Chinese Stealth Fighter
J-X / J-XX / XXJ
J-12 / J-13 / J-14 / J-20
(Jianjiji - Fighter aircraft)On January 11, 2010, President Hu Jintao confirmed that the
prototype Black Silk J-20 aircraft had made its maiden flight at around
1 p.m. that day. The flight coincided with a visit to China by U.S.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The flight was reported to have
lasted 20 minutes; during which the aircraft was tailed by two J-10
fighters. Certain news accounts reported that the Chinese civilian
leadership had been caught unaware by the timing of the flight.On 29 December 2010, the right estimable China Defense Blog
published the first no-kidding photographs of the long rumored J-XX
Chinese stealth fighter. Unambiguous confirmation of the existence of
this program will require re-evaluation of aircraft modernization
efforts in a number of countried, including Taiwan, South Korea, Japan,
and the United States. Chinese combat aviation has made remarkable
strides in recent years, moving from a collection of obsolete aircraft
that would have provided a target-rich environment to potential
adversaries. Today China flies hundreds of first rate aircraft, and
even flies more Sukhoi Flankers [the aircraft the American F-22 was
designed to counter] than does Russia. The Chinese stealth fighter has
arrived right on schedule. Chinese military technology is generally
rated about two decades behind that of the United States. while the
advent of a Chinese counterpart to the F-22 fighter might be
disconcerting, the first flight of the prototype American F-22 stealth
fighter came on September 29, 1990. There is general agreement in the open literature that China is
working on some type of stealthy fighter attack aircraft, and that this
program has been underway since the turn of the century. There is very
little agreement beyond these basic points. Available treatments of
this subject in print and online seem to represent little more than a
confusing jumble of informed speculation, wild guesstimates, and active
disinformation. The Chinse government is under no obligation to set the
record straight, and indeed has every incentive to add to the general
confusion.
Russia and India are jointly developing the Sukhoi PAK FA / T-50 ,
which first flew in January 2010. In June 2001, India was offered
'joint development and production' of this new 5th generation fighter
by Russia. Russia had been trying to sell this concept both to China
and India for some time. It seems probable that China declined to
participate in this project given a belief that Russia stood to gain
more from Chinese participation than did China. That is, it would seem
that China had determined that it could produce a superior product
without Russian help. With the first flight of the Russian stealth
fighter in 2010, an arguably superior Chinese steath fighter might be
expected to take to the skies not too long thereafter.A 2006 article in Military Technology referred to three designs;
Shenyang J-12 and Shenyang J-14 by 601 Institute Shenyang Aircraft
Corporation [SAC] and Chengdu J-13 by 611 Institute Chengdu Aircraft
Corporation [CAC]. The report in Military Technology featured a picture
of a completely different design, speculatively dubbed J-14 and said to
be a Shenyang project, with the designations J-12 and J-13 being
applied to (possibly competing) designs by Shenyang and Chengdu
respectively.Shenyang Airplane Corporation (SAC) is in charge of the large,
twin-engine J-8 fighters in service with the PLAAF (People's Liberation
Army Air Force) as well as of licence production of the Su-27SK under
the local designation of J-11. The other study group is the 611
Institute from Chengdu Airplane Corporation (CAC).By January 2007 Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) and Chengdu
Aircraft Industry Co. (CAC), China’s two major fighter aircraft
enterprises, were both reportedly working on advanced fighter designs
slated to enter the PLAAF service as soon as 2015. Chengdu was focused
on an enlarged twin-engine, 4th generation stealthy version of the J-10
fighter, possibly designated J-13. Shenyang was said to be focused on
an entirely new 5th generation F-22-class stealth fighter, possibly
designated the J-12. Both projects were believed to have benefited from
Russian technologies.
Chengdu J-13 The Chinese aviation industry reportedly began preliminary research
for China’s 4th generation fighter program in the mid-1990s. The new
aircraft - tentatively dubbed the J-X and possibly to receive the
service designation J-13A - could use the WS10A turbofan engine
designed by the Shenyang Liming Motor Company during its development
and trials process. In development for more than a decade, the
WS10-series power plant completed air trials earlier this year with an
Su-27SK (NATO reporting name: 'Flanker-B') fighter. The WS10A is
scheduled for introduction with the PLAAF's J-10A fighter. Continuing
research into advanced control techniques is expected to in time allow
the air force to field WS10A-powered J-10A and J-X fighters equipped
with thrust-vectoring nozzles offering improved aircraft
manoeuvrability.
Chengdu J-20 In August 2008 it was reported that 611 Institute was selected to be
the main contractor for the development of the fifth-generation
stealthy J-20, and that 601 Institute was the sub-contractor. It was
rumored that 611 Institute has started to issue manufacturing drawings
for constructing the first prototype, which is expected to fly by 2012,
even though the full configuration one won't fly until a few years
later. The latest rumor suggested that a full-scale mock-up had been
built at CAC.
Shenyang J-12 In 1998 the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) reported that an
advanced F-22-class twin-engine stealth fighter known as J-12 was under
development at Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC). In 2002, Jane's
Defence Weekly reported that Shenyang Aircraft Corporation had been
selected to head research and development of a new fighter. In 2003 an
online photo showed a wind tunnel test fighter mockup some claimed as
linked to the J-12 project. Reports suggested that the fighter would be
fitted with an internal weapon bay and possibly active phased array
radar.Besides carrying on with the improvement of the J-8 series and the
licensed production of the Su-27, the Shenyang Aircraft Company (SAC)
601 Institute has engaged in preliminary research for the "No. 12"
project for the development of the Chinese Air Force's main fighter
aircraft for the 21st century. Also known as the "XXJ," this fifth
generation PLAAF fighter, is currently projected to enter service in
the 2013-2015 timeframe. The aircraft is projected to have a crew of
two, is anticipated to be in same class as US F-22 fighter, probably
based on significant Russian technical assistance.By 2002 there were reports that China is developing a new stealthy
fighter jet aircraft and many of the design concepts and components had
already been created. This is the first Eastern rival to the West’s
F/A-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to go into development.
[Janes -- “China Reveals New Stealth Fighter Project,” 12/11/02]. At
this time, the Russian Sukhoi Company (JSC), which had developed close
ties with Shenyang over the licensed co-production of its Su-27SK
fighter as J-11, was reported working with Shenyang in developing the
next-generation fighter technology and sub-systems. Although Russia had
not yet developed an operational stealth fighter, the J-12 project may
benefit from its technologies in two areas: thrust vectoring engine and
stealth design. China may also seek potential partners from Russia,
Israel and Europe to co-develop avionics and weapon suites for its
4th-generation fighter aircraft.By late 2002 the Shenyang Aircraft Company was reported to have been
selected to head research and development of a new heavyweight fighter
for China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Development of
the engines and weapon subsystems for the fourth-generation fighter had
been under way for some time, with a number of design concepts having
been created. These include a twin-engine aircraft sharing some design
traits with Lockheed Martin's stealthy F/A-22 multirole fighter, such
as the internal carriage of its weapon systems. The Chinese designs
retain a more conventional wing, however, and use a single vertical
tail fin. The Shenyang proposal was for a twin engine, single seat 15-tonne class
heavy fighter, similar to the US F-22 Raptor but featureing canards. At
least four different configurations were evaluted before the definitive
"New 93" layout was arrived at. Stealth technology was said to be a
prominent design feature, with an RCS of about 0.5 square metres
beening mentioned. Thrust vectoring technology was said to make the
aircraft more agile than the Su-27, in a powerplant with greater than
8000kg thrust.Considering China’s records in combat aircraft development, a project
like the J-12 may prove challenging. It will involves technology
advancement in a number of fields including materials, high-performance
aviation engine, electronics, flight control software, and stealth
technologies. A project of this scale will also require huge amount of
investment and considerable knowledge of complex project and
manufacturing management. While China may be able to benefit from some
“off-the-shelf” dual-use technologies available in the commercial
market, it will almost definitely seek assistance from its traditional
military technology suppliers such as Russia and Israel. However, none
of these two countries possess the experience of developing an advance
fighter of this class.Brigadier Govinda M. Nair wrote in 2005 that "A stealth fighter, XXJ,
equivalent to the US F-22 is likely to be inducted by 2015." According
to the PLA's Deputy Commander He Weirong, the Chinese fifth generation
fighter was expected to be in service with the PLAAF by 2017-2019. In
August 2008, a RAND study raised questions about the ability of US
tactical aircraft, including the F-22, to counter large numbers of
Chinese aircraft in a Taiwan Strait scenario. Though at that time the
F-22 was assumed to be able to shoot down 48 Chinese Flankers when
outnumbered 12:1 without loss, this did not take into account
less-than-perfect US beyond-visual-range performance, or possible
deployment of a new Chinese stealth fighter around 2020 or 2025.In a speech delivered by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates (Economic
Club of Chicago, 16 July 2009), he stated "by 2020, the United States
is projected to have nearly 2,500 manned combat aircraft of all kinds.
Of those, nearly 1,100 will be the most advanced fifth generation F-35s
and F-22s. China, by contrast, is projected to have no fifth generation
aircraft by 2020. And by 2025, the gap only widens. The U.S. will have
approximately 1,700 of the most advanced fifth generation fighters
versus a handful of comparable aircraft for the Chinese..."
Shenyang J-14 In 2006 the respected journal
Military Technology reported
["China Develops Stealth Fighter" Vol.30, Iss. 2; pg. 44, 3 pgs] that
China was developing new "stealth" fighter, under a program variously
referred to as XXJ, J-X, or J-XX by Western intelligence sources,
apparently designated as J-14. The first "picture" recently become
available, though the authenticity of the image was quickly challenged.
The aircraft in the photo looked at first sight as a complete
prototype, but was said to be a very detailed full-scale engineering
mock-up. It can be speculated that, after having been used to study the
aircraft's internal installations, the mock-up has also received an
external finish for presentation purposes. Its real function at this
point, however, was probably to assist in the definition of the
required logistic support (i.e., access to the various avionics boxes
and on-board systems, ground support equipment like the various ladders
and the external power source units, air conditioning units and so on)
as well as to study the engines' removal/installation procedures.According to this report, it is however still not clear whether the
designation of J-14 is intended to suggest a successor design to both
the J-12 and the J-13, and whether the existence of the J-14
engineering mock-up (clearly based on the J-12) indicated that the type
has been selected for development, or the competition was still going
on with parallel activities underway on another such mock-up based on
the J-13.The general configuration of the aircraft ws clearly from CAC's
experience in developing the J-10, with its canard layout and ventral
air intake. But while the J-10 is known to be related to the Israeli
LAVI, this new and much more ambitious design appeared to have a
relationship with the ill-fated Russian 5th generation fighter of the
1990s, the MiG 1.44 MFI. While the overall aerodynamic configuration of
the J-14 followed that of the MiG 1.44 demonstrator, a canard
configuration is hardly the ideal solution from the point of view of a
reduced radar signature. A radical redesign had been implemented for a
significant reduction in the radar cross-section value. In particular,
the aircraft incorporates a pronounced wing-body blending, which was
totally lacking in the original Russian design.
By early 2009 there were reports that the J-14 next generation
fighter appeared to have been rejected in favour of Chengdu's J-13
design, and to have lost out to SAC’s more realistic approach to
develop a Flanker-derived type.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/j-xx.htm