There May Be More Stealth Designs Coming From China

Aviation Week and Space Technology ^ | 2/3/2011 | David A. Fulghum

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

China’s J-20 stealthy prototype “is at the heavy end of the fighter scale, leaving ample room for medium and light platforms” as follow-on stealth designs to issue from Beijing’s aerospace industry, says Douglas Barrie, senior fellow at The International Institute for Strategic Studies.

These follow-on aircraft may also be the vehicles for developing more all-aspect low observability.

He notes that the J-20 appears optimized for stealth in the forward sector which would provide an advantage for beyond-visual-range air-to-air engagement or engaging surface targets with standoff weapons. The Chinese aircraft sports two lateral divertless supersonic intakes that includes a fixed-configuration bump to deal with air-flow rather than movable ramps or doors. The DSI approach is used by the F-35 and has been test-flown on China’s J-10 and may provide a radar-signature reduction benefit. Because China’s J-20 resembles MiG’s abandoned 1.42 stealth project, Barrie suggests that Moscow may have proceeded with its T-50 design after sharing the earlier MiG stealth data with China.

[WellyP]

Question...Are the ChiComs looking for our biggest reaction to indicate which design is the best?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I think the Chinese are beating their chest.

[Alpha7]

While the United States is advancing in other realms to continue moving forward in next generation technology to secure our air superiority, it is quite troubling that the Chinese new J20 program replicates technology from the JTSF program and the F117 designs.

Another reason why United States Counterintelligence really needs to get it’s act together. The wholesale theft and practical sale of state secrets is outright pathetic. I almost see why the Chinese don’t mind lending us money as all it is used for is to develop more technology that they can just steal anyway.