JH-7/JH-7A Thread

[Subedei]

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As for stationing JH7s on Woody Island, well why bother? One of the JH7A's primary design requirements was that it has range to conduct operations over the disputed SCS islands when operating from Hainan island. This thing has so much range the PLAAF didn't even bother to put an IRF probe on it.

If need be, JH7As could conduct strike operations on any SCS disputed islands from Hainan, so why place them on Woody Island and heighten tensions and actually put them in harm's way?

If the PLA did not see the need to station JH7s (or any fighters) on Woody Island in the past or present, there is even less need to do so in the future with the Varyag and indigenous Chinese carriers due to come online within the decade.

Truth be told, stationing fighters on Woody, or any island down there would be more trouble than they are worth. The islands are too small to disperse and hide aircraft, and too close to potential attackers to allow you enough warning to be sure you could get most of your birds in the air in the event of a surprise attack without having to spend a fortune keeping planes and crews on alert 5 status or something alone those lines.

If you put aircraft on the islands, you will also be obliged to put a lot of high end air defense on them, and then more troops/marines to protect all this hardware and pretty soon those islands will look like armed camps that cost you a small fortune to keep supplied. With so much men and equipment stationed on small islands, you make it that much easier for an enemy to just blockade and starve you out.

The only time you need to station fixed wing aircraft on those islands is if you were looking to use them as springboards to launch amphibious assaults of your own on the home islands of the Philippines or Indonesia etc as happened during WWII. That is another reason for not stationing aircraft there - it sends entirely the wrong message.

Seems the events of the past weeks prove your analysis of the SCS situation is somewhat lacking in understanding of Chinese intentions and methods. The newly established Chinese prefecture of Sansha city has its centre of government located on... WOODY ISLAND. Wow, how prescient of me. I would suggest that, more than likely, this is an initial step in establishing a permanent military presence on WOODY ISLAND, on which, by the way, according to Wikipedia, the Chinese "in July 1990, completed, a 2,700-metre runway that is capable of handling any third-generation fighter aircraft of the Chinese airforce such as the Sukhoi Su-30MKK", and also, in fact, the JH-7A.

Sometimes, it might be wisest to consider objective actualities in our analyses as opposed to subjective presumptions. The Chinese government, I'm quite certain, has not invested infrastructural development and political capital into WOODY ISLAND simply to use it as a helopad. Recent developments suggest, to me, that WOODY ISLAND, the seat of government of the newly established Sansha city, will become a major SCS PLAN airbase, and that, eventually, Su-30 MKKs, J-11BHs, and JH-7As will be stationed there.

Attachment 6716

[plawolf]

Seems the events of the past weeks prove your analysis of the SCS situation is somewhat lacking in understanding of Chinese intentions and methods. The newly established Chinese prefecture of Sansha city has its centre of government located on... WOODY ISLAND. Wow, how prescient of me.

Where exactly did you predict that China would establish a new prefecture that includes Woody Island? And where did I object to such a prediction if it was made?

I would suggest that, more than likely, this is an initial step in establishing a permanent military presence on WOODY ISLAND, on which, by the way, according to Wikipedia, the Chinese "in July 1990, completed, a 2,700-metre runway that is capable of handling any third-generation fighter aircraft of the Chinese airforce such as the Sukhoi Su-30MKK", and also, in fact, the JH-7A.

Firstly, you don't need to 'suggest' anything, since the Chinese have already announced that they will establish a garrison and military command on Woody Island.

Secondly, I would not take anything written on wikipedia as a solid or reliable source since literally anyone could have written that entry.

To my knowledge, the PLAAF or PLANAF have never landed any Su30MKKs on Woody Island before.

The runway could no doubt handle any fighters in the PLAAF or PLANAF, but that is very different to suggesting that fighters will be based there.

The Chinese government, I'm quite certain, has not invested infrastructural development and political capital into WOODY ISLAND simply to use it as a helopad.

Well, I think your own comment is the best response to the above speculation on your part.

Sometimes, it might be wisest to consider objective actualities in our analyses as opposed to subjective presumptions.

Facts suggest that the Chinese government has invested infrastructural development on Woody Island so that they could establish a political seat of government on the island and likely establish a small naval base for Corvettes and patrol ships.

The runway on Woody Island could accommodate fighters, but helicopters would be more useful and less intimidating.

Recent developments suggest, to me, that WOODY ISLAND, the seat of government of the newly established Sansha city, will become a major SCS PLAN airbase, and that, eventually, Su-30 MKKs, J-11BHs, and JH-7As will be stationed there.

Attachment 6716

Let's look at the objective facts shall we?

China has done significant construction work on Woody Island recently and has stated it's plans to establish a new prefecture level city of Sansha, which has it's political and military headquarters based on Woody island.

However, if you had bothered to look at the satellite images of Woody Island and compared them to pictures before all the new construction work, you would realize that there has been very little work done on the runway. They built a new sea barrier to better protect it from the elements, and added a new small complex with what looks like two basketball courts with a new road that loads to the airfield, but that's about it.

The airfield still only has the four hangers, and there is not a shred of evidence to suggest that any work has been done to make it capable of handling even a modest number of fighters. So much for major naval airbase.

The bulk of the construction work has been focused on the building of a new harbor, it does not take a great deal of deductive reasoning to conclude that the new military presence is likely to be primarily naval as opposed to air power.

Woody Island's runway has been built with military fast jets in mind, but that is only a contingency for emergencies as opposed to a result of plans to base fighters there from the start. Had the Chinese wanted to base fighters there, they would have before now. Even if tensions escalate to the point where Beijing decides a fighter base on Woody Island is required, it will be J10s or J11s that will be based there, not JH7s.

Since we are on the subject of recent developments, remind me which battlefleet did the PLAN dispatch to deal with the Scarborough Shoal stand-off?

The PLAN is so vastly superior to all regional rivals in the SCS that there is no need to flex muscles to prove China's military superiority since that has never been in doubt. If anything, China has been extra careful to not even give the hint that it is flexing it's muscles in the region as the likes of the Philippines are transparently trying to provoke any kind of rise out of China so they can run and try to drag the Americans into the disputes.

Another recent development you seem to have not considered is the ongoing sea trials of the Varyag.

Why would the PLAN need to establish a naval air base on Woody Island when they will soon be able to park an aircraft carrier in the region if they really want to put the frighteners on someone?

Precious little have happened in the 4 months or so since I wrote that post you are quoting to suggest that the Chinese have any intention of setting up a new fighter base on Woody Island.

If anything, the evidence points to the PLAN being smart enough to realize when China's interest would be best served with them resisting the urge to get involved, and that has paid off. There is little reason and no evidence for China to suddenly abandon that winning formula now.

[Geographer]

I agree with plawolf that Woody Island is not meant as a major airbase. It is not large enough nor close enough to the Spratly Islands to be useful, and turning it into an airbase would needlessly raise tensions. Woody Island is the largest of the Paracel Islands 270km from Hainan Island, 630km from the northern most Spratly Island, and 1,000km from the southern most island controlled by Malaysia. Basing strike fighters only 270km closer to the Spratly Islands is a small advantage in range and payload.

So far we have not seen any evidence of improving the airfield on Woody Island. There has been significant development in a third protected and dredged harbor and constructing many more multi-story buildings to house the crews, but between 2005 and 2012 there were barely any improvements to the airfield. China clearly values Woody Island more as a naval base for patrol ships than as an airbase.

The civilian side of Woody Island is just as important. For any country to claim territory, it has to control, occupy, and develop it. It can't simply be a military outpost, it must have some economic purpose. For Woody Island, that is to be the administrative center of the South China Sea islands as well as fishing. The more China improves the island and makes it "home" to thousands of Chinese citizens who pass through it, the more their claim will be accepted and recognized by the rest of the world. I do not see Vietnam ever regaining the Paracel Islands.

[A.Man]

JH-7A's Female Pilots

http://slide.mil.news.sina.com.cn/sl...16786.html#p=1

[ludasmatyi]

mystery_9.jpg
Let's give it up to those wall climbers in China who really deserves.

[Totoro]

so, another regiment of jh7a to stand up in the coming months? any indication whether it will be plaaf of planaf?

[blacklist]

mystery_9.jpg
Let's give it up to those wall climbers in China who really deserves.

somehow resemble A4.

is it PLA's future carrier borne aircraft ?

[no_name]

It's a fighter-bomber and introduced in 1992. These new pics supposedly show them utilizing composite materials for parts of the airframe.

I wonder if the radar is different too.

[escobar]

[siegecrossbow]

The above photos were taken by an active member on CJDBY.

[escobar]

live-fire drill

[franco-russe]

11062, 11163, that is 5 Div 15 Regt Weifang, Jinan MRAF.

[escobar]

KD-88

[franco-russe]

so, another regiment of jh7a to stand up in the coming months? any indication whether it will be plaaf of planaf?

It is very unlikely that it will PLANAF, as they already have 5 regiments and no regiment screaming for replacements (even the single J-7EH regiment, 8 Div 24 Regt Jialai, only got their current planes in 2010, when they were handed down from 4 Div 10 Regt Zhuangqiao, when this regiment converted to J-10AH/SH).

I would be looking for PLAAF's Nanning Base or Dalian Base (Urumqi Base just got 110 Bde Urumqi with JH-7A).

[tphuang]

It is very unlikely that it will PLANAF, as they already have 5 regiments and no regiment screaming for replacements (even the single J-7EH regiment, 8 Div 24 Regt Jialai, only got their current planes in 2010, when they were handed down from 4 Div 10 Regt Zhuangqiao, when this regiment converted to J-10AH/SH).

I would be looking for PLAAF's Nanning Base or Dalian Base (Urumqi Base just got 110 Bde Urumqi with JH-7A).

It's actually pretty amazing how well PLANAF is equipped with 3rd generation planes (JH-7, flankers or J-10) compared of PLAAF.