J-10 Thread III (Closed to posting)

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plawolf

Lieutenant General
I see, however, I think you're suggesting the J-10A and continued J-10B production will remain enough for the PLA, along with expected upgrades in avionics?

I suppose my opinion will have to differ here with yours (if what I stated was indeed your position). I think more extensive upgrades will eventually be instigated, and in a more formal way (i.e.: not simply one batch improving incrementally from the previous on a small facet). Upgrades including engines, avionics, and even some minor structural upgrades, can and imho should be investigated as J-10/A/B production continues in the years to come.

A more multirole orientation may or may not be included.

It sounds like our positions are not all that different. Only difference seems to be that I count avionics, radar and engine upgrades as just upgrades while you are counting them as equating to a major new variant.

Just to sum up, I believe the improvement between the J10B and the J10A is equivalent to the leap from F18C to F18E. That is the kind of major upgrade I could not expect to see again for the J10. However, incremental upgrades like those from F16A to F16C is likely to be implemented as time and technology moves on and the PLAAF tries to keep their earlier J10s up to date with the latest developments as much as practical.

While there is merit in the idea of PLAAF preserving fighters in more fixed, single role duties as a result of facing the US, I believe the added flexibility of having a fleet capable of precision ground attack on top of purpose oriented strike aircraft will be more than worth any losses in air to air training hours. Implementing such a wide scale multirole fleet will favour a common (or at least a more common) air to ground munition base for all multirole aircraft + strike aircraft, and will benefit wartime redundancy, mission planning options, attrition, and basing/rebasing.

The problem with that is geography and politics.

China has no foreign military bases and does not look likely to get any for several decades at least, if ever. That means that the PLAAF will be planning to operate from only Chinese bases, and that greatly limits the targets and theatres medium fighters like the J10 can operate over with heavy and draggy air to ground payloads.

Other than Taiwan, just where else is within range of multirole J10s that would require multirole J10s to turn the tide of the war?

The most likely flash points are mainly outside of the range of J10s carrying AG loads, and what theatres J10s can reach from mainland Chinese bases are either low threat, or easily won by the PLA ground forces.

A multirole J10 is just not something all that useful to the PLAAF, which is why they have not bothered to make their J10s multirole even though they clearly have the capacity to do so for some time now.

The PLAAF is mainly a homeland defence force for the Chinese, always have been and pretty much always will be. Its their carrier fleets that will be their primary offensive oriented strike arm, and when the PLANAF picks a medium weight fighter for their future carriers, multirole strike capabilities will be a must for them.
 

volleyballer

Banned Idiot
Hey guys. I was looking over this photo of the J-10A carrying what looks to be 4 x PL-12 BVRAAMs. Can anyone else confirm this? If those are indeed PL-12s, then I wonder what the PLAAF ROE are for CAP missions.

People's+Liberation+Army+Air+Force+J-10+Vanguard+Vigorous+Dragon+four+4+SD-10+PL-12+BVRAAM+PL-8+10+ASR+HMS+IFR++aesa+radar+fighter+jet+aircraft+(4).jpg


Thanks!
 

plawolf

Lieutenant General
Hey guys. I was looking over this photo of the J-10A carrying what looks to be 4 x PL-12 BVRAAMs. Can anyone else confirm this? If those are indeed PL-12s, then I wonder what the PLAAF ROE are for CAP missions.

People's+Liberation+Army+Air+Force+J-10+Vanguard+Vigorous+Dragon+four+4+SD-10+PL-12+BVRAAM+PL-8+10+ASR+HMS+IFR++aesa+radar+fighter+jet+aircraft+(4).jpg


Thanks!

There have been pictures of J10s testing out dual missiles racks, and indeed at least one picture of those racks operationally deployed that have been out for some time. You can probably find them posted in this very thread.

And yes, those are PL12s, although I'm not sure how you think dual racks would affect PLAAF ROE.

With the dual racks, a J10 can load up with 6 x PL12s, 2 x PL8 and a centerline drop tank for air superiority missions, but you are more likely to see them armed with 4 x PL12s in dual racks and 2 x PL8s and three drop tanks.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Yep, we've had multiple pictures over the last year or more showing J-10s training with three fuel tanks, four PL-12s on dual racks, and an ACMI pod on the outermost pylon, suggesting a 4 PL-12 and three fuel tank loadout is now standard, or will become standard, among the J-10 fleet, probably with a pair of SRAAMs as well.


It's definitely in line with the rest of the PLA honing the finer appendages of their services, in both training and equipment
 

adeptitus

Captain
VIP Professional
I'm not sure if we should assume the J-10 to be as short-legged. The internet -- as in wikipedia, air force technology, etc. cites the J-10's combat radius as comparable to the F-16A, or 550 km. But do recall the Israelis used their F-16A's in Operation Opera vs Osirak reactor in Iraq some 1,600 km distance, without aerial refueling. Those F-16A's were loaded with 2 x 2,000 lb bombs + external fuel tanks.
 

nkvd

New Member
The point is some fighters could do that raid without the need for EFT and still have plenty of fuel left.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Apparently there's a rumour going around that J-10C just made its first flight...


Awaiting pictures, of course... but we might get the question of just what kind of plane a successor J-10 will be sooner, rather than later.
 

volleyballer

Banned Idiot
Apparently there's a rumour going around that J-10C just made its first flight...


Awaiting pictures, of course... but we might get the question of just what kind of plane a successor J-10 will be sooner, rather than later.

Supposedly Fengbubei said there will be more news tonight (China time). I'm still thinking it's the J-10B handover ceremony, but CJDBY has it on authority that the fighter in question was yellow skinned and has a 3 digit number so ... that rules out the J-10B ...

Or perhaps it's a prototype J-10B flying with the WS-15 .. that would be even more exciting .. ;)
 
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