sinodefence

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Production variant CH-5 UAV made maiden flight

Production variant CH-5 UAV made maiden flight

The production variant of the CASC CH-5 (Cai Hong-5, or Rainbow 5) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) made its maiden flight successfully on 14 July from an undisclosed airfield in Hebei Province, marking the final major milestone in its development before the batch production commences. Developed by China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA, a.k.a. 11th Academy) of the China Aerospace Science &…

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The Chinese state media reported on Tuesday (11 July) the deployment of military troops and warships to the country’s first ever overseas base – officially referred to as “a naval logistics support facility” – located in Djibouti.

In a ceremony held at Zhanjiang Naval Base in the southern province of Guangdong, Admiral Shen Jinlong, Commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), read an order on setting up the base in Djibouti, and conferred military flag to the expeditionary unit.

The expeditionary unit to Djibouti consists of two naval vessels – a Type 071 (NATO reporting name: Yuzhao class) amphibious transport dock Jinggangshan (999), and a semi-submersible transport ship Donghaidao (868). The latter is similar to the U.S. Navy’s Montford Point class mobile landing platform (MLP) in concept, and can be used to transport air cushion landing craft and other small naval vessels. In additional to the sailors on the two vessels, the expeditionary unit also includes a Marine detachment of 300—400 soldiers.

Source: Xinhua

Source: Xinhua

Source: Xinhua

This is the first time the PLA officially deploys its personnel and warships to a foreign country on a permanent basis. It also marks a historical departure from the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence – a set of principles that govern China’s foreign policies since the 1950s and later formed the basis of the Non-Aligned Movement.

During the Cold War era, the Chinese government had firmly rejected the deployment of foreign military forces, including those of its then close ally the Soviet Union, on its soils, nor did not want to station its own military forces in other countries. Until 1981, China abstained from voting on peacekeeping resolutions or contributing peacekeeping funds or personnel. For the next decade, it continued to abstain on most resolutions, so as to appear neutral to all parties.

After adopting the ‘Reform and Opening Up’ policy in the 1980s, the Chinese government’s attitude towards deployment of its military to foreign countries gradually shifted. In 1992, China took part in its first UN peacekeeping mission to Cambodia. By 2015, China had committed 8,000 troops to the UN peacekeeping standby force – one fifth of its 40,000 total strength.

In 2009, the PLA Navy deployed its first task force of three surface vessels to take part in the anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia, and has maintained its presence in the region since then. However, it has been limited to play a bigger role due to a lack of foothold in the region – Chinese warships could only be resupplied in civilian ports in countries nearby.

On April 8, 2016 China’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) confirmed that construction of a naval logistics support facility had begun at Djibouti – a small country that is strategically located on the Horn of Africa. Other countries including the U.S. and Japan had already established military bases in the country. It was reported that the deal between the two countries allowed Chinese military presence in the country until 2026, with a contingent of up to 10,000 military personnel.

According to the Chinese state media, the naval base in Djibouti will be used to support PLA Navy operations in West Asia and Africa for anti-piracy, peacekeeping, humanitarian aids, evacuation of Chinese citizens, and military co-operations with foreign countries.

China deploys first expeditionary unit to Horn of Africa The Chinese state media reported on Tuesday (11 July) the deployment of military troops and warships to the country’s first ever overseas base – officially referred to as “a naval logistics support facility” – located in Djibouti.

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Liaoning conduct cross-regional training The Chinese state news agency Xinhua has released TV images of PLA Navy aircraft carrier Liaoning in a “cross-regional training”, after leaving its homeport in Qingdao about a week ago.

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PLAAF received 2nd batch of Su-35S

PLAAF received 2nd batch of Su-35S

China has received the second batch of the 24 Su-35S ‘Flanker-E’ fighters it ordered from Russia. The four Su-35S fighters in the PLAAF livery, accompanied by a Russian Il-76TD jet transport, flew from Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO) to China on Wednesday 28 June. After a short fuel stop at an air base in central China, these fighters continued to fly to their…

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1st Type 055 missile destroyer launched at Jiangnan Shipyard

1st Type 055 missile destroyer launched at Jiangnan Shipyard

The lead ship of China’s new-generation Type 055 missile destroyers was launched today (28 June) at Jiangnan Shipyard on Changxing Island, Shanghai. In a ceremony attended by General Zhang Youxia, Director of the CMC’s Equipment Development Department, the destroyer was launched from the shipyard’s dry dock, where the construction of the vessel commenced in late 2014. Next the vessel will undergo…

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PLAAF to send J-10B for ‘Aviadarts’ military aviation competition

PLAAF to send J-10B for ‘Aviadarts’ military aviation competition

The PLA Air Force (PLAAF) will send its indigenous Chengdu J-10B multirole fighters to take part in the ‘Aviadarts’ competition between July 30 and August 9, the Chinese Ministry of National Defence (MND) has confirmed. The ‘Aviadarts’ competition is an annual tactical aviation training and contest event involving the Russian Aerospace Forces as well as air forces of its close allies including…

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24th Type 054A missile frigate commissioned into service

24th Type 054A missile frigate commissioned into service

Xuchang (pennant number: 536), the 24th hull of the Type 054A missile frigate, was officially commissioned into service by the PLA Navy South Sea Fleet at Zhanjiang Naval Base on 23 June. Also known as ‘Jiangkai-II’ class in its NATO reporting name, Type 054A is the most capable frigate design in service with the PLA Navy. Its most distinctive weapon includes two 16-cell vertical launch systems…

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Xi’an MA-60H enters service with China Coast Guard

Xi’an MA-60H enters service with China Coast Guard

The first Xi’an Aircraft Industries Company (XAC) MA-60H maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) has entered service with the China Coast Guard. During a ceremony on 19 June, the MA-60 (registration number B-5002) was officially commissioned by the CCG South Sea Bureau, operating from the newly constructed Bo’ao Airport on Hainan Island. The aircraft is based on the airframe of the Xi’an MA-60…

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First introduced into the PLA Navy service in 2014, Type 052D (NATO reporting name: Luyang-III class) is the latest variant of the Type 052 family, featuring a number of changes over the previous Type 052C (Luyang-II class) variant. Designed to provide area air defence, Type 052D employs an improved flat-array AESA and a universal 64-cell VLS capable of launching a variety of missiles from the same standard missile cells. These improvements put Type 052D on a par with the latest destroyers deployed by Western navies.

Programme

Following the completion of six Type 052C hulls, Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. began to build two hulls of a new class of multirole missile destroyer. The new destroyer, designated Type 052D, is similar to the previous Type 052C in hull design, but its superstructure is slightly higher and slopes inward at a greater angle to provide further reduced radar cross-section. It also features a new active phased array radar (APAR), featuring larger radar arrays utilizing a liquid-cooling system. Type 052D also features a new single-barrel 130-mm main gun, and a HHQ-10 short-range SAM launcher on the stern.

The most significant change on Type 052D is its universal 64-cell vertical launch system (VLS). Unlike the VLS on Type 052C, which can only launch the HHQ-9 air-defence missile, the new VLS allows missiles of different types and sizes to be carried and launched from the standard missile cells. As a result, Type 052D can carry a variety of air-defence, anti-surface, and anti-submarine weapons according to its mission requirement, providing much greater flexibility and also a rapid-fire launch capability against the various hostile threats.

Type 052D is the ultimate design of the PLA Navy’s 052 family of destroyers, being constructed in a significant number to replace its ageing destroyers. Five hulls had already been commissioned into service as of January 2017, with another 12 hulls either undergoing sea trial or under construction. In addition to the Shanghai-based Jiangnan Changxing Shipyard, some of these hulls are being constructed at Dalian Shipyard in northeast China.

Universal Vertical Launch System

Two universal 32-cell (4 x 8) Dual Hot/Cold-launch VLS are located on the bow deck and amidships respectively. It is the first Chinese VLS to have been developed to to GJB 5860-2006 National Military Standard, which allows launch of missiles using either ‘Cold’ or ‘Hot’ launch method. The rectangle-shaped VLS cell is similar to the Hot-launched VLS on the Type 054A (Jiangkai-II class) missile frigate, but without the shared exhaust vents between the rows of launching tubes. Instead, it utilises a more advanced concentric canister launch (CCL) method, which was first pioneered by US Navy in the mid-1990 for Mk 41 VLS upgrade.

Missiles that can be carried and launched from Type 052D’s universal VLS include:

HHQ-9 long-range SAM;

HHQ-16 medium-range SAM;

HHQ-10 short-range SAM (four missiles in a single cell);

YJ-18 anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM);

In addition, it has been rumoured that the VLS can also carry and launch the CJ-10 land-attack cruise missile (LACM) and CY-5/Yu-8 rocket-propelled torpedo, but this claim has not been confirmed.

Short-Range Air Defence

A single 24-cell HHQ-10 short-range SAM is fitted on the stern deck atop the helicopter hangar. The missile launcher is similar to the U.S. Navy RIM-116 in arrangement. Derived from the TY-90 short-range AAM, the HQ-10 is fitted with a dual passive radar-/infrared-homing seeker and has a maximum range of 9 km. An improved variant is reportedly fitted with an independent active infrared seeker, with a maximum range of 10 km.

A seven-barrel 30-mm Type 730 CIWS is installed on the bow deck ahead of the bridge. The weapon system has a maximum rate of fire of 4,600—5,800 rounds/min and a maximum range of 3 km. Each CIWS has its own independent power-supply, as well as a Type 347G (EFR-1) fire-control radar (6 km detection range against airborne targets of RCS 0.1m2) and an electro-optic director (5—6 km tracking range).

Guns

The main gun on the bow deck is an indigenous H/PJ-38 single-barrel 130-mm gun developed by Zhengzhou Institute of Machinery and Electronics (713 Institute) and built by the Second Inner Mongolia Machinery Plant. The H/PJ-38 is modelled after (but not a direct copy of) the Russian AK-130 automatic naval gun, and can be operated in fully automatic mode from the radar control system, from the shipborne optical sighting system, or laid manually. The gun can fire 86.2 kg projectiles at a maximum rate of 70 rounds/min to a maximum range of 23 km.

Anti-Submarine Warfare

Type 052D has two triple 324-mm torpedo launchers (B.515S copy) for the Yu-7 (Mk-46 Mod 1) active/passive acoustic-homing anti-submarine torpedoes. The Yu-7 carries a 45 kg warhead and has a maximum range of 7.3 km and a maximum speed of 28 knots. The depth of search/attack is 6—400 m.

The four Type 726-4 18-barrel (3×6 arrangement) chaff/decoy launchers on the aft deck can also be used to fire ASW rockets if necessary.

Phased Array Radar

Type 052D is fitted with the improved H/LJG346A (Type 346A, NATO reporting name: ‘Dragon Eye’) multifunctional active phased array radar (APAR) system developed by Nanjing Research Institute of Electronic Technology (CETC 14 Institute). Each rectangle-shaped radar array consists of several thousands of S-band transceiver modules for long-range air search and a C-band module for HQ-9 SAM targeting.

Compared with the Type 346 APAR on Type 052C, the new radar features four larger radar arrays, presumably housing more radar transceivers. The curving radar arrays resulted by the need for air circulation on the earlier APAR on Type 052C have been replaced by flat arrays, suggesting the adoption of a liquid cooling system instead of the mixed air and liquid cooling system on earlier APAR on board Type 052C.

Other Sensors

Other sensors onboard Type 052D include:

Type 517H-1 (NATO reporting name: ‘Knife Rest’) long-range 2D air search radar;

Russian MR331 Mineral-ME (NATO reporting name: ‘Band Stand’) for AShM fire-control;

Indigenous Type 344 (MR34) radar for main gun fire-control;

Indigenous Type 364 (SR64) surface search radar;

Indigenous Type 347G (EFR-1, NATO reporting name: ‘Rice Lamp’) fire-control radar for the Type 730 CIWS;

A hull-mounted H/SJD-9 medium-frequency sonar for active/passive search and attack.

Aviation

The destroyer’s stern hangar accommodates one Kamov Ka-28 (NATO codename: Helix) antisubmarine warfare (ASW) helicopter. Carrying various weapons including torpedoes and deep charges, the helicopter can operate in all weather conditions up to 200 km from the host ship. Alternatively, the destroyer can carry an indigenous Z-9C helicopter.

Propulsion

The propulsion is in the form of CODOG, consisting of two Ukraine-made DA80/DN80 (or their Chinese licensed copies) gas turbines each rated at 32,600 hp (24 MW) and two Shaanxi diesels (Chinese copy of the MTU 20V956TB92) each rated at 8,840hp (6.5 MW), giving a maximum speed of 29 knots.

Specifications

Displacement:......6,900 t (full load) Length:............N/A Beam:..............N/A Draft:.............N/A Speed..............29 knots Range:.............N/A Crew:..............280

Ship List

Name No. Builder Fleet Launch Comm Decomm Kunming 172 Jiangnan Changxing South Sea 30 Aug 2012 21 Mar 2014 – Changsha 173 Jiangnan Changxing South Sea 19 Dec 2012 12 Aug 2015 – Hefei 174 Jiangnan Changxing South Sea 1 Jul 2013 12 Dec 2015 – Yinchuan 175 Jiangnan Changxing South Sea 28 Mar 2014 12 Jul 2016 – Xining 117 Jiangnan Changxing North Sea 26 Aug 2014 22 Jan 2017 – Urumqi 118 Jiangnan Changxing North Sea 30 Dec 2014 Jun 2017? – Xiamen 154 Jiangnan Changxing East Sea 7 Jul 2015 2017 – Guiyang 119 Dalian North Sea 28 Nov 2015 2018 – Nanjing 155 Jiangnan Changxing East Sea 28 Dec 2015 2018 – ? 156 Jiangnan Changxing East Sea 14 Jun 2016 2018 – Chengdu 120 Dalian North Sea 3 Aug 2016 2019 – Nanning 157 Jiangnan Changxing East Sea 26 Dec 2016 2019 –

Type 052D Luyang-III Class First introduced into the PLA Navy service in 2014, Type 052D (NATO reporting name: Luyang-III class) is the latest variant of the Type 052 family, featuring a number of changes over the previous…

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Nicknamed ‘Chinese Aegis’, the Type 052C (NATO reporting name: Luyang-II class) destroyers were the first truly multirole and highly capable, modern indigenous destroyers introduced by the PLA Navy. With a multifunctional active phased array radar, 48 VLS-launched SAM, and eight long-range anti-ship cruise missile (ASCMs), the destroyers are believed to be comparable in general performance and capability to the U.S. Arleigh Burke class and Japanese Kongo class DDG.

Programme

The PLA Navy began to develop the concept of an air defence guided missile destroyer as the follow-on of Type 052 Luhu class in the early 1990s. However, delays in the development of the HHQ-9 SAM and phased array 3D air search radar led to Type 052B (Luyang class) being incorporated with Russian-built SAM and air search radar systems as a stopgap. The indigenous HHQ-9 SAM and Type 346 phased array radar finally became available in the early 2000s, and were incorporated onto the improved Type 052C destroyer.

Shanghai-based Jiangnan Shipyard began to build the Type 052C air defence missile destroyer in late 2002. The destroyer shared the same hull design as its predecessor Type 052B, but was fitted with completely indigenous weapon systems and sensors. The first-of-class DDG-170 Lanzhou was laid down in late 2002 and launched on 29 April 2003. Sea trial began in late 2003 and the destroyer was commissioned in July 2004. The second hull, DDG-171 Haikou was launched on 30 October 2003 and was commissioned in 2005. Both vessels are deployed by the PLA Navy South Sea Fleet.

For the next few years the Type 052C production halted as Jiangnan Shipyard relocated its operation from its original location south of central Shanghai to a new site on Changxing Island, in the mouth of the Yangtze River to the north of urban China. The third-of-class, DDG-150 Changchun, was launched in October 2010. Within the next three years, three more hulls were launched before the production finally stopped and was succeeded by the improved Type 052D (Luyang-III class) destroyer. The second batch of four hulls have been deployed by the PLA Navy East Sea Fleet.

Type 052C represented a significant development in China’s effort to produce a ‘blue-water’ navy capable of operating in deep waters of open oceans. It was also the first destroyer to have been build in a large number since the 1980s, ending the PLA Navy’s prolonged period of building different destroyer classes in small quantities to experiment with the various designs and technologies. The destroyers were designed primarily to fit the fleet air defence role with their powerful air-defence missiles and active phased array radar, but also possess decent anti-ship and anti-submarine capabilities.

Type 052’s size and displacement were limited by its two underpowered Ukrainian DA80 gas turbines, each rated at 32,600 hp (24 MW), in comparison with the four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines each generating 26,250 hp (20 MW) on the Arleigh Burke class. This in turn limits the height of the bridge to avoid overturning the vessel, which means that the four air search radar arrays could not be fitted at an ideal height in order to maximise their performance. To minimise the impact on the functioning of the radar as a result of the height limit, a gap had to be added on the bulwarks on both sides of the vessel.

Missiles

A total of 48 indigenous HHQ-9 air defence missiles are housed in eight 6-cell vertical launch systems (VLS). Unlike the Russian-style revolver VLS, Type 052C’s VLS is fixed with each launch cell having its own lid. The missile system utilises a ‘cold launch’ method, with the missile first ejected from the launch tube, and then igniting its rocket engine at low altitude. This launch method avoids the complex flame and gas exhausting pipes on the Western-style ‘hot launch’ VLS, and also decreases damage to the ship structure caused by the rocket motor blast.

The HHQ-9 is the naval variant of the land-based HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system developed in the 1990s. The missile may have adopted some Russian S-300 rocket motor and control technologies, with a “Track via Missile” (TVM) guidance system developed from the U.S. Patriot missile technology. The missile is housed inside a cylinder shape container, which is placed inside the VLS, and is guided by the destroyer’s H/LJG346 (Type 346) phased array search and targeting radar.

The destroyer is armed with eight YJ-62 (C-602) ASCMs carried inside a cylinder-shape launcher (two 4-cell launchers at the mid-ship). The missiles are guided by the Mineral-ME (NATO reporting name: ‘Band Stand’) radar (or its Chinese copy Type 366) installed on top of the bridge and a ‘Light Bulb’ datalink forward of the hanger. The YJ-62 uses strap-down inertial guidance coupled with GPS, and active radar for the terminal phase. The missile has a stated range of 280 km, with the missile flying at an altitude of 30 m during the cruise phase of an engagement. In the terminal phase, the missile descends 7—10 m. The active radar seeker has an acquisition range of up to 40 km.

Guns

The main gun on the bow deck is an indigenous H/PJ-87 single-barrel 100-mm gun developed by 713 Institute. Resembling the French Creusot-Loire T100C in design, the gun can be used against both surface targets and air targets such as aircraft and low speed missile, with a maximum rate of fire of 90 rounds/min. The gun can be operated in fully automatic mode from the radar control system, from the shipborne optical sighting system, or laid manually.

For short-range air defence, the destroyer is equipped with two (one front, one rear) seven-barrel 30-mm Type 730 CIWS. The weapon system has a maximum rate of fire of 4,600—5,800 rounds/min and a maximum range of 3 km. Each CIWS has its own independent power-supply, as well as a Type 347G (EFR-1) fire-control radar (6 km detection range against airborne targets of RCS 0.1m2) and an electro-optic director (5—6 km tracking range).

Anti-Submarine Warfare

Type 052C has two triple 324-mm torpedo launchers (B.515S copy) for the Yu-7 (Mk-46 Mod 1) active/passive acoustic-homing anti-submarine torpedoes. The Yu-7 carries a 45 kg warhead and has a maximum range of 7.3 km and a maximum speed of 28 knots. The depth of search/attack is 6—400 m.

The four Type 726-4 18-barrel (3×6 arrangement) chaff/decoy launchers on the aft deck can also be used to fire ASW rockets if necessary.

Command and Control

A destroyer’s overall air defence, surface strike, and antisubmarine warfare (ASW) capabilities will largely depend on how well different weapon systems and sensors are integrated together by the combat system. Most previous Chinese warships use the command and control system derived from the French Thomson-CSF TAVITAC, but Type 052C is equipped with a newly developed system with improved processing power to engage anti-ship missile threats.

Although the detailed information on the combat system of the Type 052C is unknown, it is likely that the system will comprise the multifunction phased array radar system, command and decision system, battlefield display system, and weapon control system. The command and decision system receives data from ship sensors and provides command, control and threat assessment. The weapon control system receives engagement instruction from the command and decision system, selects weapons and interfaces with the weapon fire control systems.

In together with its long-range air defence missile and close-in weapon system (CIWS), Type 052C is the first Chinese-made surface combatant with a true fleet air defence capability. The combat system will ensure that the ship can engage multiple air targets such as sea-skimming missile and aircraft simultaneously. The ship might also be able to transmit combat information to other ships and aircraft via datalink and satellite communications to form a maritime combat network.

Phased Array Radar

Type 052C is fitted with the H/LJG346 (Type 346, NATO reporting name: ‘Dragon Eye’) multifunctional radar system developed by Nanjing Research Institute of Electronic Technology (CETC 14 Institute). The concept of the radar was first conceived in 1989 but its engineering development only began in 1995 after being chosen by the PLA Navy as the preferred air search radar for its air defence destroyer.

The radar features four large active phased array radar (APAR) arrays installed on the destroyer’s bridge, each consisting of 5,000 S-band transceiver modules and a C-band SAM guidance module, housed inside rectangle-shaped module. The radar module employs an air-cooling system, with the module cover in a curved shape to allow sufficient airflow in the central part of the module where the most heat is generated by the radar transceivers.

Other Sensors

Other sensors onboard Type 052C include:

Type 517H-1 (NATO reporting name: ‘Knife Rest’) long-range 2D air search radar;

Russian MR331 Mineral-ME (NATO reporting name: ‘Band Stand’) for AShM fire-control;

Indigenous Type 344 (MR34) radar for main gun fire-control;

Indigenous Type 364 (SR64) surface search radar;

Two Type 347G (EFR-1, NATO reporting name: ‘Rice Lamp’) fire-control radar for the Type 730 CIWS;

A hull-mounted H/SJD-9 medium-frequency sonar for active/passive search and attack.

Aviation

The destroyer’s stern hangar accommodates one Kamov Ka-28 (NATO codename: Helix) antisubmarine warfare (ASW) helicopter. Carrying various weapons including torpedoes and deep charges, the helicopter can operate in all weather conditions up to 200 km from the host ship. Alternatively, the destroyer can carry an indigenous Z-9C helicopter.

Propulsion

Type 052C’s propulsion is in the form of CODOG, consisting of two Ukraine-made DA80/DN80 gas turbines each rated at 32,600 hp (24 MW) and two Shaanxi diesels (Chinese copy of the MTU 20V956TB92) each rated at 8,840hp (6.5 MW), giving a maximum speed of 29 knots.

Specifications

Displacement:......6,600 t (full load) Length:............155.5 m Beam:..............17.2 m Draft:.............6.1 m Speed..............29 knots Range:.............N/A Crew:..............280

Ship List

Name No. Builder Fleet Launch Comm Decomm Lanzhou 170 Jiangnan South Sea 29 April 2003 Sep 2005 – Haikou 171 Jiangnan South Sea 30 Oct 2003 Dec 2005 – Changchun 150 Jiangnan Changxing East Sea 28 Oct 2010 31 Jan 2013 – Zhengzhou 151 Jiangnan Changxing East Sea 25 Jun 2011 22 Dec 2014 – Jinan 152 Jiangnan Changxing East Sea Dec 2011 22 Dec 2014 – Xi’an 153 Jiangnan Changxing East Sea 16 Jun 2012 9 Feb 2015 –

Type 052C Luyang-II Class Nicknamed ‘Chinese Aegis’, the Type 052C (NATO reporting name: Luyang-II class) destroyers were the first truly multirole and highly capable, modern indigenous destroyers introduced by the PLA Navy.

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Harbin Z-19E makes maiden flight targeting export market

Harbin Z-19E makes maiden flight targeting export market

The Z-19E, an export version of the Chinese indigenous Z-19 helicopter gunship, completed its maiden flight in the north-eastern city of Harbin on Thursday 18 May. The basic variant Z-19, designed and built by AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industrial Group (HAIG), has already been serving with the PLA Army Aviation Corps since 2011. The concept of the E variant for the export market was first unveiled in…

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PLAAF Su-30 fighters intercept USAF nuclear sniffing plane

PLAAF Su-30 fighters intercept USAF nuclear sniffing plane

Two PLA Air Force (PLAAF) Su-30MKK Flanker-G fighters conducted an “unprofessional” intercept of a U.S. Air Force WC-135C Constant Phoenix radiation detection aircraft over the East China Sea on Wednesday 17 May, according to a report by CNN. A US official told CNN the Chinese fighter jets came within 150 feet (45.72 metres) of the WC-135C. One of the Su-30MKK plane even flew inverted directly…

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PLA designation: J-10 Export designation: FC-20 Type: Multirole fighter Designer: Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute (611 Institute) Manufacturer: Chengdu Aircraft Industry (Group) Corporation Ltd. (CAC) Maiden flight: 22 March 1998 Operators: PLA Air Fore, PLA Naval Air Force

The J-10 is a multirole, all-weather fighter aircraft designed by Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute (611 Institute) and built by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC), both subsidiaries of the Aviation Industry of China (AVIC) consortium. Having been operational with the PLA since 2003, the aircraft is available in the single-seat fighter variant (J-10A/B/C) and two-seater fighter-trainer variant (J-10S).

Programme

The programme to develop the J-10, known as Project 8610, started in the mid-1980s. The aircraft was originally intended to be a high-performance air-superiority fighter to counter the then emerging fourth-generation fighters such as F-16 and MiG-29, but the end of the Cold War and changing requirements shifted the development towards a multirole fighter with both air-to-air and ground attack mission capabilities.

The development of the J-10 has benefited from the cancelled Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) Lavi lightweight fighter project, including the aerodynamic design and the “fly-by-wire” flight control software. The aircraft was originally scheduled to be powered by a Western jet engine, but the arms embargo imposed by the United States and the EU in 1989 forced China to turn to Russia for assistance. As a result, the fuselage of the J-10 underwent some redesign in order to accommodate the larger Russian Saturn AL-31F engine.

The J-10 first flew on 22 March 1998 and was certified for design finalisation in early 2004. The aircraft entered operational service with the PLA in 2003, with the PLAAF 44th Air Division / 131st Fighter Regiment in Luliang Air Base, Yuannan Province becoming the first operational J-10 unit. The two-seater J-10S first flew in December 2003 and was certified in 2005. The initial batch of 100 examples in both single-seat and two-seater variants were delivered to the PLAAF and PANAF between 2004 and 2006.

The improved J-10B single-seat fighter made its maiden flight in December 2008 and delivery of the aircraft reportedly began in 2014. The aircraft was first unveiled to the public during the 2016 Zhuhai Air Show. This further improved single-seat fighter variant designated J-10C first flew in December 2013 and was undergoing operational test and evaluation with the PLAAF as of the end of 2016. The J-10 has also been marketed by CAC/AVIC to foreign customers under the designation FC-20. However, but has not secured any order despite numerous speculations about potential buyers.

Variants

J-10

The basic variant J-10 is equipped with an indigenous Type 1473 fire-control radar featuring a mechanically slewed planar array antenna, capable of tracking 10 targets and engaging 2 (using semi-active radar-homing AAM) or 4 (using active radar-homing AAM) of them simultaneously. The cockpit of the J-10 features a “Hands On Throttle And Stick” (HOTAS) controls that enable operation of weapon systems while hands remain on these critical aircraft controls. There is one coloured and two monochrome liquid crystal multifunctional display (MFD) and a wide field of view head-up display (HUD). In addition, the aircraft could also use the indigenous helmet-mounted sight (HMS).

The aircraft is equipped with an internally-mounted Type 23-3 twin-barrel 23mm cannon, located on the port side of the front landing gear. The aircraft has 11 external stores stations for weapon carriage: three under each wing and five under the fuselage. Air-to-air weapons include the PL-11 semi-active radar-homing medium-range air-to-air missile, PL-12 (SD-10) active radar-homing medium-range air-to-air missile, and PL-8 IR-homing short-range air-to-air missile. For ground attack missions, the aircraft can carry 250 kg conventional low-drag general-purpose bombs or laser-guided bombs. A laser targeting pod can be carried under the fuselage for target designation.

The J-10 is powered by a single Russian Saturn AL-31FN turbofan engine rated at 79.43 kN dry and 122.58 kN with afterburning. The aircraft has an empty weight of 8,300 kg and weighs 13,200 kg in a typical air-to-air combat configuration, or 18,000 kg in maximum take-off configuration. The internal fuel capacity is 4,500 kg and the maximum external weapon load is 6,600 kg. The aircraft can achieve a maximum speed of Mach 2.2 at high altitude or Mach 1.2 at sea-level, with a service ceiling of 18,000 m. The combat radius is 800 km (with three drop tanks and without in-flight refuelling). The J-10 can be fitted with a fixed refuelling probe, which extends the aircraft’s combat radius to 1,100 km.

J-10S

The two-seater fighter-trainer variant J-10S is identical to the single-seater variant in performance and avionic configuration, but has its forward fuselage stretched to accommodate a second pilot seat. Two pilots sit in tandem in the two-seat cockpit with one single large bubble canopy. An enlarged dorsal spine accommodates additional avionic for the second pilot. The aircraft can be used for pilot training or as a standard fighter.

 J-10B

The improved J-10B single-seat fighter began flight test in December 2008. The most distinctive feature of this variant is its chin-mounted diffuser supersonic inlet (DSI), which employs a one-piece bump at the top of the inlet replacing the movable ramp. This eliminates all moving parts on the inlet, lightening the overall weight and reducing the aircraft’s radar signature.

The J-10B has been added with an electronic-optic targeting system (EOTS). Placed forward of the cockpit canopy to the right, the system comprises an infrared search and track (IRST) sensor and a laser rangefinder, which can detect enemy targets passively without requiring to turn on the fire-control radar, thus reducing the chance of the aircraft being detected.

The aircraft has also been upgraded with an improved suite of avionics, including an indigenous passive electronically scanned array (PESA) fire-control radar, capable of engaging 4 targets simultaneously. The upper edge of the aircraft’s tailfin is curved, in contrast to the straight-edged tailfin of the J-10. A large fairing is added to the tip of the tailfin to accommodate electronic warfare and countermeasures (EW/ECM) equipment. There are also four black electronic countermeasures (ECM) antenna arrays attached externally to the fuselage, a larger one on either side of the cockpit and a smaller one on either side of the rear fuselage near the engine nozzle.

As well as the weapons equipped by the basic variant, the J-10B is capable of firing the new-generation PL-10 IR-homing SRAAM and PL-15 active radar-homing MRAAM.

J-10C

The latest addition to the J-10 family is the J-10C single-seat fighter, which made first flight in December 2013. This variant is almost identical to the previous B variant in appearance, but features an indigenous active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire-control radar. The aircraft was undergoing operational test and evaluation with the PLAAF as of the end of 2016.

Design

Aerodynamics

The J-10 features a “tailless delta-canard” aerodynamic design, with the horizontal control surfaces becoming a canard in front of the wing. When the aircraft pitches up, instead of forcing the tail down decreasing overall lift, the canard lifts the nose, increasing the overall lift. Because the canard is picking up the fresh air stream instead of the wake behind the main wing, the aircraft can achieve better control authority with a smaller-size control surface, thus resulting in less drag and less weight.

The tailless delta-canard configuration is inherently aerodynamically unstable, which provides a high level of agility, particularly at supersonic speeds. However, this requires a sophisticated computerised control system, or “fly-by-wire” (FBW), to provide artificial stabilisation and gust elevation to give good control characteristics throughout the flight envelope. The J-10 uses a digital quadruplex (four-channel) FBW system. The onboard flight control computer ‘flies’ the aircraft for the pilot, providing automatic flight coordination and keeping the aircraft from entering potentially dangerous situations such as unintentional slops or skids. This therefore frees the pilot to concentrate on his intended tasks during the combat.

The aircraft employs an adjustable, chin-mounted air intake that supplies air to the engine. On the basic model the upper portion of the air intake is incorporated with an intake ramp designed to generate a rearward leaning oblique shock wave to aid the inlet compression process. The ramp sits at an acute angle to deflect the intake air stream from the longitudinal direction. This design created a gap between the air intake and the forward fuselage, and requires six small beams to enhance the structure for high-speed flight. On the later B and C models, this air intake design has been replaced by a diffuser supersonic inlet (DSI) with no moving part.

The pilot sits in the cockpit located above the air intake and in front of the canard. The two-piece bubble canopy gives the pilot great vision at all directions, a vital feature during air-to-air combat. On the two-seater fighter-trainer variant J-10S,  the two pilots sit in tandem in the two-seat cockpit with one single large bubble canopy. An enlarged dorsal spine accommodates additional avionic for the second pilot.

Avionics

The basic variant J-10 is equipped with an indigenous Type 1473H fire-control radar featuring a mechanically slewed planar array antenna, capable of tracking 10 targets and engaging 2 (using semi-active radar-homing AAM) or 4 (using active radar-homing AAM) of them simultaneously. Possibly based on Russian or Israeli technologies, the radar is believed to be comparable to the early 1990s-era Western fighter radar designs. Alternatively, the J-10 could be fitted with the Russian Phazotron Zhuk-10PD or Zhemchug, the Chinese JL-10A, the Israeli IAI Elta EL/M-2023, or the Italian Galileo Avionica Grifo 2000.

The cockpit of the J-10 features a “Hands On Throttle And Stick” (HOTAS) controls that enable operation of weapon systems while hands remain on these critical aircraft controls. There is one colour and two monochrome liquid crystal multifunctional display (MFD) that allow pilot to view flight data, weapon status, and target information by pressing a button; a wide field of view head-up display (HUD) that displays flight data and target information in front of the pilot. The aircraft could also use the indigenous helmet-mounted sight (HMS) that enables fast reaction in air-to-air combat.

Other avionics include:

Infra-red search and track pod;

BM/KG300G self-protection jamming pod;

KZ900 electronic reconnaissance pod;

Blue Sky navigation/attack pod;

FILAT (Forward-looking Infra-red Laser Attack Targeting) pod;

Armaments

Fixed armaments of the J-10 include an internally-mounted Type 23-3 twin-barrel 23mm cannon, located on the port side of the front landing gear. The aircraft has 11 external stores stations for weapon carriage, three under each wing and five under the fuselage. The centreline under-fuselage station and the two inbound wing stations are pumped to carry drop tanks, with a 800-litre tank for the centreline station and a 1,700-litre tanks for each of the wing stations. The two under-fuselage stations at front (under air intake) could be used to carry various targeting or navigation pods for operations at night and in complex weather conditions.

Engine

The J-10 is powered by a single AL-31F turbofan engine, built by Moscow-based Salyut Machine Building Enterprise (now NPO Saturn). The AL-31F is a high-performance jet engine originally developed for the Su-27, Su-30MK and Su-33 fighters and the Su-34 bomber. The version used by the J-10 is the AL-31FN, a modified variant specially tailored for the J-10. In order to fit the engine into the J-10 airframe, Russia engine supplier made necessary modifications on the AL-31F, including relocating the accessory gearbox to be mounted beneath the engine. The development of the AL-31FN was completed in 2000. The AL-31FN is rated at 76.2 kN (7,770 kg, 17,130 lb) dry and 122.55 kN (12,500 kg, 27,557 lb) with afterburning.

Salyut has also developed an improved version of the AL-31FN, featuring a fully variable, all-aspect thrust vector control (TVC) nozzle and an increased afterburning thrust of 124.54kN (12,700kg, 27,998lb), but this was not adopted on the J-10 or its improved variants. Instead, the Chinese aviation industry is hoping to replace the Russian engine with the indigenous WS-10A ‘Taihang’, which was developed from the AL-31F technology. The WS-10A development was said to have completed in 2005 but was not fully successful. As a result, subsequent J-10 productions continued to rely on the Russian engine.

Specifications (J-10)

Crew: One (J-10); Two (J-10S) Length: 15.49 m Wingspan: 9.75 m Wing area: 39 m2 Height: 5.43 m Empty weight: 9,750 kg Loaded weight: 12,400 kg Take-off weight: (normal) N/A; (maximum) 19,277 kg Fuel capacity: N/A In-flight refuelling: Yes, with a fixed probe Weapon payload: N/A Powerplant: 1x Saturn AL-31FN, rated at 76.2 kN (7,770 kg, 17,130 lb) dry and 122.55 kN (12,500 kg, 27,557 lb) with afterburning Max level speed: Mach 2.2 (high altitude); Mach 1.2 (sea-level) Max climb rate: N/A Service ceiling: 18,000 m Ferry range: 1,850 km Combat radius: 550 km G limit: -3 to +9 Fixed weapon: Type 23-3 twin-barrel 23 mm cannon External hardpoints: Eleven (5 under the fuselage centerline; 6 under the wings) AAM: PL-8, PL-9, PL-11, PL-12 Air-to-surface: YJ-9K ARM, LT-2 LGB, LS-6 PGB, 90-mm rocket pods, 250/500-kg free-fall bombs

Chengdu J-10 PLA designation: J-10 Export designation: FC-20 Type: Multirole fighter Designer:

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