PLAAF Munitions

Re: PLAAF precision guided munitions

It does look real to me. Would be very difficult to PS this, since you don't have an existing picture of the LS-6 at that angle. I don't see any motivation of changing PL-8s to R-73s, and the 6 number in the first digit may be that of a new test group.

Re: PLAAF precision guided munitions

I would say its bogus. Not only is there a picture from the zhuhai airshow that fits it (when you shrink it, flip it horizontally and vertically) then all you need is some airbrushing around and you can easely pull off what has been done on this pic.

On top of that, why j-8II??? for the photoshopper, i can understand that it was a clear pic of an underbelly of a plane, and they needed to use a not well known pic. But it makes VERY little sense that j8II would be carrying a guided bomb, let alone testing a prototype and let alone doing it on center pylon. It would have certainly be done on underwing pylon of any plane. On this particular plane, it also looks to take it over the clearance from the ground, as i remember how j8II looks with that small fuel tank on belly pylon, very close to the ground. and this is bigger.

Re: PLAAF precision guided munitions

I've seen the J-8II carry two multiple racks of 250kg bombs on the underbelly. One rack each has 3 250kg bombs. So yeah, an LS-6 can clear the belly. The wing height of the plane is quite high given the pics of maintenance people around the plane.

Note that the bomb has gradient lighting from underneath, with the shadow on top. Meaning it's lighter on the bottomside than on the top. That is consistent of an object whose photo is taken airborne hanging from a plane's belly.

If you took the picture of the bomb from the airshow, two things would happen. First with ambient lighting the bomb would be yellowish in color. Second, if the picture was taken with a flash, it would have a flat lighted appearance. Neither of which fits the way the bomb is lighted in this picture.

J-8IIs have been seen with rocket pods and bombs. It's quite clear the plane has a secondary strike role.

I must add that the J-8IIs are the favorite test platforms used to test technologies, many of whom don't end up in some version of the J-8II but in other planes. It's China's flying lab animal.

Re: PLAAF precision guided munitions

bd popeye said:

I started this thread because I wanted to know aboyt PLAAF PGM.

I find the picture of the Chinese JDAM very curious. Some markings are "PS'ed" out of the picture. No biggy. But what sort of defense sattlite tech does China have to operate this bomb? US JDAM uses the extensive and robust US DoD sattlite system.

Bottom line is is real or not??

Click to expand...

according to miltech,the electronic component for JDAM can easily purchased in the commercial market.
the FT-3 resemble russian JDAM.but what happen to FT-2?

Re: PLAAF precision guided munitions

And another one ....



Seems to proove that these tests are quite further advanced than we thought ... and definitly no PS !!!

Besides ... it also looks not like a PL-8s or R-73 missile but more like some kind of an instrumentation pod as I suggested .... any other suggestion H or F-version ???

Thanks for posting, Deino

Re: PLAAF precision guided munitions

This confirms the plane is a J-8H/F or at least uses the airframe of such. Now it starts to raise more questions if the J-8F/H FCS may be interoperable with the R-73 training missiles. Or if this particular plane uses the J-8H/F airframe but may have a Russian FCS? Does the plane have some air to ground modes that can be used to search and target objects on the ground? What kind of navigation system is the plane using? Accurate enough to be used in this manner? We have seen J-10s recently with a new modification on top of their spine that looks like GPS. Does this plane have a similar upgrade?

Re: PLAAF precision guided munitions

crobato said:

This confirms the plane is a J-8H/F or at least uses the airframe of such. Now it starts to raise more questions if the J-8F/H FCS may be interoperable with the R-73 training missiles. Or if this particular plane uses the J-8H/F airframe but may have a Russian FCS? Does the plane have some air to ground modes that can be used to search and target objects on the ground? What kind of navigation system is the plane using? Accurate enough to be used in this manner? We have seen J-10s recently with a new modification on top of their spine that looks like GPS. Does this plane have a similar upgrade?

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Hmmm .... I still don't think that this is a R-73 as the Archer is much wider in diameter than this "strange thing" ! Additional both the R-73 and the PL-8 have their fins not monted on the very rear end and here - what seems to be the attachment points - is just on the edge !

I think this is some kind of instrumentation pod maybe to collect data on coordinations ?????

Deino

Additional have You seen the JH-7 picture with the FT-1 ???

Re: PLAAF precision guided munitions

crobato said:

We have seen J-10s recently with a new modification on top of their spine that looks like GPS. Does this plane have a similar upgrade?

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So that is more or less for GPS or other navigation? I thought some people were saying that was for some type of datalink. Are you talking about that antenna that's on the canopy?

Re: PLAAF precision guided munitions

Sea Dog said:

So that is more or less for GPS or other navigation? I thought some people were saying that was for some type of datalink. Are you talking about that antenna that's on the canopy?

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No, not the canopy antenna.

This only only appeared in the most recent J-10s produced. It's like a white button on the spine near the canopy. Never appeared in J-10s before. Check it in the J-10 thread. A similar feature appeared with the newest Israeli F-16i, and it was intended as a GPS link.

Re: PLAAF precision guided munitions

Deino said:

Hmmm .... I still don't think that this is a R-73 as the Archer is much wider in diameter than this "strange thing" ! Additional both the R-73 and the PL-8 have their fins not monted on the very rear end and here - what seems to be the attachment points - is just on the edge !

I think this is some kind of instrumentation pod maybe to collect data on coordinations ?????

Click to expand...

It's very similar to the dummy R-73s the J-11s used in exercises. Identical to me in fact.

Deino

Additional have You seen the JH-7 picture with the FT-1 ???

Click to expand...

I saw that and it's quite interesting. I noted I've never seen the JH-7 (not JH-7A) before in grey. I am assuming that the prototype test beds have been repainted to this color.

You would need an accurate navigation system to match that of the bomb (read totoro's thread). Fair to say that the planes doing this (the J-8II with LS-6 and the JH-7 with FT-1) may have their navigation systems upgraded.