Hmm ....... after causing multiple J10 crashes, being panned by official IAF report & we haven't even looked at the experiences of other AL31 users, if all you can see of criticisms of AL31 & calling for faster adoption of WS10 by J10 as caused by some anti Russian sentiment, it seems you're seriously confusing PRC national interest with that of Russia. Please don't mention PRC national interest lightly again until you're clear about the meaning.
You asked a strange question, suggesting you're not clear yet about the issues being discussed. No one of sound mind would want to be on any jet hit by any birds. But if I were to be unfortunate enough to be on a jet hit by birds, I pray it's either a Boeing/Airbus instead of a Russian jet, in fact I'll try my best never to step into a Russian jet in the first place and you can bet it's the same with most travelers world wide.
Keeping this civil; let's see how it goes...
I assure you, every effort is being made by China to expedite widespread use of the TaiHang engines. No country, especially not China, enjoys being dependent on a foreign military technology to keep their jets flying. But calling for them to go even faster, especially when basically everything about the TaiHang engines is classified, is reckless. The people who design and improve China's engines everyday decide how fast to integrate it into China's operational forces based on how comfortable they feel about its reliability. We've seen the least confident state, when they were confident enough only to fly it in tandem with a Russian engine. Then, as the confidence and quality rose, they were willing to use 2 TaiHangs to power a Flanker. Now, as the quality and experience with the engine improves even more, we are slowly and cautiously entering a phase of greater confidence, where a single Taihang is the lone power-plant on an expensive J-10B/C fighter. This speed of integration cannot be rushed, for national interest. If it is rushed because you hate Russian technology, and TaiHangs substitute AL-31's before they are ready, we could see many more crashes. This being China's first operational turbofan, even a few crashes can have a crippling effect on morale and give massive ammunition to those who want to see China never surmount its final and most challenging obstacle of engines. "Chinese engines miss the finish line: J-10C powered by WS-10A, the pride of China, crashes and burns in its first month of operation. Copy Cats never win!" That's what a Western headline would look like at the first sign of trouble in a Taihang. That is why the program is moving at the rate it is moving, not at the rate that you want to see.
Even with all this precaution, I am nervous and will always have my fingers crossed at how well the first regiment of TaiHang-powered J-10B/C will do and dread the inevitable first time when a WS-10A crashes. Alas, the only way to avoid it is to never make one. I simply hope that it happens long after the WS-10A has established an excellent record as a single power-plant.
