it has been almost 2 years since we first heard about 1st air brigade with J20, if this is an indication of production rate, it is really eye watering
J-20 5th Generation Fighter VII
- Thread starter siegecrossbow
- Start date
- Status
Indeed, but that does not mean the 5th AB will get them. IMO more likely the other remaining units flying Su-30MKK like the 85th and 54th ABs or unit with very old J-11/11As like the 4th will get them first. I find it hardly believable a unit that just changed to J-10C will already convert again.
I agree. From a historical precedence point of view both Anshan and Wuhu replaced legacy flankers with J-20.
plawolf
Lieutenant General
I think it is not a sure bet to say that just because something has been done in a certain way in the past that it will still be done the same now.
If the PLAAF wants to get its best pilots flying its best planes ASAP, then they will choose a very different roll out model than if they were merely looking to minimise waste. And I would suggest that the current geopolitical climate is very much not one where one could afford to get too caught up in being as cost effective as possible from the PLA’s prospective.
Yes it’s wasteful and inefficient to re-equip J10C units with J20s so soon after they got their J10Cs. But it would make sense if you want your J20 units to reach ICO ASAP and be as effective as possible with the best pilots in the service flying them.
If the PLAAF wants to get its best pilots flying its best planes ASAP, then they will choose a very different roll out model than if they were merely looking to minimise waste. And I would suggest that the current geopolitical climate is very much not one where one could afford to get too caught up in being as cost effective as possible from the PLA’s prospective.
Yes it’s wasteful and inefficient to re-equip J10C units with J20s so soon after they got their J10Cs. But it would make sense if you want your J20 units to reach ICO ASAP and be as effective as possible with the best pilots in the service flying them.
That depends on how many J-20s were actually produced in total back then -- and how many had been already produced for 1st brigade...
And how many J-20s have been produced now in total -- and how fully equipped 9th and 1st brigade are, and how many aircraft have now supposedly been produced for 5th brigade.
If there was a serial designated 61162, then that would imply at least 12 airframes for 5th brigade have flown assuming sequential airframe production/service.
Maybe the serial was actually 61152 lol.
No one is suggesting the J-10Cs would go into the trash.
Rather, it is observing that a relatively recent upgrade to J-10Cs, then subsequently supposedly to J-20s, seems somewhat odd, given new fighter procurement would usually be done in a manner to minimize wastage of time and resources (both needed to retrain pilots and crew, as well as to fit an airbase to accommodate a J-10C versus a J-20).
That leads to the very valid question of whether the 5th brigade really has received J-20s or not -- and if it ends up being that they had received J-20s, then why did 5th brigade receive J-20s rather than some other brigades that use older fighters that would make more sense to be re-equipped with J-20s from a time and resources point of view.
More J-20s have been delivered by CAC. In a rare gesture they are posting high def photos.
Continued...
- Status