J-20 5th Gen Fighter Thread IV (Closed to posting)

[lllchairmanlll]

Very informative article, it confirms some key points on the timeline of J20's AESA:

Pre-research stage, “九五”(around 1996-2000).
Prototype stage, no later than 2000, they've begun making a early prototype.
In 2009/2010 the project was awarded by the company and governments, so the radar finished no later than 2009.

That is correct, looks like some really good progression. We can speculate J20 is equipped with AESA that is based on that model

 

[Brumby]

That is correct, looks like some really good progression. We can speculate J20 is equipped with AESA that is based on that model

The recent post (# 4864) is a source of confusion because the content supposedly linked it to J-20 but as I understand subsequent replies from others (e.g. post #4870) suggest it is connected to J-10B and not the former.

How do you then make that leap of speculation that J-20 is equipped with that model and not something else?

 

[davidwangqi]

The original source is reliable. Things posted on sina are not necessarily so.

I guess I wasn't obvious with my original reply, but I have shifted it to J-10B already, which means I consider original to be reliable. Please continue the discussion there or in a radar related thread.

I'd rather believe it's the what the 14th institute of CETC made to bid for the J20's AESA project considering it was the AN/APG-77 class and was finished before the first prototype of J20.

 

[Brumby]

I'd rather believe it's the what the 14th institute of CETC made to bid for the J20's AESA project considering it was the AN/APG-77 class and was finished before the first prototype of J20.

Are you saying that the J-20 radar was finished before the first J-20 prototype was even built? When I first came across this timeline it did not make sense at all but the subsequent post by TP referenced the radar to the J-11B instead, and to me was more logical in terms of development path. Is this one of those lost in translation thing?

 

[davidwangqi]

Are you saying that the J-20 radar was finished before the first J-20 prototype was even built? When I first came across this timeline it did not make sense at all but the subsequent post by TP referenced the radar to the J-11B instead, and to me was more logical in terms of development path. Is this one of those lost in translation thing?

I'd say it could not be the final version of J20's radar.

Now I kinda believe the first batch of J10B is using PESA but AESA. If the article is true, there's no way PLA spent tons of money to develop it's first AESA radar for j10 variants but not the most important j20 project.

 

[latenlazy]

I'd rather believe it's the what the 14th institute of CETC made to bid for the J20's AESA project considering it was the AN/APG-77 class and was finished before the first prototype of J20.

You can believe what you want. We know the original story that Sina rebundled was about the J-10B's radar, not the J-20s.

I'd say it could not be the final version of J20's radar.

Now I kinda believe the first batch of J10B is using PESA but AESA. If the article is true, there's no way PLA spent tons of money to develop it's first AESA radar for j10 variants but not the most important j20 project.

Pretty sure the J-10B using PESA rumour sprung from the inability for Chinese bbs members to accept that the IFF antennas on the radar does not disqualify it from being an AESA. A lot of "this doesn't look like other AESAs so it must not be one" thing going on.

 

[davidwangqi]

You can believe what you want. We know the original story that Sina rebundled was about the J-10B's radar, not the J-20s.

You are very likely wrong. You should read the link of #4869.

Pretty sure the J-10B using PESA rumour sprung from the inability for Chinese bbs members to accept that the IFF antennas on the radar does not disqualify it from being an AESA. A lot of "this doesn't look like other AESAs so it must not be one" thing going on.

I drew this conclusion not based on that antenna picture but assuming what the above link says is true, which I don't doubt it right now.

 

[Brumby]

If the article is true, there's no way PLA spent tons of money to develop it's first AESA radar for j10 variants but not the most important j20 project.

How do you know that the J10B radar development was not a stepping stone and next gen fit to the J-20 project? The development is most likely sequentially incremental in nature rather than mutual exclusion as it seems to be what you are alluding to.

 

[davidwangqi]

How do you know that the J10B radar development was not a stepping stone and next gen fit to the J-20 project? The development is most likely sequentially incremental in nature rather than mutual exclusion as it seems to be what you are alluding to.

At least it was not purposely developed for J10B since the article says this radar projects started in the middle 90s and lasted around 15 years and I don't believe at that time they already started to plan the j10 variants considering j10's maiden flight was in 1998.

J10 variants' upgraded radar of course will be one consequence of the reported AESA, but PROBABLY wont be equipped in the first batch. And that's why there is J10C which looks almost exact the same in appearance.

 

[Brumby]

At least it was not purposely developed for J10B since the article says this radar projects started in the middle 90s and lasted around 15 years and I don't believe at that time they already started to plan the j10 variants considering j10's maiden flight was in 1998.

AESA radar generational development as I understand the prime issues are simply packing more T/R modules onto limited space and heat dissipation management. Putting it on J-10B was simply a convergence of platform and radar development prevailing at that stage in the cycle.
It is rumoured that the Chinese has been able to pack 1200 T/R modules into J-10B radar and if that was the case then China's radar technology is already on par with the US. I understand the APG77 packs 1500 T/R.

In short, both J-10B and the radar development were not in sync initially but subsequently merged due to timing.