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Showing posts with the label J-31 combat aircraft

China’s J-35 Carrier Fighter Appears; Step To ‘Most Powerful Navy' (Credits- Military TV)

Russia's PAK FA Stealth Fighter: The US Air Force's Worst Nightmare? ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Robert Farley)

Sukhoi PAK FA ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Rulexip) Source- The National Interest Author- Robert Farley The PAK FA has played the bugbear for Western air forces for nearly a decade, the terrifying Russian jet that will eat F-35s for breakfast. American aviation analysts in search of something, anything that might threaten U.S. air dominance settled on the PAK FA, a frankly evil looking jet that bore a very mild resemblance to the MiG-31 “Firefox” that Clint Eastwood made famous. Say what you will about the F-35, but Lockheed Martin has actually built and delivered one hundred and seventy one aircraft thus far.  The Russian Air Force, meanwhile, has yet to receive its first PAK FA.  In lieu of the PAK FA, Russia has continued to acquire generation 4.5 fighters (mostly of the Flanker family) as well as upgrading generation 4 fighters (including various Flankers, the MiG-29 Fulcrum, and the MiG-31 Foxhound). Sukhoi will likely never build the number of fighters

Who Will Win Asia's Fifth-Generation Fighter Race? ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Benjamin David Baker)

Chengdu J-20 ( Image credits- Xinhua) Source- The Diplomat Author- Benjamin David Baker Tensions are rising high throughout the Asia-Pacific. From the Indo-Pakistani border, through Australia’s controversial border policies to China’s disputes with its neighbors in the South and East China Seas, Asian states have been increasing investments in their military capabilities. In all these cases, having forceful and credible aerial assets is a crucial part of deterrence. This is reflected in regional defense spending. Meanwhile, the world is facing a generational shift in military aircraft. Since the final decade of the Cold War, the skies have been dominated by so-called “fourth-generation” combat aircraft: supersonic jets with increasingly sophisticated electronic capabilities, equipped with weaponry able to engage the enemy over several kilometers distance. These still make up the backbone of basically every modern air force around the world. However, several states

Get Ready, America: China is Trying to Sell Its Lethal J-31 Stealth Fighter ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Dave Majumdar)

Shenyang J-31 ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / WC) Source- The National Interest Author- Dave Majumdar Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is making an aggressive push to sell its J-31 stealth fighter to international customers at the Dubai airshow. AVIC intends to fly a production version of its “Gyrfalcon” by 2019. The aircraft could become operational as early as 2022. Full operational capability would follow roughly three years later—but that’s all contingent upon finding a customer. But the Chinese company faces obstacles in its quest to export the twin-engine F-35 knock-off. The problem is that China is still largely dependent on Russian jet engine technology because it has consistently failed to develop reliable indigenous propulsion technology of its own. “Engines are still a problem area for China's industry,” aerospace industry consultant Richard Aboulafia of the Virginia-based Teal Group told me.  “So much of an aircraft's performa

China's Super Weapons: Beware the J-20 and J-31 Stealth Fighters ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Ryan Henseler)

Shenyang J-31 ( Source- Wikimedia Commons / Author-  Source- The National Interest Author- Ryan Henseler Throughout its history, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has lagged behind the aerial programs of other world powers such as the United States. Now, the PRC has set its sights on producing indigenously designed “fifth generation” fighter jets comparable to the US F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. Many U.S. officials and pilots suspect that the Chinese have been using hacked U.S. technology to aid their indigenous development programs. The PRC is also leveraging additive manufacturing technology (better known as 3D-printing) in order to increase speed and efficiency in manufacturing aircrafts and compete with the U.S. The J-20 Black Eagle could be fully operational by 2018, and a second model, the J-31 Gyrfalcon, by 2020. If true, China’s new generation of fighters could have a substantial impact on its ability to e

China vs. America in the Sky: A Stealth-Fighter Showdown Is Brewing ( Source- The National Interest, Author- Dave Majumdar)

J-20 combat Aircraft ( Image source- Wikimedia commons/ Credits- Alexandr Chechin) Source- The National Interest Author- Dave Majumdar China’s new stealth fighters might one day be able to match their American equivalents in battle, Pentagon and industry officials fear. Indeed, China is showing off its latest Shenyang J-31 stealth fighter at the Zhuhai air show in the Guangdong province. To meet the challenge, the Pentagon needs to continue to buy the F-35 and start developing a future fighter to counter the rising threat. “The J-31—along with the J-20 [the other Chinese stealth fighter]—is a tangible demonstration of the efforts made by China to counter the significant advantage the U.S. has with the [Lockheed Martin] F-22 and F-35,” said one senior U.S. military official with extensive experience with so-called fifth-generation fighters. “They recognize that fourth-gen airplanes [like the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, Russian Su-27 and so on] are quickly becoming obsolete. Th

China's Selling the J-31, But Who's Buying? ( Source- The Diplomat, Author- Robert Farley)

J-31 ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons) Source- The Diplomat Author- Robert Farley Who’s  going to buy  the J-31? The recent appearance of the aircraft at the Zhuhai airshow, as well as the comments of a smattering of Chinese officials,  led to a spate of articles  suggesting that China was interested in the J-31 primarily  as an export model . Conceivably, the J-31 could occupy a low-end stealth fighter niche that currently has no other entrants. Some have billed the J-31 as China’s answer to the F-35, as if that represented some sort of compliment. It’s hardly a stretch to suggest Pakistan would be a  major customer, and perhaps Egypt  as well.  Beyond that?  The United States can offer the F-35 to a wide range of European and Asian countries, all of which have strong economies, big defense budgets, an appetite for high tech, and an interest in cementing the long-term technological and political relationship with the United States. Beijing doesn’t have the kind o