15s finished carrier op controlled first official takeoff and landing trials. 

 

This marks successful completion of first stage of the Carrier aviation project.