J-10 Thread III (Closed to posting)

[rhino123]

Having succesfully put into serial production 3 different type of AESA radar, China is not clueless when it come to radar programming. You would expect that by now legions of programmer in NRIET or other Chinese defense establishment who were well converse in radar programming.

You can count only 2 or 3 nations that can produce AESA radar. Russia until today has not put in serial production AESA radar!

True. I would believe that China had been quite well established by now in regards for the AESA radar's development and deployment.

However, lets off topic a bit, it seemed that many had been underestimating the Russian's capability. True they might not have put in serial production of the AESA radar, but that seriously doesn't means that they couldn't do it. There are many reasons behind, most of which we as outsider, would not know. What I can think of, however was -

1) It was not in the interest of the Russian to serial produce such a radar when they find what they have is adequate.

2) The Russian's military budget was not really very large, so they do not have enough budget to get these radars from their developers. (note that the Russian's economic model is no longer the same as in Soviet's time, and they do not have an iron fist in whatever R&D from private sector, so if the military had no money to buy, their private sectors will not sell.)

3) The Russian had something better under development that might be in various stages. We didn't know and couldn't see because radar in aircraft, unlike the entire aircraft, air intake and aerodynamical shape of the aircraft, was hidden in the vehicle itself and cannot be seen.

Now back to topic.

 

[tphuang]

I have no clue where these J-10s are headed, but they are some of the new builds from CAC's air field. I guess we will just have to wait for the next set of photos to come out.

 

[siegecrossbow]

I have no clue where these J-10s are headed, but they are some of the new builds from CAC's air field. I guess we will just have to wait for the next set of photos to come out.

There hasn't been many new J-10Bs lately. I wonder why.

 

[terrorhunter]

There hasn't been many new J-10Bs lately. I wonder why.

well its been postulated that the J-10b was just a testing bed for equipment to be installed for the J-XX programme. And by all the online info we have been getting, if the J-XX programme is really going on so smoothly, there is no need to have an interim J-10 upgrade so fast after the J-10 was officially introduced

 

[Deino]

Hmm ... ust let me add my two cents !

1. regarding these new-built J-10A: they all start with a "6" ... could this be an indication of the 6. production block, since the ones from "Ba Yi" all start with "05" indicationg the fifth block ? ... or maybe a hint for their new unit (6. Division ??? .. even they already fly two Flanker regiments).

2. IMO the J-10B is not only built to test systems for the J-20, otherwise one or maybe three prototypes serving as a tetbed would be sufficent. Maybe they are just undergoing operational testing at onother base ?

Deino

 

[challenge]

Hmm ... ust let me add my tho cents !

1. regarding these new-built J-10A: they all start with a "6" ... could this be an indication of the 6. production block, since the ones from "Ba Yi" all start with "05" indicationg the fifth block ? ... or maybe a hint for their new unit (6. Division ??? .. even they already fly two Flanker regiments).

2. IMO the J-10B is not only built to test systems for the J-20, otherwise one or maybe three prototypes serving as a tetbed would be sufficent. Maybe they are just undergoing operational testing at onother base ?

Deino

before official release of J-10B, brief article appear in wmf, mention of J-10A variant, J-10B and another J-10-21.article was scan from unknown chinese magazine,blogger do not provide complete article.
speculation that J-10-21 was twin engine variant,which can not be confirm,or been abandone,to date there's no detail or news about the J-10-21 program.

 

[Centrist]

Hmm ... ust let me add my tho cents !

1. regarding these new-built J-10A: they all start with a "6" ... could this be an indication of the 6. production block, since the ones from "Ba Yi" all start with "05" indicationg the fifth block ? ... or maybe a hint for their new unit (6. Division ??? .. even they already fly two Flanker regiments).

2. IMO the J-10B is not only built to test systems for the J-20, otherwise one or maybe three prototypes serving as a tetbed would be sufficent. Maybe they are just undergoing operational testing at onother base ?

Deino

I think that they are making modifications for a WS10A equipped variant of the J10B first before they plan to put it into production. Just a hunch.

 

[latenlazy]

Or it could just be that the initial airframe and flight tests have been completed, and developmental work is now being put into the subsystems, which would result in less flights and therefore make the J-10B less visible.

 

[Deino]

before official release of J-10B, brief article appear in wmf, mention of J-10A variant, J-10B and another J-10-21.article was scan from unknown chinese magazine,blogger do not provide complete article.
speculation that J-10-21 was twin engine variant,which can not be confirm,or been abandone,to date there's no detail or news about the J-10-21 program.

Hmmm ... but what does this repost of speculative additional versions has to do with my "two cents" above ??

Deino

 

[tphuang]

well its been postulated that the J-10b was just a testing bed for equipment to be installed for the J-XX programme. And by all the online info we have been getting, if the J-XX programme is really going on so smoothly, there is no need to have an interim J-10 upgrade so fast after the J-10 was officially introduced

I always find it interesting to see people looking to kill J-10 upgrades.

They were still introducing new variants of J-7 and J-8 even after J-10 was inducted into service. By 2018, J-10 would've only been in service for 14 years. It will continue to be produced for at least 10 more years, probably 20 years imo. Simply put, J-XX has not shot of replacing all of the J-7/8 regiments that will be retiring in the next 20 years. So, you are left with two options:
1) keep putting in the same variant of J-10 we have been seeing since 2004
2) keep developing newer and better variants that will be useful well into the next decade and the decade after that.

Not only that, PLAAF will have to buy something that is much cheaper + less capable than J-10 to be able to replace all of J-7 variants that are retiring. It could either be JF-17, L-15 or some other design.

Now, if the fanboys out there think that China no longer needs J-10 upgrades and can just go straight to J-XX, why don't you tell me what kind of air force China will have and how they will produce them (remember to factor in cost and production capabilities).