What do these two events have in common?
Chinese aircraft industry and space industry, during much of this year, spared
no efforts to finish, by November, its projects with the best prospects; they would
become "gifts" to CPC Congress and the central items at the airshow, which began in 1996 and takes place every two years.
Remarkably, according to the practice of the airshow of 1996, 1998 and 2000,
the military or "dual use" items represented at Zhuhai Airshow – aircraft,
fighter missile, space devices, air-defense missile system – usually go into
serial production and get the guaranteed market. Usually, the People's Liberation Army becomes a
major customer of such a "hit item."
Let’s look for several "hit items" to be represented in Zhuhai this
November.
Initial messages indicating that China could display its J-10 fighter, for
the first time, at the Zhuhai Airshow 2002 have been published by Western media
(Jane’s Defense Weekly, etc.) in mid-March. The essence of messages was
as follows:
Built by Chengdu (capital of southwestern Sichuan province) Aircraft
Industrial Corp., J-10 is a rival to fourth-generation Western fighters,
primarily the U.S. F-16. Single-engine, single-seat, multi-role J-10 will provide
significant advance for PLA Air Force, which will operate J-10 fighter
alongside its fleet of Su-27SK and SU-30 MKK fighters. This could
additionally shift the military balance, to PLA advantage, in Taiwan Strait.
J-10, with maximum takeoff weight of 18,400 kg, will be powered by a single
Lyulka Saturn AL-31FN turbofan with maximum output of around 125.5 kN (around
14,000 kg thrust). It is a miniaturized and upgraded copy of AL-31F used at
SU-27 and SU-30 fighters (each SU-series fighter uses two AL-31F engines).
At
the end of 2001, China received a party of 54 AL-31FN engines, suggesting an
initial production run of around 50 J-10 fighters. In all the major
characteristics, J-10 matches or even slightly surpasses J-16.
J-10 will have 11 hard points for missile deployments, so it will carry a
variety of short- and medium-range air-to-air, air-to-surface and anti-ship
missiles of Chinese and Russian origin. Sophisticated fuel tanks characterize
J-10; this expands the fighter’s operational range and improves its combat
flexibility. J-10 avionics (radars, etc.) - mostly of Russian origin - are also
comparatively advanced. J-10 fuselage is based on improved design of Israeli
Lavi fighter (this project was terminated by Israel in mid-1980s).
Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp. is engaged in J-10 R&D, with very heavy
Russian technological assistance, from the end of 1980s. By the end of 2001,
between six and 10 units of J-10 have been manufactured. In 2000-2001, they
underwent intensive flight-testing. It is supposed that, by 2010, PLA Air
Force (PLAAF) would obtain between 300 and 500 J-10. (end of messages)
Jiefanjun Bao, official edition of PLA, on June 15 published new
information on the same item. According to this article, J-10 development
was, generally, finished in 2000. By mid-2002, after a year-and-a-half of
testing and improvements, this attack fighter was under production, in
Chengdu city, and close to entering PLA service.
Finally, on Sept. 1, Renmin Ribao and Xinhua agency published the
following very important message (briefly; comments of Hong Kong and Taiwan media
are used also):
China will unveil its most advanced fighter, J-10, at Airshow China 2002 to
be held in Zhuhai from Nov. 4 to 10. Production of the first party,
including 50 units of J-10, started at the beginning of 2002. This fighter,
equipped with advanced radar Zhuk-10PD (produced by Moscow-based Fazotron
Corp.) and improved AL-31FN engine (produced by Moscow Salute plant), is
especially effective at low-altitude and mid-altitude combat missions.
The development of this fighter, the improved copy of Soviet MIG-33 (which
R&D was terminated due to absence of money at the beginning of 1990s),
started at Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp., in 1994-95.
More exactly, MIG-33
designers resumed this terminated project in Moscow under supervision of
experts from Chengdu city and with financing from PLA. In 1995, Chengdu Corp.
purchased 100 units advanced RD-93 jet engines, for the future FC-1, at
Klimov Aircraft Corp. in St. Petersburg.
In 1997-98, Pakistani Air Forces joined this project; Pakistan provided
significant part of R&D financing and is obliged to purchase one half of the
future FC-1 production. Despite all the efforts, the project dealt with a lot
of problems, and only at the beginning of 2001 did it enter the last stage.
In mid-June 2002, it became known, from Beijing and Taibei sources, that the
FC-1 fighter – to be used by PLA Air Force in the Taiwan Strait and South
China Sea as well as by the Pakistani air force along the border with India – will
enter serial production in 2003.
It was emphasized that Pakistan, and probably some other developing countries, would pay $25 million for each
FC-1, characterized by high combat capacities at low altitude and combat
range (with the return to the same airdrome after mission accomplished) of
1,500 km.
Finally, on Sept. 14-19, Xinhua agency, Renmin Ribao and other leading
Beijing papers published a series of messages regarding "final success" of
FC-1 project (briefly):
Live-size model of jointly developed by China and Pakistan FC-1 fighter will
be represented, together with J-10 fighter and other most significant
achievements of Chinese aircraft and space industry, at Zhuhai Airshow 2002.
On Sept. 16, FC-1 fighter officially entered production at Chengdu
Aircraft Industry Corp., thus becoming a "gift" to CPC 16th Congress. It is a
real fighter of the new (fourth) generation eligible for PLAAF service and
for export. As an all-weather, multi-use light fighter, it is equipped with
advanced electronic system and could launch medium-range missile and carry
out air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-ship attacks.
FC-1 can carry
up to six missiles including such air-to-air short-range and mid-range
missiles as Chinese-made PL-5C, PL-9 and Russian-made R-27P.
FC-1 has the length of 14 m, height of 5.1 m, wingspan of 9 m; it has full
takeoff weight of 12,700 kg including 3,800-kg weapon load, maximal ceiling
of 16,500 m, maximal speed 1.6 Mach (2,000 km per hour).
In 1982-86, the author worked as a senior engineer at Moscow
Machine-Building Salute Plant. The author, with great interest,
surveyed a very detailed report from this plant, published in mid-September,
in Moscow-based Nezavismoye Voyennoye Obozreniye (Independent Military
Survey) weekly paper. Shortly:
Situation at Salute Plant, extremely bad in 1990s, dramatically improved in
2000-2002. This took place due to serial production and export of
Liulka-Saturn AL-31FN turbofan engine. Number of Salute employees increased,
by mid-2002, up to 12,000, and they are getting an average salary of $400 a
month! (Indeed, a handsome salary for Moscow and a fantastic one for
any other region of Russia.)
As expected, total export of the Salute Plant will reach $300 million in 2002.
Salute now has money for the R&D of fighter engine of the fifth generation. (end of
report)
Some conclusions, regarding J-10 fighter and AL-31FN engine are just "on the
surface":
Preliminary conclusions regarding FC-1 fighter could be as follows:
Now, the final remark:
In October-November 2000, China’s Central Military Commission, chaired by
President Jiang Zemin, approved the program of PLAAF and PLAN Aviation
overhaul and assigned 150 billion yuan (about $19 billion) for its
accomplishment. The major item of this program:
By the end of 2005, the number of fighters in PLA service should be reduce by up
to 2000-2200. Most parts of these fighter fleet will be comparatively advanced, belonging to the 4th generation SU-series (SU-27,
SU-30, SU-35), J-10 and FC-1 fighters. Particularly:
Jointly, these fighters will make a "mighty triad" (end of "overhaul program"
description)
It is evident that in the second half of 2002 an "overhaul program," based mostly on
Russian assistance, was in full swing.
A lot of other important items will be also represented at Zhuhai
Airshow 2002; however, they require a separate article.
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