Re: Jh-7 thread
The FBC-1 improvement article by AF2000 is pretty detailed. Do you guys want to translate it to English for those who can't read Chinese? I'll start with the first couple of paragraphs, if we can get a few more volunteers to do the rest, it shouldn't be too much work.
Apologies for my hack/quick-and-dirty translation. =P
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(translation of article)
AF2000's FBC-1 improvement article
XAC's FBC-1 (JH-7) is currently the best domestically produced combat aircraft. The newest FBC-1 is constately upgrading and improving, but there are certain critical points that were not addressed. The biggest problem for FBC-1: its power plant stinks.
Today's world modern aircraft development is toward multi-function, the aircraft can be used for air superiority and ground attack, multi-role capable. Today's mainstream fighter-bombers are all developed from air superiority fighters, from Su-27 to Su-30, from F-15 to F-15E/K, from F-16 to Israeli F-16I, from Mirage-2000 to Mirage-2000-9, etc. In today's high intensity, air to ground integrated battlefield condition, having only powerful ground attack and not air superiority combat capability is unsuitable for the constately changing modern battlefield.
The XAC FBC-1's design is for martime strike, its powerplant is not great. Because of this, the FBC-1's future development is put at a distadvantage. When FBC-1 is performing martime strike, it must be escorted by other combat aircraft. Although low-altitutde flying could avoid ground-stationary radar, it cannot hide against modern AEGIS or AWACS aircraft. The FBC-1's powerplant and defense capability are weak, resulting in higher chance of being shot down by enemy combat aircraft. Therefore unless if the FBC-1 receives improvements and upgrades, it can only play a secondary role to the new and expensive Su-30MKK. The FBC-1 might have a chance in sneak attacks against Kinmen or Keelung (Taiwan port), but against aircraft carrier (group), it'd never return. The FBC-1 must improve its air superiority capability to have greater chance of surviving future battlefield conditions.