The World's 4th, 4.5 & 5th Generation Fighters

Skywatcher said:

JeffHead: I thought the RN F-35B got dumped for the F-35C (or are they still contractually obliged to buy that STVOL regardless of the cancellation?)

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Jeff Head said:

Actually, it will reach operational status for the conventional take-off version 4-6 years before the J-20.

Overall, the F-35 program completed 321 test flights last year, and is working toward a total of 394 test flight for 2010. There are already 19 aircraft flying.

13 USAF F-35As. First production aircraft for the F-35A (CTOL) for the Air Force is projected for next year.

4 US Marine F-35B VTOL models are already flying, and they expect to get first operational aircraft by 2016.

2 US Navy F-35C CATOBAR aircraft are already flying. They expect operational aircraft to be delivered in the 4th quarter of 2014.

A contract for a total of 31 more aircraft was recently completed. This calles for:

10 more US Airforce aircraft.
16 more US Marine aircraft.
4 more US Navy aircraft.
1 STOVL aircraft of the UK Royal Navy.

That will make a total of fifty aircraft flying.

With US Airforce in service capability next year, that means a good 4-6 years of full production experience with the aircraft before it is expected the first J-20 will go into production. By then, the US Navy will also have had the aircraft in production for 2-4 years, and the US Marines for 1-3 years with the VTOL version. At that point, hundreds of aircraft will be flying with several different countries.

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rhino123 said:

Yeah. That is exactly the point. China's J-20 had only make a single short flight and it would be years before the plane become fully operational. F-35 had already conducted more flights and so operation time would be soon.

This alone would give Japan reassurance that they would be receiving a very advance stealth platform to counter the 'China threat'. With China test flying the J-20, and if rumour was true - they will test fly the J-16 (sometime in June or July), this 'threat' would give any opposition of the purchase less ground.

So in a way, the modernization of China's military was giving the US, Russia and maybe Europe a big business opportunity as members of Asia would start procuring more advance weaponries from them too...

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siegecrossbow said:

According to a recent interview with a PLA Officer (broadcasted on CCTV) China's J-20 will enter service in around 7-8 years but the time period could be shortened if "the situation becomes urgent". I'm not quite sure what he meant by that.

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rhino123 said:

1) Maybe the development of the J-20 had been more completed and advance than all of us had thought. And that this was not the first maiden flight.

2) The Chinese might wanted to forfeit certain tests that was normally in the procedure before reaching production.

As to what the CHinese mean about "Situation becomes urgent", might mean that the Chinese felt that their sovereignty being challenged and that the situation with any nations had deteriorate very far down. Also that potential very hostile nations are fielding more credible weaponries.

However all these situation would most likely developed into an arm race which I personally hope will never come to past.

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rhino123 said:

Well... look like the flying of the J-20 is not a bad thing for sales pitch for the US defence industries.

With the 'imagined' fear or reason, Japan might be buying the F-35, Super Hornets, etc. So China had actually indirectly help the US bring in big businesses to boast their economy

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