This article first appeared in Aviation Week & Space Technology.
A supercruising combat aircraft is a high priority of the Chinese navy, the country’s top admiral says in a revealing official interview that gives strong clues of perceived shortcomings and future directions for the maritime force.
Adm. Wu Shengli also says China must step up work on precision missiles that can overcome enemy defenses, and the nation should move faster in developing large combat surface ships — probably meaning the aircraft carrier program that looks increasingly imminent.
Wu’s demand for supercruise — supersonic flight without afterburner — hints that such performance will be available from the next Chinese fighter, sometimes called the J-XX.
“One possibility is that the J-XX is being designed for supercruise and that Wu is trying to build support for a naval version of the aircraft,” says Richard Bitzinger, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
The design of the J-XX is unknown. It could be a new aircraft or quite possibly a development of the J-10, a fighter now entering service.
The J-10’s configuration is similar to that of the Eurofighter Typhoon, which the manufacturer says can supercruise at Mach 1.5, although it is likely to be somewhat slower with a useful external load.
For the Chinese navy, one advantage of supercruising would be the ability to cover a large defensive area in less time — quite useful if the imagined target is a U.S. carrier group at long range.
Importantly, Wu lists a supercruising fighter among a series of technological demands that all look quite achievable for the Chinese navy over the next decade or so, suggesting that he does not regard such flight performance as a pie in the sky.
“Sophisticated equipment is the key material basis for winning a regional naval war,” says the admiral, evidently referring to the possibility of a confrontation in the Taiwan Strait. “We must accelerate and promote steps to work on key weapons.
Read the rest of this story, check out Turkey’s new AW149, see a Russian fighter go down and read about the Poseidon’s first flight from our friends at Aviation Week, exclusively on Military.com.
– Christian
I’m sure Admiral Wu Shengli would like supercruise, but given China’s troubles with producing jet engines domestically, is it really reasonable to believe they’ll have a reliable jet engine which can do supercruise for their next domestic fighter?
WS-10 engine quality is not so good, but I’m sure the F22 mafia will eat this up regardless.
The biggest thing with carriers isnt building one its keeping it going the maintanence and logistics are a nightmare for a country that doesnt have the experience. Not to mention that they will have to guard the basterd everywhere it goes from subs now.
The chinese have the shipbuilding capacity right so why arent they trying to build at least some small vtol or helicopter carriers first?
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/7452/j10twinengineyv6.jpg
J-XX
“Chinese supercruise??!! Oh my God, we need more F-22s or else the sky will fall in!“
Guess who that is.…
Is it just me or is ever article about Chinese techology touches on how they stole/punked the tech form other sources.
E.G Typhone fighter, Russians SU fighters?
Why sell them even one if u know they will simple copy the tech?
I don’t trust china 1 bit!
Although the seer of The Book of Revelation foresaw Gog and Magog being burned by fire, it is quite possible that China and Russia combined will serve The Most High to purge Bush’s’ termed “Access of Evil” from The Holy Land (that which is in the heart of those with eyes to see and ears to hear) yet called Is-Ra-El by man.
In that, those called “Zionists” (faults Jew) those Pharisees who control The Old World Order, who have sought to rob the whole world of its free-will and its resources will fall when The Christ manifestation (the perfection of love manifesting within the heart of man) comes of age, ushering in a New World Order free of greed, war and the corruption of the tester of our resolve.
http://www.focusonrecovery.net
Travis,
Your gibberish/rant has what to do with the article?
It sure seems very important to the ‘nothing to see here’ types to pooh-pooh any indication that the PRC might just not be our new BFF. I remember when Japanese quality was denigrated, then the economic goals of ‘7 little tigers’ was maginalized. I certain some of the folks here have ancestors that just thought Mussolini was the Bee’s Knees for fixing the Italian economy.
How about a reverse thread? One where the naysayers on the PRC’s ambitions/capabilities actually identify for the rest of us the point they would consider the PRC a potential or real problem for the West in general and the US in particular? Or would that reveal too much of their own weaknesses?
C’mon! If you want respect for your opinion as to why we shouldn’t worry about the PRC, tell us what WOULD worry you. It will be fun.
Oh, and DT really must come up with a way to at least filter the OT idiots and conspiracy theorists. Tell them there is a tin foil sale at Walmart or something.
SMSgt Mac,
Not to say ‘there’s nothing to see’ but in my opinion the services (especially the USAF) love to flout every little advance by the Chinese as proof that they HAVE TO HAVE more F-22s or some other weapons system. We should always be vigilant but if you keep screaming “the sky is falling” pretty soon no one pays attention to you anymore.
Do you seriously consider the Chinese a conventional military threat? They are a long way from that in my opinion.
My worry, that China decides (in secret) to wage economic war on the US and become the leading economy in the world. Now that worries me.…
Fiscal discipline and a competitive eductation system will be our best defense against competitors such as China…rahter than bringing our MaoCard further into the red, for a reactionary miltary buildup.
John,
Dont sell them…i agree…though someone like clinton will just give them the tech in exchange for a caimpain donation. You know like it the ICBM parts.
CR,
Both worry me. If we suffer to much and the congress critters cut the military further then they will just walk right on in.
Basicaly like a Komodo dragon hunts, One bit to poison wait for its prey to weaken then feast.
Simple but very effective if you know you dont have to worry about being reelected
Good Afternoon Christian,
Shaking the bushes here I see. First off the J-10 is Mig 29 technology and the Chinese still can’t field it. Second the picture of the aircraft shown would appear not to be a candidate for carrier operations with out extensive modifications that would be way to costly for the Chinese. Thirdly is is doubtful that the Chinese will not build a full deck carrier for several decades.
Admiral Wu Shengll when he retire should get a job with Lockheed or Boeing, he has this pitch down pretty good, don’t you think.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
Why do the chinese want to rebuild that crappy carrier they have why not just make there own sounds simpler and you could use modern ship building techologies in construction and such.
They have the ability to make large tankers and such so?
The Chinese will simply steal all the technical information they need. They have been doing it for years. It is much cheaper to steal technology from the US than spend the R&D funds yourself. We are a sieve.
The Chinese don’t have to “steal” military technology from us, our politicians keep giving it to them. The whole thing disgusts me, it has been going since Clinton and nobody seems to really care much about it. The bottom line is that the Chinese are not viewed as a threat by the people running our country. I don’t agree.
Not trying to defend Travis, Schrott, but comments on articles about China usually are not about the subject of the article. Most people want to write about how scary China is in general. There’s a sizable minority who write about how the Chinese threat is exaggerated to justify Pentagon spending. The same axes get ground over & over again.
“For the Chinese navy, one advantage of supercruising would be the ability to cover a large defensive area in less time — quite useful if the imagined target is a U.S. carrier group at long range.“
Another advantage of supercruising is the ability of land based air to defend ships operating at a distance from their bases.
Capability can, but often does not, reveal intent.
Well if the Chinese do of the tech (which they do) and the industrial means (which the also have) and the new liberal regime of the us not doing anything about it (cough cough OBAMA). They’ll be able to build 7 or 8 carriers. My soultion more F-22s and fit anti ship missles on a p-8 poisadon. and they’ll be able to build all the little fighters they want,
Wonder if they are simply insisting on supercruise because America has it? If I recall correctly, even many European fighters do not have it? (Dunno about Eurofighter)
Just wait for the Russians to develop/steal it and buy a prototype squadron, then steal it from the Russians. No biggie.
China has no shortage of cash to build their own carriers, but at the same time with all those dollars they’re holding it might make more sense to them to use some of that to buy abroad
http://www.electriccycle.org
ALL
Recently reviewed an article on CNS Net News, re: China’s ability to produce a 2000km Missle,(?) for offense vs USN Carriers. Add to that, this article, re: the Super Cruise aircraft “need” to support offshore and long range conflicts, and one gets the message, clear. China is coming out of the economic phase into the aggressive phase of rattling sabers.…
Now, OBNA cuts the F22, guts the F35 and the USN re considers the need for a future Carrier force greater than 12„„ Just what are we doing?
1. Getting ready to close the Left Coast ports, abandon the Med, stop convoying merchants, and as the Brits did in the 60s simply come home?
2. Is the long range FP of projecting sea power to the shores of the rest of the world to decay into only Humanitarion Ships abroad on the Blue Ocean?
The obvious implications are:
A> USA Isolationism effected over the next 4 years.
B> Redirection of fiscal controls, and funds to support the re clarification of the USA Electorate life style in line with the Left.
Folks, the whirlwind is upon us.
Semper Fi
end
Let the Chinese build a Carrier. We have been using them since the 1920’s and we still learn new things every day. I’d pay top dollar to watch their Plat films for the first couple years it will be outrageous. Just because you can build a ship with a deck on it capable of operating aircraft doesnt make it an Aircraft Carrier. Until you have pilots who are capable of operating from the deck and a highly trained ground crew to run the deck all you have is a highly flamable parking garage. Shore based operations do not train people to operate at Sea. If that was true the USAF would be able to operate with the Carrier Battle Groups and we all know that would be a failure. Just in ordanance handling alone the USAF couldn’t cope. there’s no SATS loaders at sea just hernia bars [haha] Carriers are the most feared Non Muke weapons ever deployed, its 4.5 acres of Soverign Terroritory requiring no landing rights or operating rights from a host nation. It can pop up anywhere in a 1000 mile circle and wreck havoc with shore forces. Sorry USAF waiting around for the diplomats to grant uou a base to operate is generally not an option. Every President since FDR at one time or another during his term of office has had to ask the question, Where is the closest US Carrier Battle Group??? Nah let the Chinese build their “Toy” it will make for some wild crash footage if nothing else. And as for the F-22 come on fellows it was a cool plane like all hot rods but lets face it the only reason you got it was you were too important to wait for the JSF. Its done and over put a fork in it. Honest to god we know we need an Air Force but many of us still don’t buy that you won WWII single handedly with Daylight bombing. HAHA Have a Fine Navy Day!!!
if i were them i would come over here and ask the governor of va how much it would cost to get one of those brand spaken new carriers. with all the money they have, just let us build one for you, we would do it in a new york minute.
Don’t sell or give them a d@# thing!
to CoD:4MW thank you, you get it. i fear we have already lost, our greed was our downfall. we have met the enemy and he is us… our adversaries will only have to allow us to borrow our way into their control.
The chinese have the shipbuilding capacity right so why arent they trying to build at least some small vtol or helicopter carriers first?–
a helo carrier? check and done..
The Type 071 LPD is the largest indigenously designed combat ship of the PLAN to date, with an estimated full displacement of 17,000~20,000 tonnes. The cargo capacity of the Type 071 is thought to be in the same range as the U.S. Navy Austin class LPD. If this estimation was correct, the Type 071 LPD can carry a marine corps battalion, including 500~800 troops, 15~20 amphibious armoured vehicles, and their associated logistic supplies.
Odds are you guys referring to American ‘greed’ and people shopping at Walmart are typing on keyboards, sitting in chairs or using a mouse made in China. How about you look in the mirror first.
‘obama is working with china now:The new world order.…” Or the “cashless system.“harmegidon stuff.