Hi I have a question for learned members and that’s is when can we see HMDS and related missiles with
Chinese fighters specially j10 as we are seeing j10c flying out and b versions of j11 and j16 alas no HMDS
So is there anything going on to come out soon or something not working
Some details from the senior members will be appreciated
As my thoughts are it’s not a big deal for China to take out something related to the query
Thank you
There have been several different models displayed over the years, some of which looks pretty much on par with the latest western offerings.
I believe the key issues are weight and costs, as well as the speed of Chinese advancement.
There have been a lot of complaints by western air forces and pilots about the weight and increased risk of neck injuries associated with wearing HMD, especially during high-G manoeuvres and ejections.
Chinese pilots, being generally slighter in size, would be probably be more affected by the weight increase on average.
HMDs are also not cheap, with the ones used on the Z10 costing over a million yuan.
Making a lighter more compact version of that fit for fighters will probably increase the price significantly.
With the speed of Chinese technological advancement, the PLAAF is probably seeing so many better models in testing and developing that they are happy waiting a few more years if that means they get a product that is better, cheaper and won’t endanger their pilots.
As with most things to do with the PLA, just because we don’t see it in open source material doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have it.
I would be shocked if the PLAAF doesn’t have a fieldable HMS in stores that could be mass issued in times of war.
I suspect the PLAAF would have stocks of reversed engineered and modified verions of the rudimentary but effect HMS from their Su27s, or something indigenous that works along the same lines; which is a clip-on attachment that should in theory be able to work with any helmet that has the right mounts.
That won’t have the advanced display features of modern HMD, but would allow PLAAF pilots to cue and fire high offbroadside AAMs, which is the main point in any case.
The technology is easily within their capabilities, and all their latest dogfighting missiles have high off-broadside engagement capability, so it would be silly to insist they haven’t got the means to use that feature on their missiles.
Either the PLA has classed HMS/D as secret, so they are kept out of sight when TV crews and photographers are on base; or the ones the PLAAF are using now are just straight copies of the Su27 HMS, and people just assumed they were looking at Russian made originals when they saw footage of them.
