TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Bleargh. A F-35B like aircraft would be a waste of resources. VTOL means no usable payload. Just build more STOBAR or CATOBAR carriers.
It's not just payload it's also range and speed.The Chinese also have their own LHD program. They can just use a a navalized WZ-10 and the Z-15 or the Z-20.
Helicopters beat the air into submission. They sacrifice speed and range for the ability to land anywhere.
Consider the best estimate for Z10 Range I know is 820Km but that seems... low for a ferry range high for a combat range.
Most transport and attack choppers in the same class are ranging out to under 500km.
Now Vtol fighter let's say the old Yak 41 at its worst know range it's matching and easily trouncing the ferry range estimate of the Z10 and with a more conservative load doubling if not tripling the the range of a combat helicopter in this class. And still being far faster on station with a higher altitude.
Now yes a non v/stol machine would be even longer range and higher flying but not always an option. Remember that demands that you have your carrier on station with your LHA. That's not always a option as you may need that CV elsewhere. Having that V/STOL machine with your LHA means that as they launch operations you can have your fighters clear the road. Or self CAP the LHA and can cycle close support missions of the expeditionary forces more rapidly and more deeply than helicopters.
Generally a mixed force like this only has a half dozen V/STOLs as they are more to support other operations vs a full carrier where the other machines are to support fighter ops.
The Chinese are said to have studied the Matador but the Thai never got any beyond a single test model.If they want to waste time and resources on that they can likely get information on the AV-8S Matador from Thailand (first generation Harrier) or the Yak-141
The Russians offered the Yak 41 to the PRC but it was th early 90s and the Chinese didn't buy in. The US ironically did but for test data as the lift system of the Yak41 is identical to that that was proposed for the Convair model 200/201. The 200 lift system was used as a insperatation for the F35B lift system.
There has been tall talk of the Russians looking at resurrecting there V/STOL program.