J-15 carrier-borne fighter thread
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
No question about it the J15 is a massive aircraft
Should see a JF-17 next it looks tiny lol
Should see a JF-17 next it looks tiny lol
It looks like such an obvious answer, yet for several years it has set there and this type of movement has not occurred.
Either there is something wrong with the aircraft which we are unaware of, or their are high level and high stakes internal politics going on behind the scenes.
There's a lot more to this story than we know.
Indeed, if PLAN were interested in having J-31 to be their future carrier-based aircraft, even just as one of the contenders, they should fund the continual development of this aircraft. But they're not, it appears. We still have not seen a version 2 yet, and SAC continues to shop for foreign customers on exhibition.
Its not that hard to figure, the USN is happily driving the FA-18 Super Hornets on and off the decks of US Carriers, the J-15 is a BRAND SPANKING NEW airplane, it is an awesome airplane, and probably the BEST FLANKER yet. It will haul a load, it is a horse, and when the day comes to use it, it will do a lot more than the Mig-29K, or the J-31, which I like.
The Flanker is a Big Airplane, and it has LONG LEGS with a load, take off with a combat load, top it up at altitude, and let er go.
Nothing wrong with FC-31 or J-31, but they are babies, the J-15 is a very mature aircraft, in a very mature program, it could be easily updated, we don't really know how stealthy the J-20 actually is, much less the J-31, so why trade "pie in the sky", for an airplane that is a "known winner". Once the J-15S begins to be produced in some quantity, it will have very similar capabilities to the F-15E, use it for "Top Cap" or long haul grocery delivery, it will be equally happy, and be able to ostensibly "fight its way home".
Unless it runs into an F-22 or F-35, very slim chance now or in the near future, it will take you all the way. To counter the J-15, will require a bird with fuel, and while we can do that, it takes lots of advance planning to set that up. Now once the Navy boards the F-35B and F-35C, that will change slightly, and yes I do think the F-35 is a very lethal threat to every 4Gen or 4Gen +++, and even the the J-20 or PAK-FA.
But all things considered, the big Water Baby has been very good to the PLANAF, it is the best airplane they have ever flown, it is all theirs, and they will not give it up for "pie in the sky", just NOT going to happen. I would bet my last Franklin, (if I still had one), that the PLAN aviators LOVE this airplane!
Now if the USN were to wake up tomorrow morning and say, we've got to replace all these Hornets, the PLAN might take a step back and reconsider, but that's NOT going to happen.
I agree in the main.
My issue is hat with the two STOBAR carriers, and with deck space at a real premium, the J-15 is just a huge aircraft.
That gives is some advantages as a result of its size, which you did an excellent job of pointing out, along with its other fine features.
But the J-31, depending on its capabilities (which we really do no know) is a smaller aircraft and could put a lot more aircraft on a carrier like CV-16, or the new one, CV-17.
When you get to the larger carriers that are CATOBAR, this articular issues is not so great...but it is still there.
It is interesting to note, that the Russians, for their single carrier that has the same flight deck as the Chinese Liaoning, the Russians are now going the Mig-29K route for just these reasons.
The Mig-29K is also based on a very mature kinematic design that has been improved/modernized significantly...and after now seeing it perform off of the Indian carrier, the Russians are going to use this modern Mig-29K to replace the SU-33s on the Kuznetsov over time.
And they will end up getting quite a few more aircraft on deck and in the hangar as a result.
he J-31, if it were avaialable and capable could do the same for the Chiense, only in a 5th gen, much more stealthy bird.
That's why I made my original statement...they are not doing it. They are not going there. Therefore, I figure that either the aircraft's true performance envelope is not there, or there is some unknown to us technical issue...or it is mired in some steep politics.
Whatever, the Chinese do have a very effective and capable bird in the J-15. When they get to the CATOBAR carriers it will only be better for them.
Agreed, I believe the real issue is that the J-31/FC-31 are in their infancy, they really are not viable combat aircraft at this time, and likely would not be for at least 5-10 years.
The Liaoning will likely operate with 500 miles or so of the coast, maybe 1000, and at those ranges it would not be a big deal to fly-out to the carrier additional aircraft/attrition aircraft, and fly aircraft needing periodic maintenance ashore, as those hangar bays are so small. So I suggest that 8-12 aircraft will be maintained aboard the Liaoning and 8-16 aircraft ashore, in a periodic rotation.
They have been very pragmatic in their approach so far, and I see this approach continuing as long as there is no imminent viable threat.
As to the Russians, I believe they went with the Mig-29K largely because they wanted to sell it to the Indians, and the Indian purchase in part or in whole funded their own aircraft acquisition??
Cost is probably the main reason for the Russian Mig-29K decision. India's acquisition already took care of the development costs and India's order enabled Russia to gain some economy of scale & lower per aircraft cost as well.