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Showing posts with label J-20 stealth fighter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J-20 stealth fighter. Show all posts

Monday 12 November 2018

China's J-20 Stealth Fighter Stuns by Brandishing Full Load of Missiles at Zhuhai Air Show

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/24841/chinas-j-20-stealth-fighter-stuns-by-brandishing-full-load-of-missiles-at-zhuhai-air-show


https://youtu.be/tNss2y__xGE

https://youtu.be/4jF0f2h2IGQ
https://youtu.be/BiCvtilvN5k
https://youtu.be/4jF0f2h2IGQ


In the last day of China's biennial air show and weapons expo in Zhuhai, a pair of the country's J-20 heavy stealth fighters added a surprise twist to their routine—they popped open their weapons bays and showed off full magazines of missiles. This is the first time such a full load of weapons has been fully exposed and the first time China has officially shown off the jet's complete internal weapons configuration in the flesh.

China’s J-20 Stealth Fighter Will Likely Look Like This At Its Air Show Debut 

What we see isn't necessarily surprising, but it is interesting nonetheless. In the main ventral bays, the J-20 is carrying four PL-15 medium-to-long-range air-to-air missiles. The type is somewhat analogous to the American AIM-120D AMRAAM. Speculation about what missile actually would hold the PL-15 designation has bounced around a lot, with very long-range missiles and those fitted with throttleable ramjets also potentially receiving the designation, but now it seems the PL-15 is indeed a dual-pulse motor and AESA equipped missile with a similar profile as its predecessor PL-12. The PL-12 is loosely analogous to the AIM-120A/B.



Chinese Internet

Note that even with their clipped fins, only four PL-15s are mounted in the J-20's bays in a similar fashion to the YF-22's missile configuration. It isn't clear exactly what the launch mechanism for these missiles is based on these photos. A staggered arrangement with six PL-15s may be possible in the future by the looks of the bays, but this depends a lot on the how the missiles are ejected from the bay itself. The F-22 uses a trapeze launcher system to chuck the missiles clear of the bay. The J-20's main weapons bays also look remarkably uncluttered, which makes one wonder if the missiles are just mounted to static hardpoints inside, but this is doubtful as what appear to be launchers have been visible in the J-20s bays for years. 



Chinese Internet

The most interesting part of this display of the J-20's lethal payload carrying abilities is the pair of PL-10s deployed on the outside of the jet's side weapons bays. This novel configuration is one of the most fascinating aspects of the J-20's design. I was one of the first to point it out and explain its utility back in early 2013, when I wrote the following:
"The F-22, a very loose analog for the J-20 (emphasize very), uses a canted trapeze that pushes the AIM-9’s seeker out into the air-stream for proper establishment of a lock before launch once the bay doors are swung open. Only once the missile has acquired a target and the pilot 'receives tone' (the AIM-9 series has an audible growl as it hunts for a heat source, once it finds one it goes from an intermittent growling sound to a solid tone, cueing the pilot to fire) the missile can be fired and only then do the launch bay doors close up.

This method increases the F-22’s radar signature dramatically while also disturbing the airflow around the jet which makes for lower performance and a rougher ride during close-in air combat maneuvering, or dogfighting. Soon, the F-22 will have the AIM-9X Block II which features lock-on after launch data-link capability. In other words, the pilot can 'acquire' a target via his or hers onboard sensors, including the hopefully forthcoming Scorpion helmet mounted display... Once the target is 'virtually locked' within the AIM-9X Block II’s engagement envelope the pilot can quickly fire the Sidewinder, with the bay doors opening and closing momentarily, and allow the data-link to transfer the acquiring secondary sensor’s info to the missile after it has left the bay in the form of a vector [to the target]. The missile will fly in this prescribed direction so that it can acquire the target itself, at which point the AIM-9X Block II becomes truly 'fire and forget.'

Once the AIM-9X Block II is integrated into the Raptor, and especially once the helmet mounted display is operational, the F-22’s side bay doors only have to briefly open to let the AIM-9X on its one-way mission. All this begs the question: If China loves copying the US when it comes to weapons systems, why not just build something similar for the J-20 when it comes to deploying its short-range air-to-air missiles?
The answer is quite simple, lock-on after launch capability is not an easy one to achieve. It is technologically complex, requires deep systems integration (software architecture permitting), and robust testing using live missiles, and thus it is expensive. China, being the resourceful and cunning folks that they are, figured out a way to employ any new or relatively archaic high-off-bore-sight short ranged air to air missile while keeping the jet’s aerodynamics relatively intact (doors closed during prolonged maneuvering while the missile hangs out on its rail) while also minimizing the impact a 'deployed missile' has the J-20’s low radar cross-section.

That is right folks, China just said "we don’t want to have to rely on LOAL capability, so why not just temporarily (as in for seconds or minutes) mount a similarly agile, but much less complex and expensive, short ranged air-to-air missile outside of the bay during times when close range combat is imminent?”

This is exactly what they did, and honestly, I think it is genius. Radar signature becomes a small factor when fighting for one’s life at close range, having a reliable missile ready to make a u-turn off the rail and subsequently turn your enemy into chaff is so important that is can be seen as a life and death requirement [especially for a big, not remarkably maneuverable fighter]. The alternative, such as the reality the F-22 has faced for the better part of a decade, is that you open the bay up for prolonged periods of time and pay a large penalty in radar cross section and [some] performance. Also, by building a relatively simple contraption, kind of similar to one of those bars that goes on your lap on a roller coaster, albeit with a missile attached, Chinese engineers simplified the launch system and also probably made it much lighter than an F-22 type design. Once again, genius.

Another point to be taken from the J-20’s short-range air-to-air missile launch mechanism revelations are that designers absolutely thought it was necessary to give this jet high-off-bore-sight close range missile capability from day one, and in a reliable and persistent nature when needed. This could be due to lack of maneuverability and/or because of its mission, which I have said for years is to break through the enemy’s (American, Taiwanese etc.) fighter cover and take out their enablers (see tankers, AEW&C, C2 and connectivity nodes). In such a case, being electronically silent is your best bet at surviving, so using infra-red passively guided missiles, which require no electronic emissions, at medium-close ranges may be your only play, at least for anything that does not put out a continuous or semi-continuous form of radiation (see AWACS or JSTARS). In that case, a passively guided anti-radiation missile may be the J-20’s weapon of choice, or a medium-long range AAM that can get within locking distance and featuring active radar or IR for terminal homing, via a traditional data-link feeding the J-20’s targeting picture to it provided by passive sensors (IRST, ESM etc).


https://youtu.be/UVG_I8Ywenw
https://youtu.be/tNss2y__xGE


Wednesday 2 November 2016

J-20 stealth fighter, Y-20 transport plane show China's advances in technology

https://youtu.be/5iWUSTPeKQA

J-20 stealth fighter makes public debut

The 11th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition -- or Airshow China – got underway on Tuesday in the southern city of Zhuhai in Guangdong Province. The event runs until November 6th. One of the highlights this year is the public debut of J-20 stealth fighter.
The latest J-20 stealth fighter jet during a demonstration flight at Air Show China in Zhuhai city, South China's Guangdong province, on Nov 1, 2016. The J-20 stealth fighter jet is said to be the third stealth fighter jet in the world to be used after the United States' F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]


China's new-generation military transport aircraft, the Y-20, sits on the tarmac in preparation for the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition 2016, which opens Tuesday in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. Photo: Cui Meng/GT
China's new-generation military transport aircraft, the Y-20, sits on the tarmac in preparation for the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition 2016, which opens Tuesday in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. Photo: Cui Meng/GT


Industry professionals and the public get a chance to see China's latest development in military and civil aircraft technology at a much-anticipated air show on Tuesday in South China.

A number of civilian aircraft and military jets, including the J-20 stealth fighter plane, will be showcased for the first time during the six-day China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition 2016, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province.

The exhibit's organizer, Zhuhai Airshow Co. Ltd, said this year's air show features over 700 domestic and foreign exhibitors from 42 countries and regions. Foreign exhibitors include those from Russia, Ukraine, France, Czech Republic and the US, and it's the first time an Austrian delegation will attend the show.

The air show has attracted eight out of 12 major Chinese national military companies (except those in the shipbuilding and nuclear industry), including the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

AVIC president Tan Ruisong told a press conference Monday that this year's exhibit marks Airshow China's 20th anniversary, so AVIC will unveil a series of "20s," including the heavy-load transport aircraft Y-20 and the J-20 stealth fighter. Probably the biggest draw at this year's air show, the J-20 will put on a flight exhibition.

Song Zongping, a Beijing-based military expert who served in the Second Artillery Corps of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) (now called the Rocket Force), told the Global Times on Monday, "Normally, a product series contains at least three to four products. We have seen the Y-20 and J-20, and in the future, we will also have the Z-20 utility helicopter and perhaps the H-20 strategic stealth bomber, although they are very unlikely to appear in this year's air show."

Previous reports said the J-20 is China's domestically built fifth-generation fighter jet, which represents the most advanced technology and combat capability of Chinese fighter jets. Currently, only the US (F-22 and F-35), China (J-20 and J-31) and Russia (T-50) have fifth generation stealth fighter jets.

The J-20's debut in Zhuhai will showcase Chinese Air Force technological strength, which has quickly been advancing, Song said.

"The J-20 will be handed to Chinese Air Force very soon," Zhang Xinguo, AVIC vice president, said at Monday's press conference..

Zhang stressed that "our research and development on the fifth generation fighter jet is based on China's strategic and defense needs," so the J-20 is very different from the US' F-22 and F-35. "Our country's strategic purpose is to defend our territory and maintain peace rather than a global strategy, and we don't require global deployment."

Zhang said "if other countries have similar strategic needs as we have, then I believe they will come to us [to purchase the J-20]."

Chinese drones

The CH-5, a China-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drone, which is a new CASC product, will also make its first public appearance. The past few years have seen the quick development of China's UAVs, Song said, "not only from State-run military companies but civilian ones as well, who also joined in the research and development."

In the past, only the US had the capability to use UAVs for targeted strikes on its enemies, but because Chinese UAVs have been exported, many countries also have this capability.

Shi Wen, the CH-5's chief engineer, told the Global Times that "the CH series UAVs are very popular in countries involved in the "One Belt and One Road" initiative. "Countries facing conflicts such as Syria and Iraq have already been using Chinese UAVs to strike terrorist strongholds," Song said.

Dozens of military and civilian UAVs will also be displayed at the air show.

Zhuhai Airshow Co. Ltd stressed that the fast developing UAV market is a result of "civilian-military integration and the peaceful use of military-industrial technology."

As the highlight of Airshow China, military aircraft from China and abroad will perform.

This year, five exhibition flight teams from China, Russia, Pakistan and the UK will perform. Russia sent two teams, and this will be the first time that the British Royal Air Force Aerobatics Team, dubbed the Red Arrows, will perform in Zhuhai.

Newspaper headline: Latest aircraft debut at air show


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