China's J-20 Stealth Fighter Is Already Doing A Whole Lot More Than Anyone Expected

Business Insider ^ | Mar. 9, 2012, 12:03 PM | Eloise Lee and Robert Johnson

[lentulusgracchus]

TinyURL Link (cold):

http://tinyurl.com/82acmxs

New pictures of the China's J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter have surfaced and are making their way across military blogs.

This newest round of photos show the J-20 in the skies somewhere over mainland China.

[Link: Image Link. ]

The prototype is said to be using the Saturn AL-31 turbofan engine developed by the Russians for their Su-27 air superiority fighter.

......

The J-20's development is also moving along much faster than anyone had expected. Back in 2009, Gen. He Weirong, deputy commander of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force said in a TV interview that the J-20 wouldn't be operational until 2017-2019. That estimate will likely be revised if work continues at the current pace.

[lentulusgracchus]

Additional live links at original article.

Possible addition to continuing discussion of Chinese PLAAF and PLAN development.

[EGPWS]

Was the first unit christened the BJ Clinton for posterity?

[oldplayer]

This is just really great news if you are an AWACS or air-tanker crewman. sarc/

They will be the first, and nearly defenseless targets.

Oldplayer

[Secret Agent Man]

They’d be the first targets regardless.

[Carry_Okie]

The J-20's development is also moving along much faster than anyone had expected.

That's because MIL manufacturing spends more attention to documentation than to building weapons.

[oldplayer]

Secret Agent Man,

Being a target of an Iraqi flown SU-XX is very different indeed from being a target of a stealth fighter that can penetrate our C.A.P.

The Chinese can play this game for keeps.

Oldplayer

[Secret Agent Man]

No question. All i am saying is that the awacs and tankers are going to be targets no matter what is coming at them.

[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

This aircraft is of limited utility. Look at its shape: it is stealthy only from the front quarter. The rear is a radar nightmare (and a marvelous target for an IR seeker), and the top aspect is ludicrously large (look at the canards!). This is designed primarily for a direct charge at important assets (like the AWACS mentioned earlier) in the desperate hope that it will take out those assets before it is splashed (which is inevitable when approached from any other direction).

In an electronic battlefield with multiple AWACS/ELINT resources from multiple directions, the J-20 might as well trail a banner that flashes "Here I Am!"...

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

goddam commie bastards, and our lazy ass data security management let this happen for convenience.

[The Antiyuppie]

“This aircraft is of limited utility. Look at its shape: it is stealthy only from the front quarter. “

Well, depending on its role and the value of what it’s shooting at, that may be good enough.

[Vroomfondel]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2857451/posts

[pabianice]

Jeez... stealthy as a P-3. And it can’t find submarines.

[lentulusgracchus]

Thanks.

I did a search of the whole FR site search/titles/J-20, got no return. "I must have done my search wrong!" </s>

I'm done with posting articles. Someone else always posted it already, and someone else will point out you're stupid for posting it again. Thanks a lot. I'm done.

[chemical_boy]

It doesn’t even have thrust vectoring.