The Chinese Air Force (officially the People's Liberation Army Air Force) is the third largest in the world after the US and Russian air forces. Despite its impressive numbers, in military-technical terms the PLA Air Force is still inferior to developed aviation powers. China's leadership is making serious efforts to modernize its air force, replacing numerous but outdated aircraft with relatively modern third- and fourth-generation aircraft. What is the Chinese Air Force today, and what are its capabilities in modern warfare?
Modern military aviation began to be created in the PRC in the early 1950s with the active participation of the USSR. It was then that the technically backward People's Republic of China gained access to advanced Soviet aviation technology. Until the mid-1960s, the Chinese Air Force received Chinese copies of Soviet aircraft: J-2 (MiG-15), J-5 (MiG-17), J-6 (MiG-19), J-7 (MiG-21) , bombers H-4 (Tu-4), H-5 (IL-2), H-6 (Tu-16), military transport Y-8 (An-12).
With the end of the Soviet-Chinese friendship, the development of Chinese aviation essentially stopped, remaining at the level of the 60s of the last century. In the late 60s - early 70s. Chinese industry created the Q-5 (“Qiang-5”) attack aircraft “of its own design.” In fact, this is a deep modernization of the MiG-19 fighter. In general, during this period, the Chinese aviation technical school did not have any significant developments of its own. Therefore, the Chinese aviation industry was forced to simply reproduce outdated Soviet designs in huge quantities. Only the first generation supersonic fighters J-6 (“Jian-6”) in 1961-1986. 4,000 were produced.
After the normalization of relations with the USSR in the mid-80s, China again gained access to Soviet (and then Russian) developments. At the same time, China sought to use Western technologies. In 1988, Israel transferred to the PRC a set of technical documentation for the LAVI fighter, which was approximately equal in capabilities to the F-16 or MiG-29 of the second half of the 80s. But the Chinese copy of this aircraft, the J-10, was launched into production only in 2004.
Over the past 15 years, China has reduced the size of its military aircraft fleet by removing obsolete models from service. In 2006, the Chinese Air Force began to get rid of the J-6 fighter. By the beginning of the 21st century, these machines, despite their large number, had no chance to withstand the aviation of developed countries. The last J-6s were retired in 2010. Currently, the basis of the fighter aircraft of the Chinese Air Force is made up of aircraft of the third and fourth generations (the modernized aircraft of the second generation are still in service as additional forces). Active development of the fifth-generation fighter J-20 is also underway. At the end of 2010, China published the first photographs of this vehicle, which seriously puzzled the US military leadership. However, it is still too early to talk about the real combat capabilities of the J-20.
Currently, despite the reduction in the number of personnel and aircraft fleet, the capabilities of the Chinese Air Force have increased due to the introduction of new models. First of all, this was facilitated by cooperation with Russia, which became the main “supplier” of aviation technology for China.
With the intensification of scientific and technical cooperation between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, Su-27 tactical fighters were purchased for the Chinese Air Force, a license for the production of 200 aircraft of this type, and subsequently the Su-30MKK. During the same period, S-300PMU anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) were purchased for air defense needs in Russia.
Thus, if the 60s - 70s. Since the Chinese Air Force was primarily focused on the defense of the country's territory, from the beginning of the 90s the PLA Air Force began to quickly transform into a modern Western-style air force capable of performing a wide range of missions. Now they are capable of not only providing air defense and supporting ground forces on their territory, but also striking remote ground and sea targets outside of China, including with the help of high-precision weapons. The development of combat information systems and the automation of unit management processes have improved the capabilities of the Chinese Air Force in reconnaissance and early target detection, air and missile defense.
The construction of a modern Chinese Air Force is aimed mainly at solving three important tasks:
- protecting China's own borders in territorial disputes with its neighbors;
- deprivation of the formal independence of Taiwan, which China considers its territory;
- achieving a military advantage over the United States in the region.
Already, the Chinese Air Force is superior to the Taiwanese Air Force both in numbers and in terms of technology. In addition, 1,300 short- and medium-range missiles have been deployed against the island, capable of causing significant damage to Taiwan's airfields and air defense system. However, in the event of Chinese aggression against Taiwan, the United States will most likely take the side of this state. Therefore, when building the national air force, the Chinese leadership is focused on confrontation with the American air force. Creating an air force capable of competing with the American ones, even in a separate region, is an extremely ambitious task. Despite its impressive growth, the PLA Air Force is still unlikely to compete with the US Air Force.
Despite all the efforts of the Chinese leadership to quantitatively and qualitatively improve the PLA Air Force and develop its own aircraft, China has not yet been able to close the gap with developed countries in this area. China's scientific and industrial base is still weak. The bulk of Chinese aviation “developments” are just copies of foreign models, mainly Russian. Until now, the basis of the aircraft fleet and air defense systems are Soviet models and their modernized Chinese-made versions.
The Birth of Chinese Military Aviation
In 1949, having victoriously ended the civil war, the new leadership of China decided to create an Air Force in the country. The date of signing of the government decree, November 11, is considered the birthday of Chinese military aviation. The Soviet Union provided great assistance to the military industry, which was just beginning its development, by organizing the production of its own aircraft at Chinese enterprises in the mid-fifties.
However, the cultural revolution that followed and, as a consequence, the international isolation it provoked significantly slowed down the development of the country's industry. This caused great damage to the Chinese Air Force. But, despite all the difficulties, in the sixties their military engineers developed a number of domestic combat vehicles that met all the technical requirements of those years.
The nineties marked a period of active modernization of the Chinese armed forces. During these years, Russia supplied its eastern neighbor with a large batch of Su-30 multirole fighters, as well as a license for the production of Su-27. Having studied in detail the design of these combat vehicles, on their basis they developed and launched production of their own aircraft for the Chinese Air Force (a photo of the original model can be seen at the beginning of the article).
Development and prospects of the PLA Air Force
Modern armed forces are required to have developed combat aviation. The experience of recent conflicts has shown that it is the air force that is capable of exerting a significant influence on the course of battles, and in some situations even becoming the only active participant in the conflict. The leading countries of the world understand this and therefore develop their air forces. The USA, Russia and China are actively working on the construction of existing aircraft models, and also conduct their own projects with a reserve for the future. For example, China is currently developing two fifth-generation fighters at once, which will be the backbone of its air force over the next decades. It is worth noting the pace of development of Chinese military aviation: over the past few years, Chinese aircraft manufacturers have done a lot to update the air force in both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Previously and now
Just a decade and a half ago, the Air Force of the People's Liberation Army of China was a special spectacle. In the second half of the nineties, units had a fairly large amount of obviously outdated equipment. In 1996-98, according to various estimates, the Chinese Air Force had several hundred Shenyang J-6 fighters (a licensed copy of the Soviet MiG-19). In addition, a number of even older Shenyang J-5 (MiG-17) were in storage. In such a situation, several hundred Chengdu J-7 fighters (a copy of the MiG-21) looked like China’s last hope in the event of a full-scale conflict.
Shenyang J-6 (licensed copy of the Soviet MiG-19)
Shenyang J-5 (MiG-17)
Chengdu J-7 (copy of MiG-21)
At the same time, in the second half of the nineties, some programs began, the implementation of which brought the Chinese Air Force to its modern state. First of all, it is necessary to note the Shenyang J-11 fighter. Several years before the appearance of this aircraft, Beijing agreed with Russia regarding the assembly of Su-27SK aircraft at Chinese production facilities. Subsequently, several controversial events occurred, after which Shenyang Aircraft Corporation demonstrated the J-11 aircraft, allegedly developed by it independently on the basis of a Russian design. It was the J-11 that went into large-scale production.
Shenyang J-11
Chengdu J-10
Almost simultaneously with the Chinese Su-27SK, under the symbol J-11, another fighter took off - the Chengdu J-10. There is an opinion that the J-10 was designed using information received from Israeli engineers at IAI, and therefore to some extent replicates the Lavi fighter, which never reached mass production. However, this time, Chinese aircraft manufacturers deny any connection with foreign designers and continue to position the J-10 aircraft exclusively as an independent development authored by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG).
When considering the development of the fighter component of the Chinese Air Force, one cannot fail to mention the aircraft purchased from Russia. Currently, Chinese military pilots use several types of aircraft: Su-27SK, Su-30MKK and Su-30MK2. In terms of numbers, these aircraft are inferior to any other modern type of fighter produced in China. Thus, according to data at the beginning of last 2012, the PLA Air Force had about 170-180 Su aircraft. The most popular Chinese-made fighter was the Chengdu J-10 (at least 200-220 units). The Shenyang J-8 fighters (developed on the basis of the MiG-21 and MiG-23) remained in second place in number - about 220-230 aircraft. They were slightly lagged behind by copies of the Su-27SK - Shenyang J-11, of which more than 160-170 had been assembled by the beginning of last year.
The exact number of obsolete model fighters in service and in storage remains unknown. According to various estimates, their number ranges from several hundred to several thousand. Likewise, there is no reliable information regarding their future. The Chinese command does not share its plans and therefore at the same time there are different versions according to which outdated equipment will gradually be written off and disposed of; they will leave it, as they say, for a rainy day; or converted into target aircraft or other types of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Against the backdrop of the active renewal of the material part of the fighter units of the Chinese Air Force, the state of bomber aviation looks quite interesting. Currently, China has only one type of long-range bomber - the Xian H-6. These aircraft are a licensed copy of the Soviet Tu-16 and have been in service since the late fifties. It is worth noting that the H-6 was operated not only in China, but also in Iraq and Egypt, and the last of these vehicles was decommissioned back in 2000. The PLA Air Force has about 120-130 H-6 bombers and about a dozen HY-6 tankers built on their base. There is no information about the creation of a new aircraft for a similar purpose, and therefore the future of the H-6 looks worse and worse every year, and the development strategy of China's long-range aviation as a whole leaves a lot of questions.
Xian H-6 (copy of Tu-16)
Nanchang Q-5
The situation with specialized attack aircraft is a little better. The units contain more than two hundred Nanchang Q-5 attack aircraft, created more than forty years ago. They have been constantly modernized, but are now considered obsolete. In addition, not long ago one of the foreign operators abandoned the Q-5. In the spring of 2011, Pakistan finished decommissioning its attack aircraft purchased from China. Several dozen of these aircraft are still in service in some Asian countries.
Current projects
Over the next years, old equipment will be decommissioned, and in its place, combat units will receive aircraft of new models. So, recently there has been a lot of talk about the Shenyang J-11B fighter, which is a deep modernization of the J-11/Su-27SK. According to some sources, serial production of the J-11B began in the second half of the 2000s and to date several dozen such aircraft have been produced. Information is also provided on the conversion of the original J-11s into a modernized version with the letter “B”.
The second Chinese project that has high hopes is the Shenyang J-15 carrier-based fighter. According to official Chinese data, this aircraft is a development of the previous “land” J-11, but in aviation circles the basis for it (and not without reason) is considered to be the Soviet T-10K aircraft (Su-33 prototype). Currently, the J-15 is being tested, including on the Liaoning aircraft carrier. The start of mass production of the first Chinese carrier-based fighter is scheduled for 2015. Taking into account the information currently available, it can be assumed that several dozen such aircraft will be assembled to equip the first Chinese aircraft carrier. After that, if China begins building its own aircraft carriers, production of the J-15 could continue.
Shenyang J-15
J-20
In recent years, China has launched two projects to create a fifth-generation fighter. At the beginning of 2011, CAIG flew the first prototype of the J-20 fighter. Over the past time, at least three or four prototype aircraft have been built, which made a total of several dozen flights. The characteristics of the J-20 are still classified, and all available data is purely estimates. The only reliable information concerns the start of production and operation. The first J-20s will go into service no earlier than 2016-17.
Last fall of 2012, the first flight of another promising fifth-generation fighter, the Shenyang J-31, took place. Previously, at one of the Chinese aviation exhibitions, a model of the F-60 aircraft was demonstrated, the outlines of which strongly resembled the new J-31. As a result, there was speculation that the J-31 was a modified version of the F-60. From the materials shown at the exhibition, conclusions were also drawn about the approximate characteristics of the promising fighter. However, there is no official data on the J-31 yet. There is information about the existence of two prototype aircraft and the possible construction of at least one more. Information about the timing of completion of development and refinement, as well as the start of mass production, has not yet become public.
Shenyang J-31
It is easy to see that the air force of the People's Liberation Army of China is moving to a modern method of equipping equipment. The troops operate several types of aircraft, and the number of each of them does not exceed a couple of hundred. The days when military pilots simultaneously used several thousand of the same type of aircraft are over for China. This fact can serve as evidence in favor of the version about the development of the qualitative component of the Air Force, rather than the quantitative one. Indeed, the available information about the characteristics of modern Chinese aircraft directly indicates their significant superiority over the technology of previous years.
In addition, do not forget helicopters and auxiliary aircraft. Thus, recently the PLA Air Force received 60 WZ-10 attack helicopters. They cannot be considered fully Chinese (Russia played a leading role in the development of the project), but at the same time, these very machines will in the near future become the basis of attack helicopter units and will replace previous models for the same purpose. It is noteworthy that the total number of attack helicopters available to the troops (Harbin Z-9 and Changhe Z-11) slightly exceeds the number of ordered WZ-10s and amounts to no more than 70-80 units.
WZ-10
The auxiliary aviation of the Chinese Air Force includes several hundred aircraft of various models, assembled at Chinese factories and ordered abroad. Thus, the fleet of transport aircraft allows transporting a wide range of cargo of various weights and configurations. The most popular transport aircraft is the Shijiazhuang Y-5 light aircraft (a copy of the Soviet An-2), and the most modern is the latest modifications of the Shaanxi Y-8. China places great hopes on the new Xian Y-20 project. The PLA Air Force has experience in operating Soviet and Russian Il-76 aircraft, which is why they have expressed a desire to obtain a similar domestically produced aircraft. At the end of January 2013, the Y-20 took off for the first time. The start of operation is planned for 2017-18. After the start of service, the Xian Y-20 will become the most load-bearing aircraft of the Chinese Air Force - it will be able to transport up to 60-65 tons.
Shijiazhuang Y-5 (copy of Soviet An-2)
Xian Y-20
KJ-200
It is necessary to note one more important area that is characteristic of modern air forces and is currently being developed by China. At the beginning of the 2000s, with a break of several years, three types of long-range radar detection aircraft were built in a small series: KJ-200, Y-8X and Y-8J. A characteristic feature of these aircraft was the choice of base machines. Chinese engineers took the Russian Il-76 as the basis for the KJ-200, and for the rest - another modification of the Y-8 aircraft, created on the basis of the Soviet An-12. Thus, for the foreseeable future, China will retain the ability to build airborne early warning aircraft, and machines similar to the KJ-200 will receive a new base in the form of the Y-20 of China's own construction. In the light of these data, regular, but not yet confirmed, recent rumors look interesting, according to which a new radar detection aircraft is already being designed and its construction will soon begin.
Future
From the current state of the PLA Air Force, appropriate conclusions can be drawn. Just 15-20 years ago, this branch of the Chinese armed forces could not be called modern, even with a stretch. The Chinese aviation industry has used the time available wisely, and China's military aviation now represents at least one of the largest forces in the East Asian region. Now, all the actions of official Beijing and industry indicate that the emerging growth in quantity and quality will continue in the future. The result of this could be China becoming a world leader in the field of military aviation.
However, when discussing China’s prospects, we should not forget the fact that other countries are also not standing still and are trying in every possible way to wisely manage their existing advantages. Therefore, for now we can only speak with confidence about the entry of Chinese aircraft manufacturers to the global level and about future attempts to compete with recognized industry leaders. It is unlikely that this will be easy, because the latest developments of the Chinese aircraft industry are often based on foreign projects, copied and modified accordingly. This allows us to speculate on the possibility or impossibility of China independently creating aviation technology, and these discussions do not look overly positive.
Judging only by the state of its air force, China is unlikely to become a world leader in the coming years or even decades. However, he is quite capable of finally gaining a foothold in the “post” of the aviation leader of his region. Of all the countries in East Asia, only China has a sufficiently developed aviation industry capable of independently developing new technology, even if based on existing foreign ones. This fact can be considered a good advantage over competitors. Therefore, other countries in the East Asian region should pay great attention to the development of their air force and air defense in order to keep up with their growing and strengthening neighbor.
Based on materials from the sites: https://globalsecurity.org/ https://defense-update.com/ https://sinodefence.com/ https://china-defense.blogspot.hu/ https://flightglobal.com/ https://asianmilitaryreview.com/
Experience gained in the war with Japan and in subsequent years
The armed conflict between China and Japan, which began in 1931 and subsequently escalated into a full-scale war, became part of the tragedy of the 20th century. The Chinese Air Force in World War II, according to various estimates, used about a hundred aircraft and could not represent any serious military force. However, their contribution to the defeat of militaristic Japan and the return of Manchuria, Taiwan and the Pescadores cannot be denied.
Over the period since its founding, the Chinese Air Force has accumulated a certain amount of experience in combat operations. In particular, they took part in the Korean War of 1950-1953, fighting alongside North Korean air units and forming a joint air force with them.
When several American unmanned spy planes entered their airspace during the Vietnam War, they were promptly shot down. This clearly demonstrated the fairly high level of combat readiness of Chinese pilots. However, for a number of reasons, aviation was practically not involved in the military conflict with Vietnam in 1979.
Peace Pearl Program
The mid-1980s saw a rapprochement between China and the United States, culminating in two modernization projects led by Grumman Aerospace: the Peace Pearl, a modernization program for the Shenyang F-8II fighter-interceptor, and the Chengdu Super-7 light fighter program. However, the political fallout from the Tiananmen Square events led to the closure of both programs.
If the programs had not been canceled, then in the mid-1990s the Chinese air force would have been equipped with two types of relatively modern fighters, giving the Chinese air force command plenty of room to maneuver in its quest for more advanced types of combat aircraft.
When the US aid channel was closed, China was forced to turn to Russia, its former supplier (in those years in the form of the Soviet Union), for immediate access to military equipment.
The result of the appeal to Russia was the resumption of the F-8II modernization project under the designation F-8IIM and the creation of a new light fighter. The F-8IIM received Russian radar and air-to-air missiles equipped with semi-active radar homing heads (GOS) and capable of operating beyond visual line of sight. As for the light fighter, the Super-7 project evolved into the Chengdu FC-1, which is supposedly a joint project with Pakistan with design assistance from MAPO MIG (in the text of the Mikoyan article).
However, the most noticeable result of the return of the Chinese Air Force to Russia was the acquisition of Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighters. In 1991, China entered into an agreement to supply 24 Su-27SK fighters and two Su-27UBK two-seat trainers, and in 1995 an additional batch of twenty-four Su-27SKs was ordered.
The delivery of the third batch of aircraft is currently being completed, which may include single-seat Su-27SMK and a variant of the two-seat Su-30. China and Russia also entered into an agreement on the licensed production of “twenty-sevenths” (in the text of the Flanker article).
The US Naval Intelligence Agency reports that by 2010, the Chinese Air Force will have about 250 Su-27 fighters, which will provide China with significant air power projection capabilities in the region. However, this opportunity directly depends on the ability to effectively manage aviation units.
Although the Su-27 will be capable of air superiority missions even by 2010, the Chinese Air Force has yet to develop an air warfare doctrine, create an integrated air force command and control system, and determine operational capabilities to fully exploit the family's potential. Su-27.
Although the Su-27 is currently a “fresh” aircraft, some Chinese Air Force exercises with aircraft of this type make a peculiar impression. The Su-27SK, which forms the basis of the first two batches of aircraft for China, is optimized as an interceptor fighter. Its NIIP N-001 radar is designed for interception missions, but despite this, the Chinese Air Force uses the aircraft to attack ground targets using unguided missiles, the blocks of which are suspended under the wing, and aerial bombs with a parachute-type braking device. This is unlikely to reflect the optimal use of aircraft, which are a scarce, high-value asset.
the pride of the Chinese Air Force - Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighters
China's purchase of Su-27SK fighter jets and Vympel R-27R (AA-10 Alamo) missiles gave the Chinese Air Force the ability to conduct beyond-line-of-sight air combat for the first time. Apparently, so far the attempts of the Chinese industry to develop their own air-to-air missile with a semi-active radar seeker have not led to the creation of a model suitable for putting it into service.
Currently, China and Russia are completing the process of transferring the third batch of Sukhoi Design Bureau aircraft. In this batch, China will not receive the previously supplied Su-27SK, but rather the Su-27SMK version.
The aircraft in a color scheme similar to that of the Chinese Su-27, but with the letters 27SA1K applied to the nose, has already been shown at the plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (in the text of the Komsomolsk article).
Military aviation units
In terms of its composition, the Chinese Air Force is not much different from the air forces of other modern developed countries. They include all the traditional units, such as bomber, attack, fighter, reconnaissance and military transport. In addition, they include air defense units, radio-technical and airborne troops.
The supreme command of all Chinese Armed Forces is exercised by the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army. It includes the Air Force headquarters, headed by the Commander-in-Chief. Since October 2012, this post has been held by Ma Xiaotian. The commissar also plays an important role in command. Currently it is Tian Xiuxi.
The territory of modern China is divided into seven military regions. Each of them includes an air force group, the commander of which is directly subordinate to the district headquarters. Such units consist of aviation divisions, individual regiments and academies that train flight personnel and technical personnel.
Aviation divisions are large tactical formations, which include several aviation regiments, divided into squadrons, each of which consists of three separate units. In bomber aviation, a flight is usually represented by three aircraft. In assault and fighter, their number increases to four. In addition to combat vehicles, each regiment has several training aircraft of various classes. In general, the regiment can have 20-40 units of flight equipment.
Currently, more than four hundred airfields have been built in China, of which three hundred and fifty have a high-tech hard surface. This reserve is enough to accommodate nine thousand aircraft, which is three times larger than the entire aviation fleet of the state.
Modernization of radar stations
Initial reports suggested that the Su-27SMK would be offered with the N-001 radar, which was upgraded with dual-air strike capability; A similar improvement to the Phazotron Topaz radar was carried out for the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter. The ability to strike two targets allows for fuller use of medium-range air-to-air missiles with an active radar seeker. The R-77 (AA-12 Adder) missiles and the R-27 variant with an active radar seeker are regarded by the Russian leadership as potential export weapons for the Chinese Air Force.
However, JSC Phazotron-NIIR (in the text of the Phazotron article) stated that instead of the modernized N-001 radars, Zhuk-27 radars were sent to the plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where Su-27 variants intended for China are assembled.
The N-010, or Zhuk-27, is a multi-mode pulse Doppler radar originally intended for the upgraded MiG-29M. The Zhuk-27 radar uses the same flat antenna processing system that was enlarged for the larger nose of the Su-27 fighter.
In addition to providing the ability to simultaneously track and intercept group targets using medium-range air-to-air missiles with active radar seekers, the Zhuk-27 radar provides several options for using air-to-surface weapons, including Kh-31A anti-ship missiles (AS-17 Krypton; X-31A).
In addition to the potential equipping of the next batches of Chinese “twenty-sevenths” with Zhuk-27 radars, JSC Fazotron-NIIR has developed a version of the Zhuk radar, designated Zhuk-8II and intended for installation on Shenyang F-8IIM fighter-interceptors. This radar is currently being tested on the F-8IIM prototype. In addition, OJSC Fazotron-NIIR has created pulse Doppler radars Komar and Super Komar, which are designed for installation on the Nanchang A-5 Fantan attack aircraft and the Chengdu F-7 light fighter and are offered for production by Chinese industry.
However, the ties of JSC Fazotron-NIIR and State Unitary Enterprise AVPC Sukhoi with China reflect the somewhat schizophrenic nature of the relationship between the former Soviet Union and the last remaining major power that, at least in words, follows communist doctrine.
Initially, the sale of Su-27 fighter-interceptors to China met with internal opposition in Russia, some of whose political and military leaders believe that a military confrontation between the two states is still possible.
This concern was further emphasized by the Chinese Air Force's desire to obtain a two-seat combat version of the Twenty-Seven. The Chinese Air Force's desire to acquire a two-seat multi-role version of the Su-27 is limited by the difficulties Russia faces in supplying military equipment not only to China, but also to one of the latter's regional competitors, India.
The Indian Air Force has ordered and almost certainly paid for the development of the Su-30MKI, a multi-role variant of the Su-27 fighter-interceptor. The Su-30MKI multi-role combat aircraft will be equipped with a front horizontal tail, a thrust vectoring control system and, in all likelihood, will have a version of the N-011 phased array radar.
The Chinese Air Force has aspirations of acquiring a similar Su-30MKI aircraft, but faces two clear obstacles that could prevent it: opposition in India and Russia.
India is believed to have demanded assurances from Russia that the Su-30MKI or similar aircraft would not be provided to China. In turn, Russia continues to experience occasional bouts of soul-searching regarding the nature and scale of the supply of modern weapons to China.
There is a possibility that if Russia agrees to China's demands, the Chinese Air Force may be allowed to purchase the Su-30MK variant, which in all likelihood will be equipped with the Zhuk-27 radar. Although the basic Su-30MK offered by the Irkutsk aircraft plant was classified as a fighter-bomber, it was initially offered with the N-001 radar, which allowed the use of free-fall bombs only.
The role of aviation in the “nuclear triad”
The main component of the Armed Forces of modern powers is atomic weapons, which in their structure can be divided into three main components, which military strategists call the “nuclear triad.” They include primarily land-based missile systems - both stationary silos and mobile mobile ones.
In addition, these are cruise and ballistic missiles launched from submarines. And finally, the most important role is assigned to strategic aviation, capable of delivering aeroballistic or cruise missiles to a specified area. Based on the totality of all these factors that make up the state’s strategic nuclear potential, international analysts call China the third superpower.
The need to develop strategic aviation
All three components of the above-mentioned triad are in service with the PRC, but the level of the country's strategic aviation leaves much to be desired. It should be noted that if in such European countries as Great Britain and France, the insufficient development of this type of air force is not a serious problem (due to their relatively small territory), then in China the picture is completely different.
The Celestial Empire is a huge state, constantly surrounded by potential enemies. Even such a friendly neighbor as Russia cannot provide the Chinese with border security, since it itself has a fairly large number of dangerous strategic directions. In this regard, China has created conditions under which capital investments in the development of strategic aviation have acquired particular importance.
Potential adversary of China
It so happens that in the future, the Chinese leadership considers America to be one of its most likely enemies. It is from her that they fear a possible blow. In this regard, significant efforts are being made to create new and modernize those already in service with missile defense and air defense systems, as well as the Chinese Air Force.
The fifth generation fighter, capable of being invisible to enemy radars, was one such development. Also, the result of such efforts was the creation of a large fleet of aircraft carriers, whose task is to deter attacks from potential adversaries from the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They house carrier-based fighters of the Chinese Air Force. Home ports for newly built ships were modernized and expanded accordingly.
Content:
- Peace Pearl Program
- Modernization of radar stations
- Role Definition
On paper, the Chinese air force, with its huge fleet of combat aircraft, is by far the largest in Asia. However, in reality they are much closer to the woefully inadequate circus of museum exhibits.
The Chinese Air Force operates approximately 2,500 fighters, but most of them are either copies or developments of Soviet designs from the 1950s that do not meet the requirements of air warfare doctrine on the eve of the 21st century.
No one is more aware of this fact than the Chinese Air Force, which is desperately seeking to upgrade its fleet with fourth-generation combat aircraft. The Chinese Air Force is also developing basic combat principles that are more suitable for the air forces of a dominant regional power - a status with which China enters the new millennium. Since the mid-1980s, the PRC has been making efforts, albeit tentatively, to renew its air force fleet.
A decade later, the Chinese Air Force supported a variety of programs, including new aircraft - the Chengdu F-10 multi-role fighter, Xian FB-7 fighter-bomber, Chengdu FC-1 light fighter and XXJ fifth-generation fighter - as well as various modernization programs vehicles already in service, in particular the Chengdu F-7 and Shengyang F-8.
modern technical level in Chinese - Shenyang F-8II Finback fighter-interceptors
Also, the command of the Chinese Air Force is seeking to acquire early warning aircraft (AWACS) and expand the fleet of tanker aircraft capable of refueling aircraft in the air. A common characteristic of most of these projects is the participation - open or covert - of foreign aircraft manufacturers.
This was partly due to the realization that China's aviation industry was not capable, at least on its own, of designing and developing the Air Force's next-generation combat aircraft with world-class performance.
Work on the creation of new equipment
In recent years, information has appeared in the media that Chinese designers are carrying out promising developments of a new strategic bomber capable of delivering nuclear warheads over a distance of seven thousand kilometers. This flight range is especially important due to the fact that it allows it to reach the United States. At the same time, as competent sources indicate, the new model will be very similar to the American B-2 Spirit bomber, which should greatly complicate its detection.
There are special requirements for strategic aviation in China, since due to the geographical location of the country, its use is associated with a number of difficulties. The fact is that all possible targets are located at a very considerable distance. Alaska, for example, is five thousand kilometers away, and the US coast is eight thousand. To achieve it, Chinese Air Force aircraft must cross the Pacific Ocean, where American aircraft carriers equipped with a powerful arsenal are on combat duty. In recent years, space weapons have been added to them.
Experts have calculated that if war breaks out, Chinese Air Force aircraft will not be able to enter the area of combat missile launches on American territory, since the US Navy will be able to destroy them using the latest Aegis anti-aircraft system. In addition, they will be opposed by powerful carrier-based aircraft. In this regard, the only way for the Chinese Air Force to cope with American air defense is to develop and create new aircraft with a fantastic, in our time, range of action - from ten to twelve thousand kilometers. No army in the world has such combat vehicles yet.
Chapter 1. PLA Air Force
Home / Publications / Literature / Bookshelf / Red Dragon: Modern Chinese Navy / Chapter 1. PLA Air ForcePLA Air Force numbering 400 thousand people. (of which 210 thousand people are in the air defense) are consolidated into seven districts. The Chinese air defense forces are organizationally part of the Air Force and are also distributed among these districts. Let's consider the structural composition of the Chinese Air Force(1):
- Shenyang District of the PLA Air Force - three IAD (J-7E, J-7B, J-8B/F, J-8H fighters), one ShAD (Q-5 attack aircraft) and a separate reconnaissance regiment , equipped with JZ-8 aircraft; air defense forces - one brigade and two regiments, armed with the HQ-2 air defense system and two radar brigades;
- Beijing District of the PLA Air Force - two IADs (J-7B, J-8A and J-11), one ShAD (Q-5), two training centers equipped with Su-30MKK, Su -27", "J-7B", "J-7E", "J-8A", "J-8B", "J-10" and their training modifications; air defense forces - three divisions (S-300PMU, HQ-2 and HQ-7 air defense systems) and three radar brigades;
- Lanzhou District of the PLA Air Force - two IADs (“J-6”, “J-7B” and “J-7E/G”), one BAD (H-6 bombers), two TCs (regiments) and a reconnaissance regiment equipped An-30 and Y-8 aircraft; air defense forces - one brigade and one regiment, equipped with the HQ-2 air defense system, and two radar brigades;
- Jinan District of the PLA Air Force - one ShAD ("Q-5") and two IADs ("J-6", "J-7B", "J-8B", "Su-27" and "J-11"); air defense forces - one radar brigade;
- Nanjing District of the PLA Air Force - four IADs (“J-7B”, “J-7E”, “J-7C/D”, “J-8B”, “J-8D/F”, “Su-27”, “Su -30MKK", "J-10" and "J-11"), one BAD (H-6 bombers and Y-8EW electronic warfare aircraft), one IBAD (JH-7A fighter-bombers and attack aircraft " Q-5"), a separate reconnaissance regiment ("JZ-8") and one command center; air defense forces - four brigades (S-300PMU air defense systems and, mainly, HQ-2) and two air defense regiments (HQ-2), eight radar brigades;
- Guangzhou District of the PLA Air Force - four IADs (“J-6”, “J-7B”, “J-7E”, “J-8B”, “J-8D”, “J-11”, “Su-27” and "Su-30MKK"), one mixed AD (J-8D fighters, H-6 bombers and H-6 tankers), one ATD (Il-76MD, Y-7 transport aircraft, "Y-8" and "An-24") and one air transport regiment ("Y-5" and "An-24"); air defense forces - two brigades and one regiment (“HQ-2”), one radar brigade;
- Chengdu District of the PLA Air Force - two IADs (J-6, J-7B, J-10, J-11 and Su-27) and one ATD (Y-7 and Y -8"); air defense forces - one brigade and one regiment equipped with the HQ-2 air defense system, and a radar brigade.
Chinese AWACS
In addition, the Air Force includes a centrally subordinate unit - one ATD (Tu-154, Boeing 737, CRJ200, Y-7 and Y-8) and flight groups of eight Air Force schools. The types of individual aircraft are discussed in more detail below.
Table 23. PLA Air Force combat aircraft fleet, 2006
Notes
“-” - withdrawn from the Air Force;
“+” — more than the specified value; "?" - approximate value In the second half of the 1990s - early 2000s, due to Russian supplies and licensed production of Russian military aircraft, the Chinese Air Force experienced a real renaissance - the combat strength changed qualitatively. At the same time, about a quarter of the strike aircraft fleet of the Chinese Air Force is made up of new fighter-bombers of the Russian - "Su-30MKK" and national - "JH-7" production, and about half of the fighter aircraft fleet of the Chinese Air Force is made up of new national fighter-bombers - "J-8", "J" -10" and "J-11", and Russian - "Su-27" production.
To replace the old H-6 bombers (analogous to the Soviet Tu-16) and a significant number of the same old Q-5 attack aircraft present in service, China was exploring the possibility of acquiring Russian Tu-22M3 and Su-34 " Failure in this matter required the resumption of production of the N-6, the production of which was discontinued in the 1980s, and the modernization of existing aircraft to increase their service life. According to Sinodefence.com, the modernized aircraft will be used in Naval Aviation by 2004-2005. will begin to arrive in units.
Ka-28
The reconnaissance potential of the Chinese Air Force
is represented by 10 JZ-8 aircraft (version of the J-8 fighter) and 30 JZ-6 aircraft (version of the old J-6 fighter), two RER aircraft based on Tu -154" and some set of AWACS aircraft (three types of "KJ-2000" - a simplified version of the Russian-Israeli "A-50", and several experimental ones - based on the "Y-8"). Taken together, this defines the detection and targeting capabilities of the Chinese Air Force as inadequate to its increased combat capabilities.
It is quite obvious that part of the Chinese air force can be involved in solving problems over the sea: the forces of the most powerful air force districts - Guangzhou - in the southern and south-east direction, and the Nanjin district air force - in the eastern direction.
J-8 fighter
According to the Taiwan Defense Review(2), at ranges up to 250 miles from the island of Taiwan there are 13 air bases with a total capacity of up to 1,200 combat aircraft, and within 500 miles there are more than 20 air bases with a capacity of up to 1,300 combat aircraft. And according to “www.fas.org”(3), 51 air bases can be used at a distance of 800 km from the Island, of which seven are at a distance of up to 400 km. It is worth noting that at the end of the 1990s. China had 122 civilian airports under dual (military and civilian) control. Of these, 31 airports were certified according to international standards, 19 could accommodate Boeing 747 aircraft, 41 served centrally subordinate cities, administrative centers of provinces and autonomous regions, and provided 95% of the country’s air transport turnover (4).
Thus, in our opinion, aspects of echelon formation and inter-base maneuver of the Chinese Air Force within the country and along the coastline can be considered ensured.
Refueler
Meanwhile, the lack of long-range aviation as such, an insufficient number of tanker aircraft (about 10 air tankers based on the H-6, unsold deliveries of 8 Russian Il-78 tankers) and AWACS aircraft in the PLA Air Force, make an air strike into the depths of adjacent territories and water areas is very problematic, if not unrealistic.
In addition, we note that the interaction of the Chinese Air Force and Navy may be complicated by problems of force management and the international ability of army aviation to “lose its place over the sea.”
Basic patrol aircraft
The air component of China's nuclear forces
is under the command of the Air Force. At the beginning of the 1990s. About 150 aircraft (H-6 and Q-5) could carry nuclear weapons, but over the past decade this force has apparently been reduced.
Open sources of information practically do not reflect issues of both combat training and accident rates in the Chinese air force. However, given the dynamics of aircraft fleet renewal, we dare to assume that Chinese pilots have problems in these aspects. To confirm this, we note that in the structure of the training aircraft fleet, training aircraft of the old models - “JJ-6” and “JJ-7” (respectively, training versions of the old fighters “J-6” and “J-7”) make up the majority (5).
H-6
The helicopter fleet is represented by 50-60 combat helicopters (more than 40 Z-9 and about 6 SA 342) and 400-450 transport helicopters (150 Z-9 of various modifications, 20 Z-11, 200 Mi- 17", 24 "S-70С" and other vehicles (6), used for tactical purposes as part of aviation units of all seven districts of the ground forces.
Park of unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAV) consists of a number of attack UAVs, reconnaissance vehicles and targets.
Thus, the first are represented by the Harpy reconnaissance and strike complexes, acquired by China from Israel in 1994. Designed to destroy enemy radars, the Harpies have a flight range of 500 km and are launched from ground-based launchers or from the BNK. With the help of on-board equipment, UAVs are identified by enemy radar radiation, and then attacked with a high-explosive warhead. According to American intelligence, the PLA allegedly deployed harpies during exercises in the Taiwan Strait in 2004. The exact number of UAVs acquired is unknown. It is also possible that the Chinese are making attempts to launch or have already launched the production of these machines on their own (7). According to Sinodefence.com, some of the Harpies were modernized in Israel in 2004, after which they acquired the ability to attack radars that are in the “off state.”
Q-5 attack aircraft
The first reconnaissance UAV "WZ (Wu Zhen) -5", also known as "ChangHong-1", was adopted by the PLA in 1981. The device is launched from a carrier aircraft, the UAV flies along a given route at altitudes up to 17.5 km , at a radius of up to 2.5 thousand km and a flight duration of up to 3 hours. Obtaining information is possible only during daylight hours, in good weather. The captured information is stored on photographic films and can be used only after the landing of the device, which is parachuted in a predetermined area. The WZ-5 was used in the Vietnamese-Chinese border conflicts, and by 1995 it was modernized to improve flight accuracy through the use of GPS. A further development of reconnaissance vehicles was the WZ-2000, which differs from the prototype in its remote control capabilities and whose first flight took place in December 2003.
At the end of the 1980s, the PLA entered into service with light UAVs of its own design, with a take-off weight of up to 140 kg, “ASN-104” (export designation “D-4”) and “ASN-105” (an improved modification of the first). They are designed to conduct 24-hour tactical air reconnaissance at a remote control range of 60 and 100 km, respectively, with a maximum flight range of 300 km and a flight duration of up to two hours. In one flight, 1,700 km2 of surface can be photographed using an aerial camera. The devices are launched using a rocket accelerator; both autonomous and remote control are used in flight. It is possible to transmit information in real time or store it in an on-board storage device (BSU).
In addition to the indicated reconnaissance UAVs, China is developing a “mini-vehicle” - “ASN-15” (take-off weight - 6.5 kg, flight range up to 10 km, duration up to 1 hour) with remote transmission of information for the needs of military reconnaissance, and a multifunctional UAV "ASN-206" ", created jointly with Israel in 1996 and performing reconnaissance and electronic warfare functions at ranges of up to 150 km during 7-8 hours of flight.
Z-9
The total number of UAVs at the disposal of the PLA is unknown, but, according to Sinodefence.com, their number does not exceed several dozen in total of all types.
Chinese Air Force
Those responsible for the country's defense are controlled by the State Control Command (Beijing) through district command posts. According to most experts, the capabilities of the country's Chinese air defense systems in combating most types of modern air targets, including cruise missiles, still remain very limited.
Su-30
In accordance with the materials of special reports of the US Department of Defense on the military potential of the PRC, at present China also does not have a universal integrated national air defense system, and existing ground-based air defense systems are only able to provide solutions to the tasks of site-based air defense. The location of the country's air defense units is not known in detail, but it is believed that the cities with central subordination are the most protected; the highest density of air defense systems has been created in the province of Fujian, in the region of the Taiwan Strait, and the least - in the western directions. In the mid-1990s. at altitudes below 2000 m there was no continuous radar field. At the same time, as a rule, it is noted(8) that an effective air defense system can be deployed in China only by 2022.
The basis of the country's air defense is 600 launchers of the HQ-2B air defense system, created on the basis of the Soviet SA-75 (HQ-2) complex, and modernized in the 1980s. The main tactical air defense unit is a battery (6x1 launchers with a total ammunition load of 24 missiles), with situation lighting and missile guidance stations, and support systems. The missile defense system ensures hitting targets in the range of height (0.5-27) km and range (7-34) km with a probability of 68-92%.
JH-7 attack aircraft
In recent years, the increase in the characteristics of Chinese zonal air defense systems is largely associated with the acquisition of a number of Russian S-300PMU air defense systems (received the designation “HQ-9” in China), intended mainly to compensate for existing shortcomings in the country’s air defense organization system . Thus, according to Sinodefence.com, China acquired the first batch - a regiment of S-300PMU air defense systems (four batteries, 9x4 launchers, 144 missiles) in 1993, involving these systems in the defense of Beijing. Subsequently, the second defense regiment of the Chinese capital was deployed, and by 2001, the third regiment was deployed in the province of Fujian, in the region of the Taiwan Strait. By 2006, according to this source, China's air defense included 108 launchers with 432 missiles of this type. The total number of these missiles that China has is estimated by Sinodefence.com as 650-1000 units. The missile defense system ensures high probability of hitting targets at a height of up to 30 km and a range of up to 200 km. To replace the outdated HQ-2B complex, China launched the production of a licensed version of the S-300PMU - the FT-2000 air defense system, the real effectiveness of which, according to this source, is still doubtful.
For army air defense forces, on the basis of foreign air defense systems, short-range air defense systems “HQ-7” (analogous to the French air defense system “Crotal”), “LY-60” (based on the Italian Aspid missile), etc. were developed and adopted. For defense at low altitudes and in close proximity, about 16 thousand guns of 100-, 85-, 57-, 37- and 23-mm calibers are provided.
Notes
— For more details, see https://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/ — See National Defense Report.
Republic of China 1998 - See https://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/china/facility/airfield-overview.htm - See chinadata.ru. The leading airports are Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, whose turnover is up to 40% of the national one. As an example: in 2002, passenger traffic at these airports amounted to 46.6 million people, and cargo traffic - 400 thousand tons - See https://www .sinodefence.com/airforce/aircraft.asp - For more details, see https://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/aircraft.asp - See Flying Robots of the Celestial Empire // nvo.ng.ru - See Air Defense System China. Makarov M., Velichko V. // Foreign Military Review. 3-1993, pp.37-42; Chinese “clones” on stream. Korovin V. // Bulletin of Air Defense, 2004 - https://www.pvo.guns.ru/arm.htm Contents
Read more
Back
Selected Chinese Air Force weapons
Military analysts are also making a number of assumptions about the possible development of a medium-range bomber in China. This idea was prompted in 2013 by the refusal to purchase thirty-six Russian Tu-22 M3 aircraft, designed to deliver missiles and bombs over relatively short distances. It is currently known that the Chinese Air Force includes about one hundred and twenty combat vehicles of this class, and the need for them is quite obvious.
Today, China's aviation fleet includes a number of modern aircraft. Speaking about them, we should highlight several of the most interesting models. First of all, this is the N-6K medium-range bomber. A completely modern machine, which is an example of advanced engineering. It cannot be classified as a strategic launch vehicle only because of some speed limitations.
Military transport aviation of the People's Republic of China (2021)
S. Shamin, Doctor of Military Sciences, Professor
Military transport aviation (MTA), along with fighter, bomber, attack and reconnaissance aircraft, is one of the components of the air force (Air Force) of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA). It is designed for airborne landings, transportation of troops, delivery of ammunition and materiel, as well as evacuation of the wounded and sick. In addition, the BTA is entrusted with the task of transporting the highest command personnel and the military-political leadership of the country, for which it maintains the appropriate aircraft.
The military transport aviation of the PRC is still small. At the beginning of 2021, military aviation units were in service with about 240 aircraft of various types, of which over 208 were transport aircraft (of which only 42 were heavy) and three Il-78 refueling aircraft. In addition, transport aircraft are in service with the airborne units of the PLA Airborne Corps, which is part of the Air Force, units of the ground forces and naval aviation of the fleet.
The main types of aircraft of the Chinese military aviation are the Il-76, Y-8, Y-9, Y-20 aircraft, capable of not only transporting military personnel and military equipment, but also parachute-dropping personnel and cargo.
If necessary, the VTA can be quickly reinforced by transport and passenger aircraft Boeing, Airbus, Il-86, Tu-154, Tu-204 of Chinese civil airlines in the amount of up to 1200 units, which, with joint actions, will ensure the airlift of significant number of troops.
Structurally VTA
includes two aviation divisions (one as part of the Guazhou Air Force District, the other as part of the Chengdu Air Force District) and several separate transport aviation regiments. Aviation divisions consist, as a rule, of three transport aviation regiments of 20 or more aircraft, which in turn are divided into squadrons, and they are divided into detachments of two to four aircraft.
In total, the VTA has nine aviation regiments, armed with both the same type and different types of vehicles.
| Structural composition of military transport aviation of the PLA Air Force | ||
| Organizational unit | Quantity | Aircraft types |
| Aviation Regiment (VIP) | 1 | A.319, Boeing-737, CRJ200/700 |
| Aviation Regiment (VIP) | 1 | Tu-154M, Tu-154M/D |
| Aviation Regiment | 1 | Il-76MD/TD |
| Aviation Regiment | 1 | Il-76MD, Il-78 |
| Aviation Regiment | 1 | "Y-7Н", "Y-7G" |
| Aviation Regiment | 2 | "Y-9" |
| Aviation Regiment | 1 | "Y-8С", "Y-20" |
| Aviation Regiment | 1 | "Y-20" |
Airborne Corps Aviation
(until 2022 - 15th Airborne Corps) The PLA Air Force is organizationally consolidated into an aviation transport brigade, which is armed with various types of aircraft (light "Y-5", "Y-7" and "Y-12", medium " Y-8С").
Transport aviation of the ground forces
The PLA is represented by a mixed aviation brigade, armed with both aircraft (light Y-7, medium Y-8 and Y-9) and transport helicopters of various classes, in particular: heavy Zhi-8 (Z-8A/8B/8L); medium Mi-8T, Mi171, Zhi-20, S-70C2; light AS-350 and H-120.
In naval aviation
the Y-7, Y-8 and CRJ200/700 aircraft (18 units in total) are included in the transport aviation regiment, and the light Y-5 (20 units) are distributed among individual units.
Currently, in the PRC, tasks related to the air transportation of senior management personnel, as well as air transportation and landing of heavy equipment, are so far solved primarily using foreign equipment (A.319, Boeing-737, Tu-154, CRJ, Il aircraft -76). At the same time, the basis of the country's military aviation is currently made up of nationally produced aircraft (78% of the total), while the majority of them (88%) are obsolete models.
| Types and number of transport aircraft of the PLA aviation | ||||||
| Aircraft type | Manufacturer | Purpose | Quantity | |||
| Air Force | Aviation SV | Naval aviation | ||||
| VTA | Airborne Forces | |||||
| A.319 | Europe | Passenger medium-haul | 3 | — | — | — |
| Boeing 737-300, Boeing 737-700 | USA | Passenger medium-haul | 9 | — | — | — |
| Tu-154M/D | Russia | Passenger medium-haul | 8 | |||
| CRJ-200LR | Canada | Passenger medium-haul | 5 | 2 | ||
| CRJ-700 | Canada | Passenger medium-haul | 5 | 2 | ||
| Il-76MD/TD | Russia | Heavy transport | 20 | |||
| IL-78 | Russia | Tanker aircraft | 3 | |||
| "Y-20" | China | Heavy transport | 22 | |||
| "Y-5" | China | Light transport (general purpose) | 70 | 20 | 20 | |
| "Y-7Н/7G" | China | Light transport | 41 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| "Y-8С" | China | Medium transport | 30 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| "Y-9" | China | Medium transport | 25 | 2 | ||
| "Y-12D" | China | Light transport | 12 | |||
| Total | 241 | 40 | 6 | 38 | ||
Y-5 aircraft can rightfully be considered a veteran of military transport aviation of the Chinese Air Force.
. This is a light multi-purpose transport and passenger biplane (more often called a general purpose aircraft), capable of solving various tasks related to aerial surveillance, agricultural work, air transportation of people and cargo, parachutist landing, and others. It is a licensed copy of the An-2 aircraft.
The Y-5 made its first flight in December 1957. The production of these machines was organized in 1958 in Nianchang. Since then, the aircraft has undergone several upgrades and acquired at least eight modifications.
The Y-5B version made its first flight in June 1989, and mass production began in 1990. The military version - "Y-5В(T)" - with a specific purpose for the PLA, was created in 1996 and is adapted primarily for the release of paratroopers. The aircraft is structurally a braced biplane. The fuselage is an all-metal semi-monocoque beam-stringer type with working skin.
The landing gear is a non-retractable tricycle with a tail wheel; skis can be installed in winter. The wings are straight: the upper ones are equipped with slats, slotted flaps and mechanically driven aileron flaps; the lower ones have only slotted flaps. Such mechanization provides the aircraft with good takeoff, landing and other flight performance characteristics. This, along with the low cost of production and operation of the aircraft, allows it to still be in service with the PLA aviation units.
Y-12 aircraft provides some competition for the Y-5 in solving simple transport problems.
. This is an all-metal monoplane with a high-mounted straight wing with mechanization, a single-tail tail and a three-post fixed landing gear with a front support. The power plant is two wing-mounted turboprop engines (TVD). Belongs to the category of light multi-purpose transport and passenger aircraft. The cargo compartment is designed to carry eight passengers or 800 kg of cargo. The aircraft has several modifications.
The Y-12 made its first flight in July 1982. In appearance and design, it is an analogue of its piston predecessor, the Y-11 aircraft, but is equipped with more modern and powerful Canadian RT6A-135A turboprop engines.
The aircraft received a local airworthiness certificate in 1985, UK Civil Aviation Authority approval in 1990, and American certification in March 1995, after which it found wide use not only in China but also abroad. Currently used in more than 30 countries, including the USA and Russia. More modern versions are “Y-12E” and “Y-12F”.
The Y-12E was first presented at an air show in China in November 2000, received a civil aviation authority certificate in February 2002, and international certification in August 2006. Purposefully created as a military option.
Currently, these aircraft in the Y-12D modification (as an improved version of the Y-12E) with modernized engines and four-bladed propellers are in service with units of the transport aviation brigade of the PLA Airborne Corps and are used primarily for parachute training of paratroopers.
Y-7 aircraft has more significant capabilities compared to the Y-12.
, also classified as light transport aircraft. It is a twin-engine turboprop transport-passenger airliner (a licensed copy of the Soviet An-24T) and is designed to transport passengers and cargo. Its first flight took place in December 1970. In 1982, the aircraft was assembled from Chinese components, flight tests began in 1984. "Y-7" is equipped with WJ5A engines - a licensed copy of AI-24 engines and an auxiliary power unit (APU) RU-19A-300 (later - its licensed copy W127J).
In 1989, a new version of this machine was created, improved by equipping it with imported avionics. It was designated "Y-7-100" and was operated by both civil airlines and PLA aviation units. On the basis of the same model, for the needs of the army, a military version of a transport aircraft with a cargo ramp (by analogy with the An-26 aircraft) was created, which received the designation “Y-7N”.
As part of the modernization of the aircraft in 1993, a new version of the aircraft was developed - “Y-7-200” (“Y-7-200A” - for foreign customers and “Y-7-200B” - directly for China), equipped with turboprop engines РW127С and new saber-shaped propellers.
The design of this version has already undergone noticeable changes. The fuselage of the aircraft was slightly lengthened, which increased its capacity to 60 passengers. The profile of its bow has been updated due to changes in the cockpit glazing and the shape of the nose cone. The cockpit has been re-equipped for two crew members and is equipped with more modern avionics. Further modernization of this aircraft by installing more powerful PW127J engines and improving passenger comfort by reducing the number of seats to 56 was designated MA60. Its flight tests ended in 2000.
Based on the Y-7-200B and MA60, a more modern version of the military transport aircraft was created, which received the designation Y-7G. It has better flight performance compared to its predecessor, the Y-7. It is in service with air transport units of all branches of the Chinese armed forces. It is the most popular transport aircraft (after the Y-5) in the Chinese Air Force.
Following the production of the An-24T and An-26 aircraft in China, for the needs of military transport aviation, they began to produce a copy of another Soviet transport aircraft - the An-12B, which received the designation “Y-8”
.
This aircraft, which belongs to the class of medium military transport aircraft, is equipped with four turboprop engines. The first Chinese-built Y-8 flew in December 1974. In 1980, the aircraft was certified and in the same year its serial production began.
It was equipped with WJ6 engines - licensed copies of the AI-20 with a power of 4252 hp. With. each, with J17-G13 propellers and an APU (turbogenerator) TG-16. The distinctive features of the Y-8 aircraft from their “progenitors” - the An-12 - were a slightly elongated nose with a navigator’s cabin and the absence of cannon installations and a gunner’s position in the tail. The flight performance characteristics of the Y-8 generally corresponded to those of the An-12 aircraft, including the maximum take-off weight, which in 1986 was increased to 61 tons. Only the takeoff and landing characteristics were somewhat different: the take-off run length of the Y-8 "was larger, and the run length was shorter than that of the An-12. The plane's crew consists of five people.
To date, more than 100 aircraft of this type have been built in various modifications, ranging from transport vehicles to flying laboratories. The most notable modification is the “Y-8C” (1990). The aircraft is a transport version, which has a completely sealed cargo cabin (unlike the An-12 and the first Y-8, which only had the cabins of pilots and attendants sealed) and a new cargo ramp in the rear fuselage (the predecessors had a cargo hatch with doors opening inside the fuselage). But the modernization of the aircraft did not end there. Since the late 90s, further improvement of the Y-8 took place by replacing the on-board equipment with more modern ones and, as a result, reducing the crew size. In particular, most pointer instruments have been replaced with multifunctional indicators. The result was a new version of the transport aircraft, designated "Y-9"
and designed for the needs of the PLA.
This aircraft is a further modernization of the Y-8. First presented in 2005 at the Beijing Airshow. The first flight of the Y-9 aircraft took place in November 2011, was accepted and entered service in 2012.
Distinctive features of the aircraft are: a modified shape of the nose and tail, a completely sealed fuselage, a new wing, additional vertical fins (washers) on the ends of the stabilizer, and six-bladed propellers.
The Y-9 is powered by four WJ6C turboprop engines with JL-4 propellers. There is a cargo ramp in its tail section. The cargo compartment, equipped with loading and unloading equipment, has a length of 16.2 m, a width of 3.2 m and a height of 2.3 m. The aircraft is capable of transporting a ZBD airborne combat vehicle weighing 8.2 tons, various army vehicles, light helicopters and landing parachute platforms (two six-meter or one 13-meter) with a total weight of up to 14 tons.
The Y-9 aircraft is in service with one of the military aviation regiments, as well as the aviation of the PLA ground forces.
Despite the slightly improved performance characteristics of the Y-9 aircraft compared to the Y-8, their delivery to the troops did not provide a solution to the main problem of China's military aviation - the ability to airlift troops with heavy military equipment in a short time.
It was impossible to solve this problem with the Il-76 alone, so the Chinese leadership in 2006 approved a long-term plan to create its own heavy transport aircraft. The result of its implementation was the Y-20
– a heavy wide-body aircraft designed for transporting and landing troops and large cargo.
The development of a new military transport unit for the PLA Air Force, which, according to Chinese experts, should be similar in characteristics to the American S-17 and Russian Il-76, was completed in 2016. The Y-20 is built according to a high-wing design with a swept wing (the leading edge angle is about 24º) and a T-shaped tail. The vehicle, similar to the Il-76, is equipped with a multi-post retractable landing gear, a cargo ramp located in the rear fuselage, and cargo winches. The dimensions of the cargo compartment ensure the transportation of a modern Chinese Type 99 tank weighing 50 tons. Individual structural elements of the aircraft are made of composite materials produced in China (previously, these materials were only imported for the aviation industry). The Y-20 has a glass cockpit: four EFIS LCD displays located on the instrument panel provide display of all necessary information.
Currently, aircraft are equipped primarily with Russian D-30KP-2 turbojet engines with a thrust of 12.5 tons, but there are examples equipped with Chinese-made WS18 engines. WS18 engines have a higher bypass ratio, are 300 kg lighter than D-30KP-2 engines, have greater thrust (13.5 tons) and lower fuel consumption. However, according to Chinese experts, this is not enough for the aircraft to achieve the declared flight characteristics and, above all, a payload capacity of 66 tons.
Therefore, China is still actively purchasing engines from Russia, and in the future, it is planned to equip Y-20 aircraft with WS20 engines of its own production, which have greater thrust (14 tons or 127.5 kN). The planned engine replacement is scheduled for 2022, but judging by China’s active purchases of D-30KP-2 engines in past years, equipping Y-20 aircraft with nationally produced WS20 engines is being postponed to a later date.
Currently, one transport aviation regiment is armed with Y-20 aircraft, equipped primarily with D-30KP-2 engines. Until 2025, these aircraft will continue to actively enter service with military aviation units.
In parallel with the development and production of heavy Y-20 aircraft, in 2014 the Chinese state aircraft manufacturing corporation Avik (AVIC - Aviation Industry Corporation of China) began to create a new transport aircraft for the needs of the BTA, classified as medium-sized. This model was named "Y-30"
.
The developer of the aircraft is the SAC aircraft manufacturing enterprise (SAC - Shaanxi Aircraft Industries Company), which also produced the Y-8 and Y-9 aircraft. The cost of the program is 9.2 billion yuan ($1.5 billion). According to the aircraft designers, the aircraft is designed to fill the “free niche” with a carrying capacity of 30 tons (from 20 tons for the medium Y-8, Y-9 to 50–66 tons for the heavy Il-76 and Y-20) and the prospect of replacing the outdated “Y-8” and “Y-9”. The aircraft must be equipped with modern turboprop engines, have a cargo ramp and a cargo compartment increased in width (compared to the Y-9 aircraft), modern avionics and a cockpit information and control field.
The Y-30 aircraft is a medium transport aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of about 80 tons. By design, it will be a high-wing aircraft with a swept wing and a T-shaped tail. This will reduce the distance from the floor of the cargo compartment to the ground and facilitate loading and unloading operations. The exact geometric dimensions of the aircraft are still unknown.
The aircraft will have a multi-rack and multi-wheel landing gear (like the Y-20), which should ensure its operation from unpaved airfields. The aircraft's power plant can be four WJ10 turboprop engines with a power of up to 6,700 hp. With. with six-blade propellers. The option of installing new WJ16 turboprop engines with a power of up to 5,072 hp is also being considered. With.
In terms of possible appearance, the Y-30 aircraft will be similar to the European A.400M transport aircraft, although it will be significantly smaller in size. According to the schedule of work on the design and testing of the aircraft, its first flight is planned after 2022, but there has not yet been official information about its rollout and readiness for flight tests. At the same time, the entry into service of the Chinese Air Force military aviation units of this aircraft will also significantly increase the capabilities of military transport aviation to transport large military formations with heavy equipment over long distances and in a short time. For this purpose there is a well-trained flight crew.
Pilots for military transport aviation are trained by the 1st PLA Air Force Flight School, located in Harbin and also training flight personnel for bomber aviation (pilots for fighter, attack and reconnaissance aircraft are trained by the 2nd Flight School, located in Changchun ). Initial training of cadet candidates is carried out for 2 years on Chujiao-6 (CJ-6/6A/6B - licensed version of the Yak-18A) and Y-5 aircraft.
In case of successful flight practice on these aircraft, future pilots are enrolled as cadets and for another 2 years they undergo flight training on Y-7 and Y-8C aircraft.
After graduating from college, young pilots are sent to training centers, where during the year they undergo the necessary retraining and training on Y-8, Y-9, Il-76 or other aircraft corresponding to the type of aircraft they will fly on. while serving. All further training and improvement of the flying skills of young officers takes place in combat units as part of combat training.
Thus, in the opinion of the PLA leadership, military transport aviation currently does not have the capabilities necessary in modern conditions to transport the required number of troops and military equipment, especially heavy ones, over long distances. This is due to the fact that its aviation units are armed with many outdated types of vehicles with low transport characteristics. At the same time, the BTA is actively undergoing the process of re-equipment with modern types of aircraft, of its own design and production. Their production in sufficient quantities and delivery to aviation units will significantly expand the capabilities of military transport aviation of the PLA Air Force to solve its inherent tasks.
Foreign military review. - 2022. - No. 9. — P. 56-66
Aircraft created under Soviet license
Another combat vehicle in service with the Chinese Air Force is the Tu-16. This is an aircraft built under a license agreement with Russia. Especially for it, Chinese designers developed a new, improved engine equipped with economical turbofans. Thanks to it, aircraft are able to reach significantly higher speeds (up to 1060 km per hour) and reach altitudes of thirteen thousand meters. This development made it possible to equip Chinese Air Force aircraft with new CI-10A missiles with a flight range of five and a half to six thousand kilometers. Of course, this will open up new, previously untapped opportunities for them.
Military experts agree that currently the strategic bombers of the Chinese Air Force are very limited in the geography of their use. Only the shores of Australia, Alaska, as well as part of Asia and Europe are accessible to them, while their main potential adversaries, the Americans, still remain out of reach. China's latest bomber design, codenamed N-20, should solve this problem.
PLA Air Force activities in the southern and western training areas
First of all, the changes affected the parts that, within a separate section of the “Great Sea Wall” strategic plan, provide cover for the southern strategic direction - the borders of the provinces of Hainan, Guangdong and Fujian.
Modification "Hun-6K"
To this end, since 2015, formations of Khun-6K long-range bombers, according to a rotation plan, have been carrying out training and control activities to simulate single and massive raids on military infrastructure facilities in the southern provinces. Due to their long flight range, bomber crews first leave the radar coverage of air defense systems stationed in coastal areas, and then reappear in the identification zone.
As part of the exercises over the South China Sea, Hong-6K bombers operate exclusively accompanied by Su-30MKK or Jian-11 heavy fighters. Su-35 fighters from the 2nd Fighter Division of the PLA Air Force “Hegemons of the Southern Sky” have also been involved in this task since 2022. Su-35s imitate the actions of fighter aircraft of the air forces of potential enemy countries.
Fighter "Jian-11"
Training tasks of bomber aviation of the PLA Air Force
During the exercises, the crews of the Hun-6K bombers perform the following tasks:
- search, classification of surface and ground targets in the daytime and at night using suspended optical-electronic reconnaissance and guidance systems (OESR);
- testing the capabilities of the new modification of the OESRN during flights at altitudes up to 12000 m (OESRN is suspended at an external point under the rear fuselage, i.e. it does not occupy an external suspension point under the wing);
- testing the capabilities of containerized and embedded modular electronic warfare systems KG-600/800;
- practicing flight missions without entering the coverage area of land-based air defense and surface ships of the PLA Navy;
- striking coastal targets (target buildings with a height of 10 to 20 m) using air-to-ground missiles of the KD-88 type (a missile with inertial, television and infrared guidance channels, equipped with a two-channel communication system, capable of transmitting an image of a target to carrier aircraft);
KD-88 missile suspension
- striking coastal targets using air-to-ground missiles of the CM-802AKG type (export version of the KD-88);
- verification of OESR aiming accuracy using practical K/AKD-63 (XL-FX/M) ammunition;
- striking naval targets using modernized anti-ship missiles of the Yingji-63B type (service designation K/AKD-63B);
Anti-ship missiles K/AKD-63
- checking the aerodynamics of a scale model of the promising Long Sword-30 rocket;
- checking the actions of airfield services on artificial islands: the efficiency of refueling at the airfield, changing/installing aircraft weapons, the ability to carry out repairs and maintenance.
General organization of combat training
Flights are operated from airfields on the artificial islands of Yongshidao and Yongshudao. Air bases on the artificial islands of Meiji and Zhubi have been designated as reserve airfields. To place targets, closed sea areas are used in the area of the Xisha and Nansha archipelagos, as well as off the coast of Hainan Island.
It is expected that next year, 2022, Jian-11B fighters and Jian-16 fighter-bombers will be involved in these exercises, the pilots of which are currently undergoing training in the air regions of the Eastern and Western Military District.
Fighter-bomber "Jian-16"
PLA Air Force units operating the Jian-11A are planned to transfer to the Jian-16 fighter-bomber after confirming the performance characteristics of the nationally produced engines. There are no plans to transfer PLA Air Force units equipped with Jian-11B fighters with Russian engines to new aircraft.
For bombers and fighters from the Northern and Central Military Districts, exercises similar in concept will be conducted over the East China Sea and at training grounds in the coastal provinces.
Air defense and air force units of the PLA practice the same type of situations as part of the annual largest inter-district exercises called “Red Sword”. These control and training activities include 19 tasks, within the framework of which, starting from 2022, the fourth-generation Jian-20 stealth fighters will take part.
Fighter "Jian-20"
Fighters in service with China
Speaking about the air force of the Celestial Empire, one cannot help but dwell on its fighter aircraft. Despite the fact that its fleet has received a large number of J-10 and J-11 combat vehicles in recent years, the J-7 is considered to be the main fighter of the Chinese Air Force. According to analysts, the number of these aircraft is about four hundred units, plus about forty training ones created on their basis. The history of their appearance in the country's Armed Forces is very remarkable.
It is known that at the very beginning of the sixties, the Soviet Union and China were on friendly terms, and cooperation was established between them in many areas of the national economy, as well as in the military industry. In 1961, the Soviet side transferred to China a license to produce the newest, at that time, MiG-21 fighter and all its equipment. However, a year later, the well-known cultural revolution began, which caused the international isolation of China and the severance of its relations with the Soviet Union.
As a result, the USSR government canceled the already issued license and recalled from the country all its specialists involved in its implementation. A year later, realizing that it was impossible to do without the Soviet Union, Mao Zedong moved towards rapprochement with our country, as a result of which cooperation was restored for some time.
N. S. Khrushchev agreed to continue work on introducing the licensed MiG-21 aircraft into production for the Chinese Air Force. In January 1966, tests took place of the first fully assembled fighter in China, the J-7, created under license from the Soviet MiG-21 fighter. Despite the fact that almost half a century has passed, this aircraft has not yet been removed from service with the Chinese Air Force. His photo is presented below.
Chinese Air Force. From shield to sword
The Chinese Air Force is relatively young, but it is among the largest and strongest in the world. They have been developing extremely actively over the past two decades and are now approaching a decisive milestone, the achievement of which is vital for the future of China's ability to project power far from its borders.
The modern Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has its origins in the small Red Army air units of the 1930s and 1940s. [1]. Communist forces used aviation to an extremely limited extent in the civil war and in the fight against Japanese aggressors, since qualified personnel and materiel were concentrated with the forces of the central government of Chiang Kai-shek. Foreign assistance in this area, including Soviet assistance, was also provided mainly to him. However, after the defeat of Chiang Kai-shek in the civil war, a significant part of the personnel went into exile, and the modern Taiwanese Air Force became the legitimate successors to the history of the pre-communist Chinese Air Force [2].
The primary task of the PLA—bringing the PRC Air Force to a modern world level worthy of a superpower—has been, by and large, achieved.
Officially, the People's Air Force was created only in mid-1949 [3]. They were based on Chinese pilots who had defected to the communist side. Soviet instructors and even Japanese “volunteers” from prisoners of war contributed to the training. Aircraft were recruited wherever necessary, mainly Japanese, left over from the occupiers, and captured Kuomintang equipment. As a result, the PLA Air Force had a very bizarre appearance. Thus, at its first air parade on October 1, 1949, on the occasion of the formation of the People's Republic of China, the aviation of the young communist republic was represented by American Mustang fighters and C-46 Commando transport aircraft, British Mosquitoes and several light training aircraft (also made in the USA) . Large-scale deliveries of Soviet aircraft began only at the end of 1949.
www.xjkunlun.cn The first fighters of the PLA Air Force - P-51 Mustang
The further history of the Chinese Air Force can be divided into four stages. The first - formation - lasted until the early 1960s. During this time, the PLA Air Force [4], thanks to the efforts of the USSR, turned from a semi-partisan formation into a large force, equipped with modern aircraft and having serious combat experience. Chinese pilots took part in battles with multinational coalition aircraft during the Korean War of 1950–1953, including alongside Soviet pilots on the latest MiG-15 jet fighters. The end of the Korean War was followed by the Taiwan Strait Crisis, which saw major air battles between former compatriots. Both sides used the most modern technology of their overlords, in particular, air-to-air guided missiles were used for the first time in battle [5].
The USSR not only supplied finished aircraft, but also helped set up production on site. In China, the production of MiG-17 and MiG-19 fighters, Il-28 bombers, An-2 transport aircraft and many other aircraft was organized.
In recent years, the PLA Air Force has continued its rapid development and, according to a number of signs, has entered a new stage.
www.airforceworld.com J-6 fighters (copy of MiG-19), 70s.
The issue of dependence on Russia is probably the most pressing for China, driven by the memories of the blow dealt by the rupture of relations with the USSR.
The second stage, long and difficult, began with the severance of relations with the USSR. Due to the confrontation, the PRC only partially received the necessary documentation and equipment to launch production of such new aircraft as the MiG-21, Tu-16 and An-12. Without the help of Soviet specialists and against the backdrop of the “cultural revolution,” the full development of this technology took decades. The basis of the Air Force continued to be copies of the MiG-17 (J-5), MiG-19 (J-6) and Il-28 (H-5), which was unsatisfactory for a serious military power already in the 1960s, and even more so in further. By the end of the 1970–1980s, when it was possible to master truly large-scale production of the J-7 (copies of the MiG-21) and H-6 (copies of the Tu-16), they had become very obsolete.
Significant in number, but equipped with materiel from the early Cold War, the PLA Air Force at that time would have been able to provide only limited resistance to a more high-tech enemy and was completely unsuitable for offensive operations. Due to fear of high losses, they were not fully involved even in the war with Vietnam in 1979.
Overcoming the technical backwardness of the Chinese Air Force began with the warming of relations with the West and the USSR/Russia. Active military-technical cooperation with Western countries in the 1980s was short-lived and greatly reduced after the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989. But China received a number of preferences from it, in particular, relatively modern samples of on-board electronic equipment (avionics), engines, assistance foreign engineers in the development of the J-7 family (later this will lead to the creation of a modern export light fighter JF-17) and documentation on the Israeli-American Lavi fighter [6].
www.81.cn H-5 bombers (copy of Il-28). 70s
However, a truly new stage in the development of the PLA Air Force is associated with the warming of relations with Moscow. Even in the last years of the existence of the USSR, China was offered the latest fourth-generation fighters MiG-29 and Su-27, of which the Chinese, after a review, chose the second. Large contracts followed, first for the supply of finished aircraft (78 during the 1990s), and then for the organization of licensed assembly of 105 aircraft with an option for another 95. The Su-30MKK, more suitable for attacks on ground and surface targets, was developed especially for China. and its further development - the Su-30MK2 (a total of 100 aircraft were delivered in the first half of the 2000s).
The development of the J-7 family continued: the MiG-21 was produced for the PLA Air Force until the mid-2000s, and the last export contract at the moment was delivery to Bangladesh in 2013. It was probably replaced with the help of Russian specialists, China has launched a new light fighter, the J-10, based on the Lavi.
www.top81.cn J-7 fighter (copy of MiG-21) PLA Air Force
In the third stage - from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s - the PLA Air Force was practically created anew with the help of Russia, but this time on a purely commercial basis. Progress in technology was extremely rapid - pilots switched from second-generation fighters straight to the fourth, i.e. “jumped” a couple of decades. The primary task of the PLA—bringing the PRC Air Force to a modern world level worthy of a superpower—has been, by and large, achieved. The “first line” squadrons were armed with heavy fighters of the Su-27 family, the new light J-10 fighter began to arrive, and obsolete aircraft were concentrated in rear units and aviation schools.
www.fvjs.cn J-11B (unlicensed copy of Su-27) PLA Air Force
Challenges and ambitions
According to Flightglobal estimates, in 2016, in terms of the total number of military aviation, China is in third place in the world after the United States and Russia, and in terms of the number of combat aircraft itself, it is placed in second place, with a slight advantage [7]. Along with obsolete aircraft, a large core of modern aircraft has been formed. At the same time, the fleet of Su-27 family fighters and their Chinese clones is probably the largest in the world.
In recent years, the PLA Air Force has continued its rapid development and, according to a number of signs, has entered a new stage. Chinese aviation currently faces several serious challenges:
- dependence on arms exporters, primarily Russia;
- the absence of a number of types of aircraft needed in a modern Air Force, in particular tanker aircraft, long-range bombers, and large transport aircraft;
- the need to develop power projection capabilities;
- the need to keep up with technological progress in the military field.
Engine manufacturing continues to be a sore spot in the Chinese aircraft industry.
kj.81.cn Su-30MKK (specially designed for China) is refueled from the Il-78 tanker.
All these problems are closely interrelated.
The issue of dependence on Russia is probably the most pressing for China, driven by the memories of the blow dealt by the rupture of relations with the USSR. Unable (like India) to widely diversify arms supplies, China became dependent on a single supplier. Thus, the finished Su-27 and Su-30 delivered to the PRC, as well as the first licensed J-11, could only use Russian guided weapons. Despite the transfer of the license for the production of the J-11 with a fairly high localization, Russia retained the supply of a number of components, primarily the AL-31F engines. A modification of this engine is also installed on the J-10. An export-oriented successor to the J-7, the JF-17 uses a variant of the RD-33 engine from the MiG-29.
Based on the experience of reverse engineering of Soviet machines and a rather specific attitude towards copyright, the solution seemed obvious [8]. And so cooperation with Russia was overshadowed by “eastern treachery”: the Chinese refused the option for 95 Su-27 and in 2007 began independent production of its unlicensed copy - the J-11B. As time has shown, they were in a hurry, since the Chinese WS-10 engine was not ready for operational use due to insufficient time between overhauls, and Russia refused for some time to supply engines in sufficient quantities to equip “counterfeit” fighters. However, later China managed to somewhat improve the quality of its engines and overcome the conflict situation with Russia (at least copies of the Su-27 are now equipped with Chinese-made engines). The J-10 version with WS-10 is being tested, and it is planned to re-equip the JF-17 with an analogue of the RD-33.
kj.81.cn J-10 (based on the Israeli Lavi) PLA Air Force
However, engine manufacturing continues to be a sore spot for the Chinese aircraft industry. This is evidenced by the fact that prototypes of new aircraft that China seeks to create independently are often equipped with Russian engines. There is probably still no confidence in the reliability of domestic samples.
Nevertheless, there is a characteristic tendency to fill the “gaps” in the Air Force with their own forces, even according to the principle “aircraft today, engines tomorrow.” So, instead of purchasing the Il-76, China has been developing its own Y-20 transport aircraft since the mid-2000s - the first prototype, equipped with D-30KP-2 engines, flew in 2013. The engine for it (and other large aircraft) is WS- 18 has been in development for a long time. To meet the need for early warning aircraft (AWACS), instead of continuing to purchase KJ-2000 based on the Il-76, the KJ-200 family based on the domestic Y-8 is being actively expanded.
www.fvjs.cn Missile carrier H-6K (development of a licensed copy of the Tu-16) PLA Air Force
With an eye on their American and Israeli counterparts, many unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including large ones, are being developed. One of the significant successes in this area can be considered the CH-4B attack UAVs, which have been entering service with the Iraqi Air Force since 2015 and are participating in operations against Islamic State terrorists. Testing is also underway on a technology demonstrator of a promising stealth attack UAV, built according to the “flying wing” scheme, i.e. analogous to such Western programs as X-47B and nEUROn [9]. This industry demonstrates that the Chinese can no longer be accused of mindlessly copying everything: they are also testing UAVs that do not have iconic Western analogues, such as large twin-fuselage or closed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
To the big league
igor113.livejournal.com AWACS aircraft KJ-200 (created on the basis of the Y-8, a licensed version of the An-12) PLA Air Force
With an eye on their American and Israeli counterparts, many unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including large ones, are being developed.
Today, the largest programs in the global military aircraft industry are programs for the development of new generation manned fighters [10]. The only fully operational fifth-generation fighter in the world is the American F-22A Raptor. The F-35 Lightning II is gradually completing tests and is already in mass production, which should enter service with a number of countries close to the United States, including China’s neighbors: South Korea, Japan and, probably, Singapore. The T-50, created under the Advanced Aviation Complex of Frontline Aviation (PAK FA) program, is being tested in Russia; in the future it will enter service with India, one of the main regional rivals of the PRC. Turkey, India, South Korea, and Japan have their own national programs for the development of advanced fighters, but due to the financial and technical scale of the task, they are being implemented very slowly.
In this situation, it is not surprising that China is actively working in aircraft manufacturing. It is unusual and unique that the Chinese, the only ones in the world, are simultaneously developing and flight testing two fighters at once - the J-20 and J-31, which made their first flights in 2011 and 2012, respectively. If the J-31 still relatively corresponds to the stereotypical idea of the Chinese aviation industry (when it was created, it obviously took inspiration from the F-22 and F-35), then the J-20 is a rather original machine. The late Soviet MFI program had a certain influence, however, due to the fact that flight tests of the only prototype “product 1.44” were practically not carried out and the program was frozen at an early stage even when the developments were acquired, the Chinese had to do most of the work themselves.
www.fyjs.cn Prototype of the fifth generation fighter J-20
Today, the largest programs in the global military aircraft industry are programs for the development of new generation manned fighters.
According to the consensus among experts, the J-20 will likely be adopted primarily by the PLA Air Force as a heavy strike vehicle/interceptor, and the J-31 will be exported as a competitor to the F-35. The question remains whether the J-31 will be purchased for domestic needs. Claims that it is a carrier-based fighter prototype are dubious.
It is difficult to judge the actual progress in the development of Chinese fifth-generation fighters, but at least the J-20 is actively being tested. At the end of 2015, nine flight prototypes participated in them, including, possibly, the first pre-production vehicle [11]. By the end of the decade we can expect the start of full-scale mass production. The fate of the J-31 depends on finding foreign buyers and investors.
In order to get acquainted with Russian experience in this area, in November 2015, after lengthy bidding, China signed a contract for the acquisition of 24 Su-35s, the most modern Russian fighters for export. At the same time, Moscow managed to insist on conditions similar to the purchase of the Su-30MKK/MK2: all aircraft will be assembled in Russia and delivered ready-made, there will be no integration of Chinese avionics and weapons. Previously, China insisted on significantly lower volumes and technology transfer. Persistence and relative compliance indicate great interest in the Su-35S, primarily in its engine. Exact copying is unlikely to follow; it is more likely to be used as a “muse” for the development of the J-11 family. Actually, even the Su-30MKK/MK2 were not directly copied, but served as a source of inspiration for the J-16, a two-seat (probably primarily naval) strike modification of the J-11 [12].
www.fyjs.cn Prototype of the fifth generation fighter J-31
It is unusual and unique that the Chinese, the only ones in the world, are simultaneously developing and conducting flight tests of two fighters at once - the J-20 and J-31.
One of the main challenges is the need to transition from an air force focused on homeland defense to an air force capable of striking at strategic distances and conducting expeditionary operations. The Chinese fleet is actively preparing for such actions and needs air support. In addition, aircraft are involved in conflict situations around disputed islands in the South China Sea, and patrol time in the region is critical. The construction of artificial man-made islands with runways is quite expensive and does not completely solve the problem.
Today, the generally accepted way to increase the range of aviation and patrol time is refueling in the air. Thus, to ensure the operation of American coalition aviation during Operation Inherent Resolve, more than a thousand tanker sorties are now carried out monthly [13], while the operation is not very intense. However, the situation with refueling aircraft in China is extremely difficult. If by most numerical indicators Chinese military aviation is in second or third place in the world, then by the number of tankers it is not even in the top ten. For many hundreds of fighters and bombers, there are only a few Il-78s purchased from Russia and tankers converted from obsolete H-6 bombers. Modern tactical aircraft are equipped with in-flight refueling systems almost without exception, but the extremely small number of tankers does not allow for the same large-scale training of pilots. The long-range H-6 bomber, the aircraft that needs it most, does not have an in-flight refueling system (even on the newest versions). This further limits the capabilities of a heavily modernized 1950s aircraft. Chinese pilots already feel insecure outside the so-called first chain of islands, what, in theory, should have been their last line of defense. Training flights of Chinese aircraft beyond this line are still an event, and sea communications require protection.
AVK Prototype UAV "Lijian" ("Sharp Sword")
The situation with refueling aircraft in China is extremely difficult.
Undoubtedly, the Chinese Navy has a decent aircraft carrier program, but, firstly, aircraft carriers are primarily an offensive means of conducting expeditionary operations. Secondly, combat-ready aircraft carrier strike groups for the PRC are a matter of the rather distant future. Thirdly, the defense of the fleet in the “native” seas should still be carried out by basic aviation.
We can expect the PLA Air Force to continue working in the above-mentioned areas in the coming years. New systems of purely national development will be brought to mass production. Russia will be perceived not as a “builder of the Air Force,” but as a forced partner in those issues in which the Chinese still lack experience. One of the most difficult challenges will be closing the gap with the fleet, which is rapidly entering the world stage. However, in the near future, the activity of both the fleet and aviation, despite the deployment of supply points in Africa, will be concentrated in the South China Sea. Claims to own the islands must be supported by a visible presence on the sea and in the sky, and not by the size of the army on the continent.
. Here and further on historical issues, see: Demin A. Aviation of the Great Neighbor. Book 2. Air forces of Old and New China. M.: Aviation Promotion Foundation “Russian Knights”, 2012.
. Officially, the Air Force of the Republic of China. The Taiwanese have retained the symbolism since the late 1920s.
. The date is often given as November 11, when the General Staff of the PLA Air Force was organized, but back in July the CPC Central Committee decided to form the Air Force. The “1st People's Squadron” took up combat duty to provide air defense for Beijing on September 5.
. The PLA Navy has its own numerous aircraft, which until recently were exclusively land-based. It includes not only specialized anti-submarine patrol aircraft, but also conventional fighters and bombers, such as the Su-30. For simplicity, they are not mentioned separately, and the PLA Air Force refers to China's military aviation as a whole.
. It was thanks to one of these collisions that Soviet specialists got one of the newest American AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles, which had a great influence on the development of domestic analogues and served as the basis for the R-3 family of missiles.
. After the closure of the project, Israel illegally sold its developments to China, which is still painfully perceived in the United States.
. Such estimates should be treated with some skepticism and should not be considered accurate down to the unit, especially in relation to such a rather closed country as China, which has a significant fleet of old aircraft. Nevertheless, the fact that the strength of the PLA Air Force is at least close to the Russian one is beyond doubt. In a number of aircraft classes, for example fighters, China's numerical superiority is quite possible.
. Technology is also readily copied in other areas, for example in the automotive industry. Thus, a copy of the Hummer, which is also purchased by the PLA, is shamelessly called “Humnee”.
. It is quite ironic that it, too, appears to be equipped with a Russian RD-33 engine.
. It is worth noting that China counts generations of fighter jets in its own way, one less, i.e. For the Chinese, the Su-27 or J-10 are third-generation fighters, and the F-22A Raptor or PAK FA are the fourth.
. For comparison: according to the PAK FA program at the same time - six.
. This is indicated by the fact that the J-16 has not implemented changes in the airframe relative to the basic version that are present on the Su-30MKK/MK2, in particular higher fins with a straight upper edge.
. In 2015, 14,737 sorties were carried out.
Relations between countries at the present stage
Currently, despite the seemingly settled relations between Russia and China, many analysts are inclined to see our eastern neighbor as a potential threat. The fact is that the territory of the Celestial Empire is extremely overpopulated, which means it is possible that with an ever-increasing number of inhabitants and a rapidly developing industry, neighbors may well be tempted to solve their problems through the expansion of the Asian part of Russia. In this regard, the Armed Forces of both states, including the Air Forces of China and Russia, are in constant combat readiness. Unfortunately, this form of “armed friendship” is an objective reality in the modern world.
