http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/10/3/202713.shtml
Saw it posted by Tigershark in the CMF
Chinese Airshow a Hit With the Military
Dr. Alexandr Nemets
Thursday, Oct. 3, 2002
Two significant events will take place in China in November this year: 16th Congress of CPC will take place Nov. 8-16 in Beijing; the Zhuhai Airshow 2002 will take place in the city of Zhuhai, bordering Macao, on Nov. 4-10.
What do these two events have in common?
Chinese aircraft industry and space industry, during much of this year, spared no efforts to finish, by November, its projects with the best prospects; they would become “gifts” to CPC Congress and the central items at the airshow, which began in 1996 and takes place every two years.
Remarkably, according to the practice of the airshow of 1996, 1998 and 2000, the military or “dual use” items represented at Zhuhai Airshow – aircraft, fighter missile, space devices, air-defense missile system – usually go into serial production and get the guaranteed market. Usually, the People’s Liberation Army becomes a major customer of such a “hit item.”
Let’s look for several “hit items” to be represented in Zhuhai this November.
Midlevel Multi-role J-10 Fighter
Initial messages indicating that China could display its J-10 fighter, for the first time, at the Zhuhai Airshow 2002 have been published by Western media (Jane’s Defense Weekly, etc.) in mid-March. The essence of messages was as follows:
Built by Chengdu (capital of southwestern Sichuan province) Aircraft Industrial Corp., J-10 is a rival to fourth-generation Western fighters, primarily the U.S. F-16. Single-engine, single-seat, multi-role J-10 will provide significant advance for PLA Air Force, which will operate J-10 fighter alongside its fleet of Su-27SK and SU-30 MKK fighters. This could additionally shift the military balance, to PLA advantage, in Taiwan Strait.
J-10, with maximum takeoff weight of 18,400 kg, will be powered by a single Lyulka Saturn AL-31FN turbofan with maximum output of around 125.5 kN (around 14,000 kg thrust). It is a miniaturized and upgraded copy of AL-31F used at SU-27 and SU-30 fighters (each SU-series fighter uses two AL-31F engines).
At the end of 2001, China received a party of 54 AL-31FN engines, suggesting an initial production run of around 50 J-10 fighters. In all the major characteristics, J-10 matches or even slightly surpasses J-16.
J-10 will have 11 hard points for missile deployments, so it will carry a variety of short- and medium-range air-to-air, air-to-surface and anti-ship missiles of Chinese and Russian origin. Sophisticated fuel tanks characterize J-10; this expands the fighter’s operational range and improves its combat flexibility. J-10 avionics (radars, etc.) – mostly of Russian origin – are also comparatively advanced. J-10 fuselage is based on improved design of Israeli Lavi fighter (this project was terminated by Israel in mid-1980s).
Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp. is engaged in J-10 R&D, with very heavy Russian technological assistance, from the end of 1980s. By the end of 2001, between six and 10 units of J-10 have been manufactured. In 2000-2001, they underwent intensive flight-testing. It is supposed that, by 2010, PLA Air Force (PLAAF) would obtain between 300 and 500 J-10. (end of messages)
Jiefanjun Bao, official edition of PLA, on June 15 published new information on the same item. According to this article, J-10 development was, generally, finished in 2000. By mid-2002, after a year-and-a-half of testing and improvements, this attack fighter was under production, in Chengdu city, and close to entering PLA service.
Finally, on Sept. 1, Renmin Ribao and Xinhua agency published the following very important message (briefly; comments of Hong Kong and Taiwan media are used also):
China will unveil its most advanced fighter, J-10, at Airshow China 2002 to be held in Zhuhai from Nov. 4 to 10. Production of the first party, including 50 units of J-10, started at the beginning of 2002. This fighter, equipped with advanced radar Zhuk-10PD (produced by Moscow-based Fazotron Corp.) and improved AL-31FN engine (produced by Moscow Salute plant), is especially effective at low-altitude and mid-altitude combat missions.
Light Fighter FC-1 (Fighter China-1)
The development of this fighter, the improved copy of Soviet MIG-33 (which R&D was terminated due to absence of money at the beginning of 1990s), started at Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp., in 1994-95.
More exactly, MIG-33 designers resumed this terminated project in Moscow under supervision of experts from Chengdu city and with financing from PLA. In 1995, Chengdu Corp. purchased 100 units advanced RD-93 jet engines, for the future FC-1, at Klimov Aircraft Corp. in St. Petersburg.
In 1997-98, Pakistani Air Forces joined this project; Pakistan provided significant part of R&D financing and is obliged to purchase one half of the future FC-1 production. Despite all the efforts, the project dealt with a lot of problems, and only at the beginning of 2001 did it enter the last stage.
In mid-June 2002, it became known, from Beijing and Taibei sources, that the FC-1 fighter – to be used by PLA Air Force in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea as well as by the Pakistani air force along the border with India – will enter serial production in 2003.
It was emphasized that Pakistan, and probably some other developing countries, would pay $25 million for each FC-1, characterized by high combat capacities at low altitude and combat range (with the return to the same airdrome after mission accomplished) of 1,500 km.
Finally, on Sept. 14-19, Xinhua agency, Renmin Ribao and other leading Beijing papers published a series of messages regarding “final success” of FC-1 project (briefly):
Live-size model of jointly developed by China and Pakistan FC-1 fighter will be represented, together with J-10 fighter and other most significant achievements of Chinese aircraft and space industry, at Zhuhai Airshow 2002.
On Sept. 16, FC-1 fighter officially entered production at Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp., thus becoming a “gift” to CPC 16th Congress. It is a real fighter of the new (fourth) generation eligible for PLAAF service and for export. As an all-weather, multi-use light fighter, it is equipped with advanced electronic system and could launch medium-range missile and carry out air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-ship attacks.
FC-1 can carry up to six missiles including such air-to-air short-range and mid-range missiles as Chinese-made PL-5C, PL-9 and Russian-made R-27P. FC-1 has the length of 14 m, height of 5.1 m, wingspan of 9 m; it has full takeoff weight of 12,700 kg including 3,800-kg weapon load, maximal ceiling of 16,500 m, maximal speed 1.6 Mach (2,000 km per hour).
Conclusions
In 1982-86, the author worked as a senior engineer at Moscow Machine-Building Salute Plant. The author, with great interest, surveyed a very detailed report from this plant, published in mid-September, in Moscow-based Nezavismoye Voyennoye Obozreniye (Independent Military Survey) weekly paper. Shortly:
Situation at Salute Plant, extremely bad in 1990s, dramatically improved in 2000-2002. This took place due to serial production and export of Liulka-Saturn AL-31FN turbofan engine. Number of Salute employees increased, by mid-2002, up to 12,000, and they are getting an average salary of $400 a month! (Indeed, a handsome salary for Moscow and a fantastic one for any other region of Russia.)
As expected, total export of the Salute Plant will reach $300 million in 2002. Salute now has money for the R&D of fighter engine of the fifth generation. (end of report)
Some conclusions, regarding J-10 fighter and AL-31FN engine are just “on the surface”:
In 2001, Salute Plant produced at least 50 AL-31FN engines and sent them to China; in 2002, as expected, Salute Plant would produce and send to China at least 100 AL-31FN.
Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group probably would finish production of the first party of 50 units J-10 by the end of 2002. In 2003-2005, the annual rate of production could additionally increase.
By the end of 2005, PLAAF and PLA Navy (PLAN) Aviation could have in service more than 200 J-10 fighters, similar to the F-16 fighter, which, by the way, is the “backbone” of the Taiwanese Air Force.
Preliminary conclusions regarding FC-1 fighter could be as follows:
By the end of 2002, Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp. would produce 10-15 units of the FC-1 fighter.
In 2003-2005, the rate of this fighter production could increase up to 30-50 units a year.
By the end of 2005, PLAAF and the Pakistani Air Force could have up to 100 units of the FC-1 in service.
Now, the final remark:
In October-November 2000, China’s Central Military Commission, chaired by President Jiang Zemin, approved the program of PLAAF and PLAN Aviation overhaul and assigned 150 billion yuan (about $19 billion) for its accomplishment. The major item of this program:
By the end of 2005, the number of fighters in PLA service should be reduce by up to 2000-2200. Most parts of these fighter fleet will be comparatively advanced, belonging to the 4th generation SU-series (SU-27, SU-30, SU-35), J-10 and FC-1 fighters. Particularly:
“heavy” SU-series fighters will be engaged in high-altitude long-range combat missions;
“midlevel” J-10 fighters will be engaged in midaltitude midrange missions;
“light” FC-1 fighters will be engaged, mostly, in low-altitude short-range missions.
Jointly, these fighters will make a “mighty triad” (end of “overhaul program” description)
It is evident that in the second half of 2002 an “overhaul program,” based mostly on Russian assistance, was in full swing.
A lot of other important items will be also represented at Zhuhai Airshow 2002; however, they require a separate article.
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October 7, 2002 at 12:48 am