The J-10 is a beautiful fighter.

With in-flight refueling, as shown in Deino’s picture, the J-10 is going to be a long range fighter. Just one H-6 will probably be able to refuel 4-6 J-10s.

China Catching Up In Space Race

Staff Writers
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Moscow, Russia (DPA) Dec 07, 2006

China’s space capabilities, both civil and defence- oriented, are rapidly gaining ground on Russia and the United States, the world’s most developed space programmes, Anatoly Perminov, head of Russia’s Federal Space Agency, said Tuesday.

“Today two countries – the US and Russia – maintain space programmes that cover all aspects from peaceful to defence purposes. China is approaching very close,” Perminov said, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

In wide-ranging remarks on Russia’s space programme, Perimov also said the price to travel into the cosmos would rise for space tourists.

“Twenty million to 25 million (US) dollars is what they pay now,” the space agency chief said. “Whether we want it or not, that price, naturally, will rise.”

Perminov did not specify what the expected price increase would be, but said it was explained by the recent fall of the dollar.

Touching on Russia’s answer to the US GPS navigation system or Europe’s Galileo, Perimov said by the end of 2009 Russia expected a full slate of 24 satellites circling the earth, feeding private users geographical coordinates as part of the Glonass system.

“The global navigation system Glonass is actively developing … (President Vladimir Putin) personally tasked not only its development, but its launch. We hope by the end of 2007 there will be 18 satellites, and by the end of 2009, 24 satellites,” Perimov said.

Russia has pledged in recent weeks to put 2 billion rubles (80 million dollars) toward Glonass, and three satellites are scheduled to enter orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome, in northern Kazakhstan, on December 26.

John, how do you know ChiCumRen is even Chinese?

From what the Russians have been saying at Zhuhai it seems that currently China is not seeking Russian help in building aircraft carriers.

The Taiwanese media has reported that China has designed a large indigenous aircraft carrier of about 80,000tons. But its not clear how reliable this report is.

The Russian media has reported that China is going to build 3 aircraft carriers within 10 years. Again, its not clear how reliable this report is.

To put this in perspective, it appears that at this point total J-10 production is greater than total Eurofighter production?

That is a sad commentary on European defense planning and funding.

Yes, but the J-10 is the effort of one nation, China. Whereas the Eurofighter is multinational effort with different nation partners having different ideas and demands.

However, its nice to see all 4 current delta-canard fighters flying and successful. J-10, Eurofighter, Rafale, Gripen.

Sure they are different in the details, but they are clearly from the same bloodline. You’d be amazed how much uncredited work ‘consultants’ do on things.

Read the Yalovlev OKB website again.

Yakovlev OKB has already said that they acted as design consultant and that the L-15 is a Chinese plane. Perhaps you know more than Yakovlev OKB about their own work?