Not true. The Japanese AAM-4B had AESA sensor before it.I mean PL-15 had AESA radars (literally the first and only A2A missile with AESA radars) since mid to late 2010s.
Not true. The Japanese AAM-4B had AESA sensor before it.I mean PL-15 had AESA radars (literally the first and only A2A missile with AESA radars) since mid to late 2010s.
Glad to see others think along the same lines as i did argue back when GJ-X was unveiled. The big event we're waiting now is the first flight of H-20, hopefully the rumours of imminent-ish roll out/first flight are true.
And parallel to this, just to think out loud that China has no less than 8 (eight!) different high capability UAVs in testing and/or service at the moment, two large, two UADFs, GJ-11 and 3 CCAs.
Not true. The Japanese AAM-4B had AESA sensor before it.
Do it on December 26 again to ruin Pentagon top brass’ holiday again.
You are of course right though i was only focusing on the models in the spotlight recently that we have become acquainted with both from spottings and the 9.3 parade.8 modern UAVs? There's actually a lot more.
GJ-11/21 (or whatever the folding wing naval variant of GJ-11 is)
CH-7
WZ-8
WZ-9
UADF Type A
UADF Type B
CCA 1
CCA 2
CCA 3
unknown UADF/CCA that wasn't shown
GH-xx
WZ-xx
And don't forget whatever this is (much smaller than GJ-xx but similar configuration)
View attachment 162846
Yes a few of those may not be in active service yet (GJ-xx, WZ-xx and if PLA ever went with CH-7) but there are far more advanced UAVs that are research and tender only. Far more than 8 active advanced UAVs and more than 20 types of heavy advanced UAVs flown. This is several times more than the rest of the world combined.
Maybe with the early GaA J/APG-1. But the GaN J/APG-2 is better than that.Fair. The Japanese did basically invent airborne AESA. But since the beginning with J/APG-1, Japanese airborne AESAs have always been very low tier and low performance. They managed to extract only ~50km range out of AESA radars.
The US is way behind the Japanese in radio electronics I think. Which are behind China at this point. But this is a recent thing.They are by no means the mainstay or at the forefront with any aircraft or missile AESA today even though they were the first to field them. Hence why they weren't on my radar excuse the pun. AMRAAM still does not have AESA seeker.
I don’t think it is unmanned H-20 but rather bomber equivalent to CCA that could follow H-20 on long range strategic missions. There are two variants of drone — one to provide ISR and the other to carry additional munition. H-20 will be the control node for the two drones.
Interesting they went with a CH-7 style configuration rather than a larger GJ-11/ pure flying wing. My understanding is a pure flying wing is stealthier but the CH-7 style diamond fuselage with lower sweep angle wings allows for longer range, endurance and better turning performance at the cost of stealth and speed.
I'm pretty sure there's a name for the cognitive fallacy you're demonstrating.I'm still trying to find a plausible reason for why they'd forego a pure flying wing design. It doesn't make sense to sacrifice stealth for aerodynamics in a subsonic bomber.
I wonder if maybe Chinese engines currently do not provide sufficient thrust for a pure flying wing bomber of this size and weight. At least not in a 2-engine configuration. They can build a 4-engine B-2 size bomber. But not a 2-engine B-21 size bomber. So they gave this a cranked wing design to reduce aerodynamic drag, and allow the bomber to fly with only 2 engines.
The H-20 will probably be a larger 4-engine pure flying wing bomber like the B-2.