J-35A fighter (PLAAF) + FC-31 thread

[LurkerZhu]

Recent rumors from Chahuahui Radio:
The J-35A has begun deployment in some of the first J-20 units, it will operate alongside the J-20.
The J-35A's operational role is still being explored, but it is confirmed to have a clear division of tasks with the J-20 in air combat.
Currently, one of the J-35A's main roles is to act as an aggressor simulating the F-35.
The PLAAF hopes for an all-stealth tactical fleet.

 

[siegecrossbow]

Recent rumors from Chahuahui Radio:
The J-35A has begun deployment in some of the first J-20 units, it will operate alongside the J-20.
The J-35A's operational role is still being explored, but it is confirmed to have a clear division of tasks with the J-20 in air combat.
Currently, one of the J-35A's main roles is to act as an aggressor simulating the F-35.
The PLAAF hopes for an all-stealth tactical fleet.

At some point they may need to off load the flankers. Possibly 2040 timeframe?

 

[SinoAmericanCW]

At some point they may need to off load the flankers. Possibly 2040 timeframe?

Presumably, the Flankers will be replaced by the 6th gens. As such, full fleet retirement in the early 2040s sounds quite plausible.

The J-36, especially, could take over the J-16's "VLRAAM truck" role.

 

[4Tran]

The PLAAF hopes for an all-stealth tactical fleet.

That's nuts! But if China can really build 150+ stealth fighters a year, it certainly feels possible. Also with that kind of production rate it makes sense that the PLAAF no longer has any need to add new J-10s to the fleet. I imagine that they will use the J-20 primarily as a air superiority fighter, the J-20S as a semi-AWACS and drone commander, and the J-35A as a multi-role fighter that concentrates on the strike role. Such a force would be massive overkill versus India so it'd be concentrated in the Western Pacific. As such, there is plenty of room for the J-16 and J-16D, but there's not a whole lot for the J-10 to do.

By the way, do we have a comprehensive list of all the fighters that have been retired from combat units by the PLAAF? All the J-7s, J-8s, and Su-27 should be gone by now, but I've heard that all the Su-30MKKs are gone as well. Have they started getting rid of the J-10As and J-11As yet? On the PLAN side, I imagine that they'll move all the J--15s out of combat units as soon there are enough J-15Ts to replace them.

Presumably, the Flankers will be replaced by the 6th gens. As such, full fleet retirement in the early 2040s sounds quite plausible.

The J-36, especially, could take over the J-16's "VLRAAM truck" role.

They might keep the Flankers around for the naval strike role.

 

[leibowitz]

Recent rumors from Chahuahui Radio:
The J-35A has begun deployment in some of the first J-20 units, it will operate alongside the J-20.
The J-35A's operational role is still being explored, but it is confirmed to have a clear division of tasks with the J-20 in air combat.
Currently, one of the J-35A's main roles is to act as an aggressor simulating the F-35.
The PLAAF hopes for an all-stealth tactical fleet.

By 2030 Shenyang and Chengdu will be producing a combined 300 fighter aircraft per year. Which means the all-stealth tactical fleet is possible by 2033 at the latest

 

[lcloo]

That's nuts! But if China can really build 150+ stealth fighters a year, it certainly feels possible. Also with that kind of production rate it makes sense that the PLAAF no longer has any need to add new J-10s to the fleet. I imagine that they will use the J-20 primarily as a air superiority fighter, the J-20S as a semi-AWACS and drone commander, and the J-35A as a multi-role fighter that concentrates on the strike role. Such a force would be massive overkill versus India so it'd be concentrated in the Western Pacific. As such, there is plenty of room for the J-16 and J-16D, but there's not a whole lot for the J-10 to do.

By the way, do we have a comprehensive list of all the fighters that have been retired from combat units by the PLAAF? All the J-7s, J-8s, and Su-27 should be gone by now, but I've heard that all the Su-30MKKs are gone as well. Have they started getting rid of the J-10As and J-11As yet? On the PLAN side, I imagine that they'll move all the J--15s out of combat units as soon there are enough J-15Ts to replace them.


They might keep the Flankers around for the naval strike role.

The recent offer by China to Indonesia does indicate that PLAAF might want to expedicte phasing out of J10, and very likely replacing them with J20/J35. Seem like upgrading progress to 5th generation fighter jets is gathering speed.

 

[Hermes]

Orca confirmed that it is gonna have superior RCS reduction than J-20, even J-20A.

It’s just common sense honestly. J-20 has a huge airframe, J-35 is smaller and could possibly be furnished with a 2D nozzle in the near future. It’s another F-22 in simple terms.

 

[Tomboy]

It’s just common sense honestly. J-20 has a huge airframe, J-35 is smaller and could possibly be furnished with a 2D nozzle in the near future. It’s another F-22 in simple terms.

Big airframe =/= automatically bigger RCS, that's just a misconception. J-36 almost definitely has a better RCS than J-20 yet being like twice as large

 

[Hermes]

Expected, given the designers and engineers at Shenyang AC would have access to better and more advanced computing, design and simulation software when working on the J-35A prior to design finalization (which should be sometime prior to 2022) compared to the designers and engineers at Chengdu AC back in the late-2000s.



Probably because of similar reasons as to the Americans' F-22 export ban decision - The J-20 is the best China has, comprehensive capability-wise. @siegecrossbow have explained very well just above.

Meanwhile, unlike the F-22 which entered the game too early - The J-20 is continuously upgraded and improved upon. So while the F-22 gets left behind by their smaller counterparts F-35A/B/C, the J-20 always retain its tip-top comprehensive capabilities in the PLAAF relative to the other fighter models (prior to the induction of the J-36 and J-XDS, that is).

We can’t be so sure about F-22s not being upgraded continuously

It’s a private fighter, they wouldn’t just go around announcing new capabilities

 

[Gloire_bb]

That's nuts! But if China can really build 150+ stealth fighters a year, it certainly feels possible. Also with that kind of production rate it makes sense that the PLAAF no longer has any need to add new J-10s to the fleet. I imagine that they will use the J-20 primarily as a air superiority fighter, the J-20S as a semi-AWACS and drone commander, and the J-35A as a multi-role fighter that concentrates on the strike role.

After you solve initial production hell, there's nothing terribly special in stealth production.
The problem is more like how long do you really want to produce single model, at what point you need to shift production, and how badly it will affect things.

As for the latter, while China has found that being rich is kinda nice, medium/heavy airframes as your basic tier will cost(and take time) a lot longer term. Procurement price is just the beginning.