Chinese Air Force (PLAAF) News & Discussions

[lcloo]

HYJ7 (轰运教7）, modified from Y7 transport, used for training of H6/H6K bomber air crew.

 

[bahadur999]

HYJ7 (轰运教7）, modified from Y7 transport, used for training of H6/H6K bomber air crew.

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Thank you!
They are part of the 5th Training Brigade.

 

[bahadur999]

China may consider more Su-35 fighters after Russian new offer: report
By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2019/6/30 16:38:21

Two Su-35 fighter jets and a H-6K bomber fly in formation on May 11, 2018. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force conducted patrol training over China's island of Taiwan. Su-35 fighter jets flew over the Bashi Channel in formation with the H-6Ks for the first time, which marks a new breakthrough in island patrol patterns, said Shen Jinke, spokesperson for the PLA Air Force. Photo: Xinhua

China might purchase more Su-35 fighter jets, Chinese media and military analysts said, after Russia reportedly offered an additional batch of the warplanes to China.

Although the Chinese Air Force has developed rapidly in recent years, many outdated fighter jets are still in service, so bringing in Su-35 fighter jets to replace them will do no harm to China, Weihutang, a military column affiliated with China Central Television, reported on Saturday.

The Weihutang report came after TASS Russian News Agency reported on Thursday that the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation has offered to sell another batch of Su-35 fighter jets to China.

However, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese air defense expert, told the Global Times on Sunday that while China could indeed buy more Su-35s, they are not meant to replace older Chinese jets because the Russian aircraft is too expensive and China has too many old jets. The replacement will most likely be done by domestically made warplanes, he said.

Having already bought a batch of Su-35s previously, China does not need more to learn from it technically, Fu noted.

But if China indeed buys more, it would make the Chinese Air Force's logistical support for the warplane fleet more efficient as there would be more spare parts and dedicated personnel, Fu said, noting that economic and political factors might also play a part in the potential deal due to China and Russia's close relations, and a Chinese purchase would help boost Russia's aviation industry.

China previously purchased 24 Su-35 fighter jets for around $2.5 billion from Russia, which have all been delivered to China, TASS reported.

When asked at a routine press conference in November 2018 if all 24 Su-35s had been delivered, Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, didn't directly address the question but said that China and Russia's military technological cooperation projects are making steady progress as scheduled.

The fighter jets have since joined the People's Liberation Army Air Force service, conducting missions including patrols around the island of Taiwan and drills in the South China Sea.

Fu said the Su-35 is one of the best fourth generation fighter jets in the world, but is still no match for the most advanced fifth generation stealth planes like China's J-20.

Russia also offered China its fifth generation fighter jet Su-57, Jane's Defense Weekly reported in March.

The Chinese side has yet to announce any response to Russia's offers.

 

[JSCh]

Chinese AEW aircraft 50 percent more efficient than those used by US: report
By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2019/7/7 16:32:14

A KJ-2000 airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft takes off for a flight training exercise during the "Red Sword-2017" systemic confrontation training exercise held by the Chinese PLA Air Force in deep desert in late November, 2017. Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn

China's aerial early warning (AEW) aircraft are 50 percent more efficient than US ones in terms of electromagnetic resources utility, prompting military analysts to say on Sunday that the Chinese aircraft could retain maximum detection and communication capabilities even under strong hostile electromagnetic interference.

Tang Xiaobin, a senior scientist at the state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), developed an innovative theory on utilizing electromagnetic resources more efficiently and put it into use after she joined the Chinese AEW aircraft project in 1999, Beijing-based Science and Technology Daily reported on Friday.

Electromagnetic compatibility is a constant problem in electronic warfare, as strong radiation from electronic warfare antennas could interfere with other equipment on aircraft, resulting in a decrease in electromagnetic resources efficiency.

Usually these incompatibilities must be found and solved one by one, which takes a lot of time and is not applicable on the more complicated AEW aircraft, so Tang designed a methodology to consider the electromagnetic environment as a whole by separating different electromagnetic energies into two categories: One that boosts certain capabilities, and one that hinders certain capabilities.

Specifics on the methodology were not detailed in the report, but it said that the methodology helped Chinese AEW aircraft enjoy a 50 percent increase in electromagnetic resources utility efficiency compared with mainstream US AEW aircraft.

Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, told the Global Times on Sunday that AEW aircraft could face strong electromagnetic interference from enemy forces, and this methodology could help protect aircraft systems from such attacks without having compatibility problems of its own.

Thanks to this, China's AEW aircraft are more reliable (than US ones) and will always make the best of its electromagnetic resources, retaining its maximum detection and communication capabilities, Wei said.

China now operates multiple types of AEW aircraft including the KJ-200, KJ-500 and KJ-2000.

 

[Deino]

Chinese AEW aircraft 50 percent more efficient than those used by US: report
....

Sorry to say so, but quite a bolt and IMO unrealistic claim especially since the PLAAF surely does not know the true data of the US systems.

 

[055_destroyer]

Sorry to say so, but quite a bolt and IMO unrealistic claim especially since the PLAAF surely does not know the true data of the US systems.

Didn't US always claim China hack and steal their data? Obviously, US hack and intercept Japanese midway battle plan and know exactly where IJN were attacking. The Japanese did not tell American those Info, right?

 

[bahadur999]

Sorry to say so, but quite a bolt and IMO unrealistic claim especially since the PLAAF surely does not know the true data of the US systems.

There were a lot of articles in the past year regarding how Chinese systems are better than US ones. It is very hard to support these claims since they are not based on anything - Even if some of them are true.
I believe these articles are mainly for domestic purposes as well as Chinese allies like us (Pakistan) for reflecting technological power.

 

[Deino]

Seems as if the former 1st Division and its regiments are in transition?! The 2nd Brigade is in process of converting from J-10A to J-10C and now the 3rd Brigade from J-8F to J-16 ...what's next? Will the 1st Brigade be the next unit to get J-20?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1154321787397611520

 

[bahadur999]

Seems as if the former 1st Division and its regiments are in transition?! The 2nd Brigade is in process of converting from J-10A to J-10C and now the 3rd Brigade from J-8F to J-16 ...what's next? Will the 1st Brigade be the next unit to get J-20?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1154321787397611520

IMO, it will be much smarter for PLAAF to give a STC's unit the J-20. It will signal the West and Taiwan that China means business in the SCS.
BTW, are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Bgd all under the same base?

 

[Deino]

IMO, it will be much smarter for PLAAF to give a STC's unit the J-20. It will signal the West and Taiwan that China means business in the SCS.
BTW, are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Bgd all under the same base?

Indeed ... and if for the STC I expected this the 4th Brigade.

 

[lcloo]

What type of aircraft mix is more effective in a brigade? 8 X J20 + 24 X J16, or 16 X J20 +16 X J16?

 

[Deino]

What type of aircraft mix is more effective in a brigade? 8 X J20 + 24 X J16, or 16 X J20 +16 X J16?

From what I unterstand, the regulär Brigades are using only one type, however there are rumours that suggest, yhat the PLAAF wanted some sort of mixed type brigades. An example is the 176th at Dingxin which comprises one squadron (?) of J-16, J-10C and J-20 ... however it could be a that this is due to being a trails unit.

 

[aliaselin]

IMO, it will be much smarter for PLAAF to give a STC's unit the J-20. It will signal the West and Taiwan that China means business in the SCS.
BTW, are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Bgd all under the same base?

This is big misunderstood about our strategy. Taiwan and the peninsule are much more important in our strategy and PLA takes offensive stance on them, while with less focus on SCS and our western border.

 

[bahadur999]

This is big misunderstood about our strategy. Taiwan and the peninsule are much more important in our strategy and PLA takes offensive stance on them, while with less focus on SCS and our western border.

True but China doesn't need J-20 for Taiwan. You can crash Taiwan with much lower quality of equipments. J-20 is for the big games.

 

[aliaselin]

True but China doesn't need J-20 for Taiwan. You can crash Taiwan with much lower quality of equipments. J-20 is for the big games.

The most advanced weapons are prepared for US's interference. For SCS and the west, China want to make peace and solve the problem through negotiation, while Taiwan not.