[Mariner]

The J-15 and J-16 both use mostly AL-31 engines purchased from Russia.

Some have popped up (all reference I can find is TWO J-16 and TWO J-15 running the WS-10A. And while that engine, if it worked, would be a good engine you have to remember very little of what it is is Chinese. They are taking a CGM56 core (the basis of the GE F-101) and bolting Russian AL-31 peripherals around it.

Problem is they average around 40hrs MTBF and 200hrs before they come apart.

After 24yrs, the Chinese "Apollo" program for an indigenous high-performance jet engine is still not ready for prime time. And that's using 1960's US and 1980's Russian technology.

No, this handful of "modern" fighter aircraft are no threat to the F-15c/e/j...even over the Yellow Sea.

And the Chinese know it. Otherwise they would come out to play when the other kids are in their neighborhood.

Their platforms are crap with decent missiles strapped to them.

Besides, what are two squadrons?

The BACKBONE of the Chinese Air Force is cheap copies of Mig-19 and Mig 21. About 3,000 of them.

The biggest threat in the region is not having enough ordinance to shoot them all down.

[Mariner]

Of note: The Chinese acquired plans for the CFM56 legally in a tech transfer in 1982, the onset of WS-10 development.

[Jeff Head]

I believe you are underestimating yotheThey do not just have a couple of squadrons of modern aircraft. We are speaking of their latest (meaning the last 3-4 years) J-15s and J-16s.

They have hundreds a hundreds of modern 4th and 4.5 generation aircraft that are not slouches, and with which they train regularly.

The missiles they have for these aircraft, more nd more of which have powerful AESA radars to guide them, along with their own AWACS...are very decent (meaning dangerous) weapons. Both BVR missiles that are approaching AMRAAM capabilities, and all-aspect IR missiles approaching our later AIM-9 capabilities.

No, it would be a tremendous mistake to underestimate them...and I have friends who are active in the US Navy, US Air Force, and the JASDF who assure me that they are not taking them lightly, or for granted...nor should they.

Here's a list of their current numbers of SU-27, SU-30, JH-7/A, J-10, J-11 and J11B, J15 and J16 aircraft:

SU-27 AIRCRAFT (Russian Built): 78 total aircraft


SU-30 AIRCRAFT (Russian built): 100 total aircraft


JH-7/A AIRCRAFT (China indigenous): 192 total aircraft


J-10 AIRCRAFT (China indigenous): 240 total aircraft


J-11 AIRCRAFT (11 is license built, 11B is Chinese indigenous): 160 total aircraft


J-15 AIRCRAFT (China indigenous): 16 total aircraft


J-16 AIRCRAFT (China indigenous): 20 total aircraft

That's a total of 728 total 4th and 4.5 generation aircraft. Nothing to sneeze at or take lightly...particularly it our own reducing numbers.

Now its true that they still have a couple of thousand vintage Russian derivative aircraft...but the Chinese have added these hundreds of aircraft basically in the last ten years...and they are not slowing down that production rate.