JH-7/JH-7A/JH-7B Thread

Sea Dog

Junior Member
VIP Professional
Re: Jh-7 thread

tphuang said:
actually, JH-7 was originally developed as a multi-role fighter like the tornado, but then it stunk as a multirole fighter. So, it has become China's attacker/bomber now. It seems to settle somewhere in between H-6 and Q-5. With the latest pods, missiles and avionics, JH-7A is actually very good at what it does. It's precision strike ability is supposed to be superior to that of mkk.

With the avionics JH-7 is quoted to have, it will certainly outclass MKK in all-weather operations. I'm not sure how the attack avionics compare however.
 

MIGleader

Banned Idiot
Re: Jh-7 thread

mkk avionics are fairly mediocre, like all the rest of russias avionics. there are three mfds, but that still only gives it 80s level ability and layout. from the few rare jh-7 pics weve seen, the plane has a good color ground tracking radar lcd, and an targeting screen.
 

crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
Re: Jh-7 thread

Sea Dog said:
Well, whatever engine they used in flight tests, the JH-7 showed Mach 1.7 at 35,000 ft. and a sustained cruise at medium altitudes of Mach 0.85 (Jane's). That's not exactly bad performance for a heavy-weight tactical bomber. That's actually rather good. I wonder if they used WS-10, WS-9, or the AL-31's in those specific trials.

Most likely this is the original JH-7 itself using the second hand Spey engines. No AL-31s ever ever used on the JH-7 whose fuselage is too slim for such engines. The JH-7A would use a copy (licensed or reverse engineered) of the Spey that is uptuned for more trust called the WS-9, has less drag from the removal of the wing fences, and would have composite and other changes to reduce weight.
 

crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
Re: Jh-7 thread

MIGleader said:
mkk avionics are fairly mediocre, like all the rest of russias avionics. there are three mfds, but that still only gives it 80s level ability and layout. from the few rare jh-7 pics weve seen, the plane has a good color ground tracking radar lcd, and an targeting screen.

Actually the MKK has two MFDs in the cockpit, and two large MFDs in the officer's seat. The JH-7A has two MFDs in the pilot, and four MFDs in the officer's seat.

The MKK has a better rear seating position because the second guy's viewpoint is placed above the pilot's head. The JH-7A on the other hand, puts the second officer into some tunnel vision with little visibility.
 

crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
Re: Jh-7 thread

Sea Dog said:
With the avionics JH-7 is quoted to have, it will certainly outclass MKK in all-weather operations. I'm not sure how the attack avionics compare however.

The Russians sort of delivered the MKK's avionics half baked. When the MKK was delivered they got all the TV guidance functions worked out, so the MKK came with all sorts of TV guided weapons, Kh-59ME, Kh-29TE, various Kab-500kr and Kab-1500kr bombs. However, the laser guidance functions were not fully worked out since the MKK lacked a proper targeting pod. The IRST ball in front of the cockpit is capable of laser targeting yes, but the plane would have to be in a dive or flying upside down to use it. The Russians were supposed to provide a laser targeting pod called SAPSAN, and the project sort of bogged. Furthermore, the old style twist cassegrain radar, even with buffed up modern electronics, didn't have a proper SAR function, and this the Russians proposed in ammending with the M400 recon pod.

In the last Sino-Russian exercises though, the MKKs have now demonstrated laser bomb guided attacks using Kab-500Ls, and last year, has been involved with SAR based recons of Taiwan coast using a pod.

The MKK also got the anti-radiation function completed, so it could use Kh-31P ARMs for radar suppression.

Moreover, the MKK lacked a proper air to sea attack, since that mode was not fully integrated into the radar. Sukhoi corrected this with an electronic upgrade that was incorporated into the so called MK2 plane, which is just the MKK with the air to sea functions. With this, the MK2 can use the Kh-31A, Kh-35E and Kh-59MK antiship missiles.

The JH-7 in contrast came with the air to sea functions but lacked everything else. Then the new JL-10A radar replaced the Type 232H radar, which provided other functionality such as anti-radiation attack using the YJ-91 (a Kh-31P clone with allegedly Israeli inspired electronics). The Chinese also managed to come up with their own Litening equivalent called the Blue Sky pod which enabled the plane to use laser guided munitions. While the JL-10A radar is smaller and lacks the power of the MKK's radar, its slotted array design gives it a wider aperture, better for air to ground and air to sea scanning. The radar is allegedly said to have SAR functions built in, something that the MKK radar didn't.

Then the JH-7A came with the radar equipping into the improved airframe and engines. The year the JH-7A came into service, China also stopped its order of MKKs the same year, something that struck the Russians with great surprise, as they were used to expecting the orders like a yearly ritual. This iwas a surprising and ironical turnaround, considering when China first acquired the MKKs, experts were sounding the death knell of the JH-7.
 

sumdud

Senior Member
VIP Professional
Re: Jh-7 thread

Huh..... Couldn't the Russians have designed the MKK to put the IRST on the bottom of the nose instead, like on the Q-5D, but forward........... Could've probably did that on the JH-7A too.......

But can the JH-7A use TV-guided munitons?
And isn't the two ARMs basically the same?
Wait, doesn't the JH-7A have laser guidance equipment under the fuselage, as said in Huitong's site?

PS- Have a link to the specs of the Russian ASMs?
 

crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
Re: Jh-7 thread

The Russians designed the IRST on the Su-27 originally in support of air to air operations. If you want something intended for ground operations, look at the Su-34 instead.

I think the JH-7A can use TV guided munitions but I have not seen much evidence of it. The technology potential is there since the H-6H uses TV guided and directed YJ-63 missiles. If there is TV guided YJ-83s, perhaps the JH-7A can use them along with a version of the H-6 (H-6M?)

The YJ-91 and the KH-31P have the same body, since the former is a copy of the latter. But the former uses electronics and a seeker design inspired from mroe Western sources like the Israeli Harpy. Now you can understand the major objection the US DoD had about Israel upgrading the PRC's Harpies.

The JH-7A uses a laser targeting pod called Blue Sky to handle laser guided weapons. Perhaps this pod might be used on the J-10 as well.
 

MIGleader

Banned Idiot
Re: Jh-7 thread

i belive the j-10s are already fitted with blue skys. it still doesnt give them mush a2g ability though.

hey, anyone have inofrmation of how the jh-7 performs in air combat? its classified as a fighter bomber, and im eager to know whether it can be as vesatile as the mkk
 

tphuang

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP Professional
Registered Member
Re: Jh-7 thread

MIGleader said:
i belive the j-10s are already fitted with blue skys. it still doesnt give them mush a2g ability though.

hey, anyone have inofrmation of how the jh-7 performs in air combat? its classified as a fighter bomber, and im eager to know whether it can be as vesatile as the mkk
I believe it's AAMs are for pure air defense. It is definitely not the platform that mkk is. It will need plenty of J-10s to protect it.
 

Superior China

Banned Idiot
Re: Jh-7 thread

its RCS could be reduced, so it more difficult to detect!
Add some cloaking, that would help too!
Reduce its IR.

And of course you can make it invisible to the human eye! So it will be very hard for fighters to spot you!
 
Last edited:
Top