The J-10
Posted on 09/02/2009 7:07:52 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
China Puts Up a Fighter
Beijing's fifth-generation military challenge to the U.S.
By RICHARD D. FISHER JR.
ZHUKOVSKY, Russia—With few exceptions, Beijing rarely says much of substance about its ongoing military build-up or its strategic thinking. But the overriding message from the recent Moscow Airshow and other airshows, plus occasional interviews with Chinese and Russian engineers, is that Beijing is not conceding next-generation air superiority to anyone, least of all the United States.
Exhibit A is Beijing's long-running effort to build a fifth-generation fighter plane equivalent to the U.S. F-22 and F-35. Such planes use extensive stealth and advanced radar and can usually "supercruise," or fly supersonically for extended periods without using fuel-guzzling afterburners. In what may be the only public reference to the program by a Chinese official, the Commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy mentioned their requirement for a fighter capable of "supersonic cruise" during 60th anniversary celebrations in April. Today this can only be achieved by the U.S. F-22A Raptor, the world's only operational fifth-generation fighter.
To be sure, China faces many technical obstacles. Development of advanced engines capable of 15-ton thrust levels is a particularly serious bottleneck. But China's fifth-generation efforts date back to the early 1990s and will start with two heavy fighters from China's two main fighter companies. A Chinese source told me in early 2005 that the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, famous for developing the fourth-generation J-10 fighter, was considering the development of a medium-weight fifth-generation plane comparable to the F-35. This could mean that Chengdu's fighter will be built in vertical take-off and aircraft carrier versions. In 2006, the competing Shenyang Aircraft Corporation revealed a concept for a single-engine forward-swept-wing fighter that would be highly maneuverable and potentially stealthy. It seems the PLA envisions two levels to its program:
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
The J-10
pOs’s plan is to have everybody supercede us in any way possible.
way to funny
thanks for posting....
We seems to think that Air Superiority is our G-d given right. Its not—it has to be protected through technological innovation and PRODUCTION of aircraft once those innovations are made. We have a generation of politicians and their Yes-men military leaders who think we can replace fighters with UAVs. This is wishful thinking but is accepted by much of the DOD Acquisition community as fact. Worse yet, this is not something you can crank out on a dime. The F-22 took 20+ years to get into the field. It was a tremendous investment, but we produced less than 200 before shutting down the production line. That was madness.
One day we will be forced into a showdown with China and will be outclassed and outgunned.
The Joint Chiefs need to realize that defense and the military are pretty much meaningless if you have an islamo usurper in the white hut. Hopefully Judge Carter understands this.
Nice target.............
That looks like the least ‘potentially stealthy’ plane on the planet.
Eurofighter Typhoon
Coincidental engineering?
Unfortunately if this RAT regime is anything like the last RAT regime, every one of our air superiority/technological innovations will be easily appropriated by the ChiComs anyway.
Hmmm. Now this sounds familiar.
Yup—for pennies on the dollar.
Will we be outgunned by this new Chinese thing?
We as a nation will pay the price in blood for the mistakes that our leaders are making. The tab may be a big on when it comes due.
I dunno about that specifically. But I do know that if they continue to invest and innovate and we don’t, we will eventually be outclassed and outgunned by them.
That may be true. But what also may be true, is that it will be a country other than China that will be making us pay the tab. And the Chinese could be ones helping us. I miss the days of the national mentally portrayed in the movie "Red Dawn" :( I wonder what happened since? :(
Almost all US mil secrets aquired from Billy were “sold” for campain cash; only the klystron switch (which enables theremonuclear and neutron bombs) was given free gratis.
Chinese spys were allowed clearances and access to TS tech from subs to nukes. Many are no doubt just awaiting orders from the PLA to send new info.
The American Communist Party merged with the Democrate Party...
Shenyang J-14. The PLAAF's future answer to the F-22 Raptor. Question is, when will it make its first flight and how many can the PLAAF induct into operational service with combat squadrons?
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