J-35A fighter (PLAAF) + FC-31 thread

[minime]

J-20 is a 2017 aircraft, 2018 in it's current form(more or less).
Expecting the same level of stealth and avionics from it as from a 2025 aircraft is quite... optimistic.
What is J-20A in this case?

Flankers aren't stealth. Was proven again just today.

They can do stand-in, which is much, much more.
And they can launch stand off from their bays, too. Just smaller.

By J-20 I mean J-20 family. J-20 can upgrade avionics to J-20A standard if needed.
At the current rate, J-20A or better will make up 70%+ of J-20 family at production ends. It's the opposite of J-10 production run.
As for stealth, I believe as long as they are in the same league, incremental improvement it's not that important.

 

[Gloire_bb]

By J-20 I mean J-20 family. J-20 can upgrade avionics to J-20A standard if needed.

This is a big if. We don't know.
Personally, count me very sceptical that it'll be possible to bring J-20 to J-20A standard.
Engines, different, onboard power rating, different, whole airframe is different.

At the current rate, J-20A or better will make up 70%+ of J-20 family at production ends. It's the opposite of J-10 production run.

I wonder. We haven't seen them in service, i.e. it appears this project actually runs behind J-35a.
Hard to tell why, but we haven't seen gray J-20A yet. Hopefully, soon.

As for stealth, I believe as long as they are in the same league, incremental improvement it's not that important.

I wonder.
Let's imagine, for example, J-35A with GaN radar, improved onboard power from WS-19s(super cruising, too), and, say, half an order of magnitude lower RCS(smaller, no canards, cleaner later finish with next generation rams, taking j-20 experience as a base point).

J-35A may in fact easily come superior.

 

[dingyibvs]

J-20 is a 2017 aircraft, 2018 in it's current form(more or less).
Expecting the same level of stealth and avionics from it as from a 2025 aircraft is quite... optimistic/pessimistic, depending on the point of view.
But what is J-20A in this case?

Flankers aren't stealth. Was proven again just today.

They can do stand-in, which is much, much more.
And they can launch stand off from their bays, too. Just smaller.

The first J-35 prototype/TD was seen in 2012, a little over one year after the first J-20 prototype/TD was revealed. Just because it took many more years for the PLA to take interest in the J-35 doesn't mean it's that much more advanced.

 

[valysre]

The first J-35 prototype/TD was seen in 2012, a little over one year after the first J-20 prototype/TD was revealed. Just because it took many more years for the PLA to take interest in the J-35 doesn't mean it's that much more advanced.

You say this as if SAC has sat on the thing for the past decade and not made any improvements whatsoever until one day PLAN decided to bring it out of a dusty warehouse and brush it off for service.

Edit: Looking at the J-35 thread in the Naval section; you'll see pretty that one of the first indications that the aircraft was to be adopted into service was news that work was being done to upgrade internal subsystems like the sensor suite.

 

[SinoAmericanCW]

The first J-35 prototype/TD was seen in 2012, a little over one year after the first J-20 prototype/TD was revealed. Just because it took many more years for the PLA to take interest in the J-35 doesn't mean it's that much more advanced.

The FC-31 was just a technology demonstrator; the first J-35 prototype had its maiden flight in October 2021.

 

[AndrewS]

There are many considerations in procurement decisions. I don’t think people here are saying j35a is bad.


that is fine. I am not making long term projections on how many of each aircraft will be procured. Just poking holes on this assertion that CAC cannot go over 100 per year because guancha folks they were overworked last year.

And I think if production is already at 150, then both J35 & J20 production will be higher than we previously projected.

J-20 production is up to 150 now?

 

[tphuang]

J-20 production is up to 150 now?

no, Ayi's Weibo post said 5th generation production is very soon reaching 150 per year. As such, some portion of that will be from J-35 family.
That is a large part of the discussion we have had here.

 

[thinkerls]

Sell J-35s to Pakistan and India will be forced to acquire 5th gens fighters in the hundreds, possibly F-35s by mid 2030s.

Hearing talks of giving J-35s to Pakistans for deferred debt payments [aka for free] is probably one of the most stupid geopolitical moves by China I've ever seen. Of course this hasn't been officially confirmed yet by Chinese officials so who knows where the truth actual lies.

China shouldn't rush this process for India in forcing them to upgrade. By upping the balance in favor of their true nemesis Pakistan, that's what China will be doing.

If the news is true, the deployment of HQ-19 in Pakistan is a geopolitical exchange in this deal. Like South Korea's THAAD, the HQ-19's monitoring range will cover South Asia and even the Middle East, creating a huge strategic early warning space for China.

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

This is a big if. We don't know.
Personally, count me very sceptical that it'll be possible to bring J-20 to J-20A standard.
Engines, different, onboard power rating, different, whole airframe is different.

Though, even if future upgrades are able to bring the J-20 to 80-90% the capability of the J-20A, then that should be plenty good enough.

Besides, it is expected that the J-20As will also be continuously upgraded throughout their service life, so there's that.

 

[Hermes]

If the news is true, the deployment of HQ-19 in Pakistan is a geopolitical exchange in this deal. Like South Korea's THAAD, the HQ-19's monitoring range will cover South Asia and even the Middle East, creating a huge strategic early warning space for China.

Exactly.

People fail to understand that HQ-19’ placement in Pakistan and direct connectivity with Chinese satellites will essentially provide China with real time activities in the Indian ocean, India, Arabian sea, Iran and some portion if Middle east.

The price of the system doesn’t matter at all in this context.