J-10 Thread IV

[Schwerter_]

Su-27 and J-11A are single seater heavy fighter aircraft. I think it is more likely they will be replaced by J-20 than J-16.
J-16 will replace the JH-7 and maybe Su-30MKK.
I think it is unlikely we will see J-16 replace J-7, J-8 or J-10.

But we have seen a number of units transition from single seat platforms to J-16, so this argument kind of doesn’t make sense?

 

[minusone]

Su-27 and J-11A are single seater heavy fighter aircraft. I think it is more likely they will be replaced by J-20 than J-16.
J-16 will replace the JH-7 and maybe Su-30MKK.
I think it is unlikely we will see J-16 replace J-7, J-8 or J-10.

J20S will replace J16

 

[Deino]

J20S will replace J16

Surely not - at least not yet ... you don't replace a type that it still in production after only a few years with yet another type, even more as long as the WS-15 is not ready.

 

[Deino]

I am referring to the grey/gereenish what looks like composite material that makes up part of the spine and part of the fuselage next to it. This is the crux of my question.

Please just bear with me for just one second.

My questions is about that section of the spine in grey/green. My theory is that it is composite because it needs to be so that some EM signal can pass through. This would not be needed by a smoke generator for air shows, I assume.

If that theory is true, I think it indicates this:

The internals have already been re-arranged to move avionics there. I.e. a redesign of the internals has already happened.

Which leads me to this:

If we have a new internal arrangement, surely that can lead to extended range.

That’s it, just want to know what’s wrong with that theory?

Sorry to contradict, but why should the green part of the sine be translucent for EM and as such be some sort of EW-device, when otherwise the green part of the fuselage - as on all J-10s before and JF-17s - is said to be made of CFK and related to fuel cells?

Surely the whole centre-body is not a huge EW-emitter!

 

[minusone]

Surely not - at least not yet ... you don't replace a type that it still in production after only a few years with yet another type, even more as long as the WS-15 is not ready.

J20's scale up production has already resulted in shut down of J11 production line due to functional overlap.
It's just a no brainer that the same will happen to J16 once J20S is ready to be commisioned.

 

[Deino]

J20's scale up production has already resulted in shut down of J11 production line due to functional overlap.
It's just a no brainer that the same will happen to J16 once J20S is ready to be commisioned.

Maybe I don't get your point but first, J-11 production was halted already some time ago and second, you don't replace just recently formed J-16s units within a few years after commissioning with de facto brand-new aircraft fresh from the factory only since a better twin-seater - aka the J-20AS - is available even more when there are still hundreds of old J-7, J-8 and J-10A units operational.

What I can accept, that certain J-16 units will transition to J-20A/J-10AS units - in the same way currently the 5th, 8th and 56th air brigades are being converted from J-10B/C models to the J-20A - and the J-16 will replace older J-10A and whatever.

 

[minusone]

Maybe I don't get your point but first, J-11 production was halted already some time ago and second, you don't replace just recently formed J-16s units within a few years after commissioning with de facto brand-new aircraft fresh from the factory only since a better twin-seater - aka the J-20AS - is available even more when there are still hundreds of old J-7, J-8 and J-10A units operational.

What I can accept, that certain J-16 units will transition to J-20A/J-10AS units - in the same way currently the 5th, 8th and 56th air brigades are being converted from J-10B/C models to the J-20A - and the J-16 will replace older J-10A and whatever.

The production rate of J20 has already surpassed J16 if you haven't noticed.

~ 200+ : 250+, it used to be 40+ : 200+ two years ago. It seems like the PLAAF had been restricting the order for j16 for reason unknown. On the contrary, you can tell the PLAAF can't wait to get more J20 out of CAC.

 

[lcloo]

J20's scale up production has already resulted in shut down of J11 production line due to functional overlap.
It's just a no brainer that the same will happen to J16 once J20S is ready to be commisioned.

J20 serves different roles from J16. J20 will not replaced J16, just as a new electric bus will not replace a dump truck.

If there is a new aircraft that will replace J16, it would be a JH-XX, which would have full strike capability plus may be multi-role. The loyal wingman + J20S combination is not yet a reality, and is not in mass production.

 

[gelgoog]

China has a much larger requirement for fighters and interceptors than dedicated fighter bombers. It is to be expected that production for J-20 is higher. It is basically a replacement for J-11 and see how many of those China has. Close to 500. I think the only reason J-20 started out with lower production was lack of Chinese engine for it and the fact it was a whole new airframe to produce by Chengdu. Compare that with Shenyang which had already huge experience building Flankers.

I also think people underestimate J-20 ground attack capabilities. It is quite likely fully multirole from the start.

 

[reservior dogs]

J20's scale up production has already resulted in shut down of J11 production line due to functional overlap.
It's just a no brainer that the same will happen to J16 once J20S is ready to be commisioned.

As others pointed out here, J-16 serves a different role compared to J-20. The advantages of J-16 are,

1. It is cheaper to operate. There is no need to apply RAM coating etc. and to house it at special hangers.
2. It carries far more payload due to not needing to be stealthy.
3. It is multi-role, having two people onboard will help with ground attack operations. While there is already a two seater variant for the J-20, at least thus far, the Chinese have not made all of their J-20 two seaters.
4. Available production capability means the Chinese can increase the size of the fleet much faster if both are produced. You can only have so much production capability for a given plane. Once you invested the cost of the production line, you will want to make best use of it while what you produce is still relevant. This even more true if you consider the initial limitation of the WS-15 when it becomes available. It would mostly be allocated to J-20 and there would be a limitation of how many are produced.
5. There are other use of the plane where the J-16 is more than good enough to do the job. The Sino-Indian border is one such case.

Even the U.S. with our fleet of F-22 and F-35, are still producing F-15s for our military today.