China May Build Thousands of 4th-Generation Aircrafts Topping the US and Russia

China is developing advabced aircraft engines

Russian Military Massenger weekly says in its report on May 21: Over the past decade, Chinese troops have achieved surprising progress. China’s fighter jets can at least be rival to Russian ones in functions and are steadily catching up with American ones.

The weekly says: In mid 1990s, Chinese air force still had several hundred J-5 fighter jets while in the first few years of the 21st century it still used lots of J-6 and regarded J-7 as its new modern weapons. However, over the past decade, Chinese troops have made amazing progress. J-6 was retired three years ago while J-7 has withdrawn to the second line and only 700 to 800 J-7 remain in service. The Chinese now have about 200 J-8s, which being a mediocre type are expected to be kept in warehouses or dismantled in 10 to 15 years.

According to the report, for Chinese air force, its Su-27s purchased from Russia are the symbol of a new era. China bought 76 Su-27SK/UBKs from Russia and then built 105 J-11As by virtue of a license. Since 2007, China has begun mass production of J-11B. At the beginning of this century, China purchased from Russia 76 Su-30MKKs and 25 Su-30MK2s and then began mass production of J-16 in 2012. Now, Chinese air force (including navy air force) has 240 to 300 Su-27s/J-11s and up to 110 S-30s/J-16s. The number will grow rapidly along with the mass production of J-11B and J-16. As a result, in terms of the number of fourth-generation fighter jets, China will certainly surpass the US and Russia within a few years and rank no. one. By that time, its fighter jets will be newer than the US and Russia in shape.

The Russian media points out: In Chinese air force, J-10 is a light fighter, in which the technology of Israel and US fighters has been used for reference and there are also some ingredients of Russian technology. At present there are 150 to 250 J-10s in service and there will be more improved types of them. Tests of J-20 and J-31 have drawn much interest abroad. Judging by their appearances, they are fifth-generation fighter jets: J-20 looks like F-22 and J-31, F-35. However, we all know that China-made engines fail to meet even fourth-generation standards so that there have not yet been clear prospects for J-20 and J-31. Moreover, US experience tells us that development of fifth-generation fighters has reached dead end in terms of functions-price ratio; therefore, it may perhaps be enough for China to strive to obtain a few thousand fourth-generation fighters (a target achievable within 8 to 10 years). By that time, China will top the US and Russia and rank first in number of fighters and be by no means inferior in the quality of its fighters.

Source: mil.huanqiu.com “Russian media says that China will perhaps build several thousand fourth-generation fighter jets topping the US and Russia” (translated from Chinese by Chan Kai Yee)