J-10 Thread IV

[AndrewS]

View attachment 93622

The numbers don't make any sense.

Why would a F-15C cost more to operate than a F-15E?

I suspect the age of the F-15C is a factor here.

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Also, cost per operating hour is not the correct metric, as flying hours can fluctuate due to US budget cuts and can vary due to the differing levels of proficiency required for each plane type. The F-15C was the dedicated to the air superiority mission which is more taxing in terms of pilot hours and aircraft usage.

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Also, the 2015 operating costs per hour looks inconsistent from the 2018 Annual Operating Costs below

2018 Annual Operating Costs ($million per year)
F-16: 4.33
F-15E: 8.56
F-15C: 5.90

 

[OppositeDay]

During J-10's development, it was envisioned as the high in a high-low combination with upgraded J-7s. The plan was to field around 100 J-10s because it's so expensive. And now people think even J-10Cs are not good enough as J-7 replacements and calling for J-7 to be replaced with J-16.

Anyway, here's Xi Yazhou's take on the dorsal spine

Xi Yazhou considers three possibilities
1. Moving existing avionics from the nose to the dorsal spine to make room for a bigger radar.
2. Adding more powerful EW system.
3. Expanding the internal fuel tank.

He takes 3 to be the most likely. He claims that due to the shape of the fuselage, the current internal fuel tank isn't able to utilize all space available, and the dorsal spine will not only add new space but also making it possible to utilize current wasted space. He claims that his calculation shows additional fuel capacity equal to a single drop tank after the modification.

 

[sndef888]

I really hope the spine version + WS10 becomes the new J10D.

The spine seriously looks awesome and I think it makes it look less "toyish"

 

[dingyibvs]

I really hope the spine version + WS10 becomes the new J10D.

The spine seriously looks awesome and I think it makes it look less "toyish"

I assume the spine reduces aerodynamic performance, or it would've been present to begin with. Perhaps this version could be a more strike/EW focused version? Increasing range and loitering time at the expense of aerodynamics? That's assuming the spine is for increasing internal fuel of course. This would somewhat mirror the J11/J16/D development path, yielding a cheaper though less capable alternative to the Flanker derivatives.

 

[Overbom]

From 4-6 years of needed training, now pilots are trained in only 3 years

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First batch of J-10 pilots produced by flight academy to join air force combat troops​

The first batch of J-10 cadet pilots, 23 years old on average and directly trained by the air force flight academy, got ready to be assigned to the combat units of the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) upon graduation on July 21.

In 2020, the PLAAF launched the trial of the new mode of pilot cadets training at the Shijiazhuang Flight Academy, in which the J-10 fighter jet was introduced as the trainer aircraft for the first time. According to the previous training mode, a pilot cadet needed to undergo four to six years of flight training before being qualified for flying the third-generation fighter jet.

Now the pilot cadets trained in accordance with this new mode are able to obtain combatant qualification for third-generation fighters after receiving only three years of flight training.

These cadets were randomly chosen from the pilot cadets of the PLA Air Force Aviation University. With the J-10 fighter jets introduced to be their trainer aircrafts, they underwent all the training subjects for obtaining the combatant qualification according to the training program of combat troops, and the level of training was also comparable to that of the combat troops with the same type of aircraft.

The new training mode highlights raising these pilot cadets’ air combat capability. During the training process, the pilot cadets held confrontational drills with the PLA Army air-defense troops, and the proportion of tactical training items, such as the multi-aircraft air combat and live firing operations, has also been increased. All these efforts have helped accelerate the transformation from pilot cadets to qualified combatants, who are able to perform combat missions on third-generation aircraft upon graduation.

The trial of the new training mode serves as an important measure for the PLAAF to implement the strategy of strengthening the armed forces through training of competent personnel in the new era. It is of great significance to deepening the reform of military training and speeding up the generation of new combat capabilities.

 

[sequ]

During J-10's development, it was envisioned as the high in a high-low combination with upgraded J-7s. The plan was to field around 100 J-10s because it's so expensive. And now people think even J-10Cs are not good enough as J-7 replacements and calling for J-7 to be replaced with J-16.

Interesting, do you have source?

 

[siegecrossbow]

Interesting, do you have source?

I think he was referring to early stage of J-10 development when flankers were not only part of the equation, but were one of the potential adversaries since the Soviet Union and PRC were on bad terms. Two of the design requirements for the J-10 in the 80s were to intercept Backfires and tangle with Mig-29s/Flankers. You can see this in the optimization for high speed/ITR in the design, which came at the penalty of weapon load.

 

[OppositeDay]

Interesting, do you have source?

It was mentioned during Guancha defense news team's live discussion on KF-21. There was a YouTube channel with unauthorized videos of their live broadcasts, but the newer episodes are gone now.

 

[Strangelove]

 

[tphuang]

Well, this is a rumour

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1553310478520070144

translates to Sudan being interested in J-10CE in their conflict with Ethiopia.