In simple english for simple brains like you - Im comparing the level of indigenousation and tech offered by J-10 from a single national vendor (china) to the same from US on the global market.
I have repeatedly said Im comparing the tech china has for export (J-10) to what US has for export (F-35). The conclusion of that point was that the No.1 reason for Chinese J-10 not gaining a single export customer as yet in a competitive selection process was not becoz of fearing tech leaks or anything, it was coz the export customers in question had better products on offer and went ahead with them.
This is one of the most moron-ish discussions one can get into. Anyway, my last post and a bit of a reality check. One comparing J-10 to F-35....is stupid to say the least. The US aviation industry has been evolving since the WWI. So an industry that has pioneered the flight technology to a country that's becoming a bigger power now....is silly.
SECOND AND THE MOST IMPORTANT: China, Russia, the UK or ANYONE else on the planet doesn't, can't and won't match the US technology for at least the next one or two decades. It sounds arrogant but its a reality check. J-20, PakFa, FgFa, Rafale or anything...doesn't match the F-22 or the F-35. That's a fact and it'll remain as such. Sure, within the next 10 years or so, the Chinese aviation industry will come ways ahead but still...there will be differences. The US military industrial complex has preserved itself at the top stop in the worse financial crisis and yet kept advancing.
Now, once the above is settled in your mind that the US and Chinese top line jets (F-22 and F-35 vs. J-10) have no comparison and that the US will always be more advanced..... let's move on:
Within the next decade however, from the signs of it, China will take over as the second largest and most advanced aviation industry / jet producer. From their designs and advancement, it is clear that they are becoming rapidly indifferent than the Russians. Russians never let go of their old designs and 'quantity' instead of gaining quality in military warfare. China, since the year 2000 has gotten away from it.
The fact that China is working on three different Stealth programs, advanced twin engine jets, jet engines, BVR's, Ramjet and Hypersonic technologies (some even in infancy), etc, etc, tells us that they are no longer believing in quantity of crappy equipment (i.e. 2000 mig 21's (F-7's and A-5's) around their coastline).
Now technology is what they are hungry for and they will definitely see success. But note, that the modern air warfare industry in the US really took off after the lessons learned from the Vietnam war. But the Chinese industry really took off around 2000 when they started to test the J-10A.
So you are comparing almost 35 years of work (Vietnam all the way to 2000, when the F-22 was in designs) to 12 years (2000 - J-10's testing till today, 2012). That's a pretty stupid analysis.
But there is a point, within the 12 years of modernization, the Chinese are now working on stuff that the US got to work after 30 - 40 years of R&D and constant upgrades to its jets, engines, avionics, etc. The pioneers always bear the most cost and pain.
The first guy who invents the wheel pays the most in R&D and feels the most pain and THUS, makes the most money. The pioneer's BRAND is well known and established and everyone wants it.
The second and the third person is and will always remain at no: 2 or 3 spot. They may have better products but still....they weren't the pioneers. But they do make money. Similarly, the prioneer is the US and will remain the US. The next number two's and three's are Russia and the Chinese going forward. China will take the number 2 spot. Previously, there were the French, the Israelis, the UK, etc too. But these are much smaller markets. Also, Chinese needs are so massive that for the next decade or so, they can just build and replace their old jets. They don't need to find export customers right this second. But that's just a matter of WHEN not IF.
