If indeed J10CE has a ferry range of 2950 km (as per that one Avic promo material at Zhuhai) then not having a central tank might result in a ferry range of some 2500 km or so, give or take. That might still be enough for a quick recon glance performed at a 1000 km away, without using air refueling. Not terrific but also still usable for a wide range of potential target areas. (If J10C has a different actual ferry range, then of course final figures should be different as well)
J-10 Thread IV
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
So we really are moving ever closer towards realizing those important parts of Ace Combat 7...
That is, by eliminating the need for fighter pilots and the further optimization of fighter designs etc, meaning that UCAVs can become like ADF-11s in Ace Combat 7, equipped with supreme dogfighting AI, seamless networking and cooperation with allied units, MIMO + sensor fusions, and hyper-maneuverability (at tens of Gs if not more) capabilities that fighter jets of today could only ever dream of...
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Looks more like datalink or ECM pod than reconnaissance pod.
They would not put it there losing a fuel tank if that position was not important. It's positioned on the aircraft to not be obstructed from the side, front and rear even with some paylod under the wings.
Here's Orca again commenting on someone else saying it's EW warfare pod implying it's not except in the broadest sense. Seems like lots of people in that thread saying it's to do with AI pilot.
That other guy's argument that EW pod would make J-10CE attractive for export particularly Pakistan seems like a good argument though. I'm not really sure why Orca and Guancha people so firmly think it's AI unless they all have access to restricted information.
That other guy's argument that EW pod would make J-10CE attractive for export particularly Pakistan seems like a good argument though. I'm not really sure why Orca and Guancha people so firmly think it's AI unless they all have access to restricted information.
Wouldn't an EW pod end up looking more like the ones on say J-16D?
Whatever was added to the J-10 seems quite different, but then again, could just be some 'cover' and the insides could be similar.
The two plausible theories I've seen being floated are communications pod with loyal wingman types or F-16 VISTA style pod for simulating other aircraft's flight characteristics.
I was going to guess the pod is to turn the J-10 into an optionally manned royal wingman itself. If it was to communicate with drones you would think J-16 would be a better platform for it.