China, engaged in the strategy of occupying Asia, has prepared the world’s third largest air force. Its air force includes strategic bombers and stealth drones in addition to fifth generation fighters. Not only this, in view of the increasing presence of America in the South China Sea, Dragon has also equipped its fighter planes with aircraft carrier killer missiles. According to the US Department of Defense’s annual report on China’s military, released in November, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) now have the largest air force in the region and number three in the world.
2,800 aircraft with the Chinese Air Force and Navy
The Pentagon estimates that China has about 2,800 aircraft combined with the Air Force and Navy, excluding drones and trainer aircraft. About 2,250 of them are dedicated combat aircraft, including 1,800 fighters. Of these, about 800 are considered fourth generation jets. Fourth generation fighter planes do not have stealth capability. It also pointed out that the Chinese Air Force has prepared itself for an offensive and defensive role in recent years by abandoning regional air defense. It is working to build a long-range air force.
Indigenous fighter planes made by copying Russian jets
During the Cold War, China relied entirely on Chinese copies of Soviet aircraft. The J-8, China’s first indigenous fighter aircraft in the 1980s, was a similar copied aircraft. China also made an upgraded version of it, which was named J-8II. It took China so much time to prepare this aircraft that when it was inducted into the Air Force, it failed to meet the current requirements. In the early 1990s, China began purchasing fourth-generation fighter aircraft from Russia to increase its inventory and gain technical experience.
China’s J-11 licensed copy of Russia’s Su-27
China purchased several Su-27, Su-30MKK, and Su-35 fighter aircraft from Russia between 1992 and 2015. As soon as China got these jets, it started preparing its own versions. The first such jet, the J-11, was a licensed copy of the Su-27 procured from Russia. Being a heavy air warrior, the aircraft incorporated many of the features of the Russian Su-27. It also had a 30 mm gun, 10 hardpoints for missiles, a top speed of Mach 2 and the ability to fly up to an altitude of about 60,000 feet. In 2004, China stopped manufacturing the J-11 and began production of a reverse-engineered version, the J-11B, against the terms of its joint production agreement with Russia. Of the many variants, 297 J-11 fighters are currently deployed in the Chinese Air Force and the Chinese Navy.
J-16 fighter aircraft based on Russia’s Su-30MKK
In 2015, the Chinese Air Force introduced the J-16. The aircraft is also partly based on Russia’s Su-30MKK. China called it an upgraded version of the J-11. The J-11 is an air superiority fighter aircraft, while the J-16 is a multirole fighter aircraft. It has 12 hardpoints for missiles and bombs in addition to a 30 mm gun, as well as an active electronically scaled array radar. China has made several upgraded versions of the J-16 from time to time. More than 150 of its units are still operational today in the Chinese Air Force and the Chinese Navy. In November this year, China has upgraded this fighter plane to an electronic warfare version J-16D.
The J-10 was built on the design of Israeli aircraft
The largest number of fighter aircraft with China is the J-10. The aircraft may be based on the Israeli IAI Lavi. There are believed to be around 488 J-10 variants in the Aviation Wing of the Chinese Air Force and the Chinese Navy. Introduced in 2005, the J-10 is a single-engine multirole fighter with a delta wing and canard design. The J-10 is fitted with 11 hardpoints, an active electronically scanned array radar and a 23 mm gun. It is believed that it can fly at a speed of Mach 2 to an altitude of about 60,000 feet.
The J-15 of the Chinese Navy is also a copy of the Ukrainian Su-33.
China also has a J-15 fighter jet flying from the aircraft carrier. China designed the J-15 from an incomplete Su-33 prototype purchased from Ukraine, as Russia was unwilling to sell its Su-33 to China. There are at least 34 J-15 fighter jets in the Chinese Navy. These are the only fixed-wing aircraft to operate on two aircraft carriers in China. This aircraft has also faced many challenges, as it is also the heaviest fighter aircraft in the world to be flown from an aircraft carrier. Both Chinese aircraft carriers are ski jumpers. In such a situation, such a heavy aircraft has to put full force of its engine to take off from it. For this reason, this fighter aircraft can neither take-off with full fuel tanks nor with full weapons.
China also has H-6 strategic bomber
China’s Air Force and Navy also operate H-6 bombers. China has many variants of the H-6 available. This includes H-6N, H-6K, H-6G. China has at least 230 bombers of this series. The H-6K has advanced engines and can carry six standoff land-attack cruise missiles. The H-6G and H-6J are naval variants in which anti-ship cruise missiles can be deployed. Of these, the H-6N, which was publicly displayed for the first time in 2019, is particularly worrying. It is designed to carry everything from fast-moving drones to anti-ship missiles. This aircraft is also capable of firing cruise missiles. It is an upgraded version of the H-6K bomber aircraft of China which is itself state-of-the-art. The H-6K is based on the Soviet Union’s Tu-16 bomber. China is now making air-launched hypersonic missiles for its H-6N aircraft.
The fifth generation J-20 fighter aircraft also in the Chinese Air Force
The most proud achievement of the Chinese Air Force is its fifth generation stealth fighter jet J-20 “Mighty Dragon”. The J-20 is probably based on information stolen from the US stealth program. It is made by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation of China. To provide more power to this aircraft, two engines are engaged. It has a single pilot seat. China even claims that this fighter aircraft is equipped with stealth technology, which no radar can catch. Let us tell you that this is the third operational fighter jet in the world. The former two F-22 Raptor and F-35 are deployed in the US Air Force. The J-20 has a basic range of 1,200 km which can be increased to 2,700 km. The empty weight of the J-20 is 19391 kg, while it is capable of flying with a total weight of 37013 kg, which includes fuel and weapons. This fighter aircraft can fly up to an altitude of 66000 feet. China claims that it can carry out any operation in an area of 2000 km. Jet fuel of up to 11340 kg can be filled in this jet.
How dangerous is China’s J-16D fighter plane?
The J-16D fighter aircraft has been developed by upgrading the J-16. It is a twin seater, twin engine heavy fighter jet. China has claimed that it has developed this fighter aircraft on the basis of indigenous technology. This multirole fighter jet can be used in both attacking and defensive roles. This fighter aircraft is more advanced than other aircraft commissioned in the Chinese Air Force so far. In this, the fire control system, radar and operation systems have been upgraded as compared to other fighter aircraft of China. One of the biggest differences between the J-16D and the original J-16 is that the newer J-16D can fly with a wide range of advanced equipment. Smaller equipment can be placed under the wings of this fighter plane, while heavy equipment can be mounted in the middle. The aircraft is fitted with electronic surveillance, communication distortion and radar jamming devices. Apart from this, many modern air-to-air missiles have also been installed in it.
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