China's Secret Fleet of Stealth Fighters
They could be the products of a Chinese government misinformation campaign. They could be clever Photoshop jobs by Chinese aviation fanboys. Or, they could be the real thing: the first hard evidence of the long-rumored Chengdu J-20, China’s first stealth-fighter prototype.
The above photo and several others surfaced over the Christmas weekend on Chinese internet forums, catching the eye of Aviation Week fighter guru Bill Sweetman. A noted skeptic in the sometimes enthusiastic world of fast-jet journalism, Sweetman stressed that the pics might be fakes.
Fantastical Photoshop art is a hallmark of Chinese military-themed websites. See the giant, flying “heli-carrier” or the submarine flattop — both creations of over-excited Chinese Photoshoppers.
But there are hints that the J-20 photos are real — and that much clearer shots exist, somewhere. “Rumor has it that better shots have put in transient appearances on Chinese Websites before being zapped by the censor,” Sweetman wrote. That those rumored photos were yanked is itself perhaps proof that Beijing really does have a new fighter. “In China’s military fan Web culture, the rapid intervention of the censors is always a boost for the credibility of the poster,” aviation journalist Rick Fisher told Sweetman.
Most convincingly, the airplane depicted in the snapshots apparently has many of the right characteristics for a fifth-generation stealth-fighter prototype: a chiseled front-section, triangular wings, all-moving tailplanes. In fact, the supposed J-20 seems to combine the front fuselage of the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 with the back half of Russia’s T-50 stealth prototype, which appeared a little less than a year ago.
If it’s real — and that’s a big if — the J-20’s appearance could signal a big step forward for the Chinese air force, which to date relies mostly on airplanes bought from Russia or reverse-engineered from Russian or Israeli designs.
Panicky Western air-power advocates, who a year ago claimed America would be “less safe” if the Pentagon pressed forward with plans to end production of the F-22 stealth fighter at 187 copies, might just announce the end of America’s 50-year dominance of the skies. Alarmists made similar claims when Russia’s new T-50 fighter first flew, despite that plane’s many non-stealthy attributes and dubious production prospects.
The Pentagon hasn’t had a chance to comment on the J-20 photos, but is likely to remain sanguine. In deliberations over the F-22, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates acknowledged that the Chinese were working on a stealth fighter, but insisted the Communist country would have “no fifth-generation aircraft by 2020,” while the United States would have more than a thousand F-22s and F-35s.
In the year-and-a-half since Gates made that claim, the Pentagon has delayed F-35 production and China has apparently accelerated its own stealth development — alleged J-20 photos aside — but the spirit of Gates’ assertion remains valid.
Even if the photos are real and the J-20 exists as more than blueprints, there’s probably no cause for alarm. The United States flew its first stealth prototypes — the YF-22 and rival YF-23 — in 1990; the J-20 hasn’t even flown yet. It took 15 years for the F-22 to enter front-line service. Considering China’s quality-control problems with high technology, it could take a decade or more for the J-20 to appear in numbers that make any difference in the Pacific balance of power. Gates might have been slightly off in his assessment of the Chinese air force, but probably not by much.
And that’s all assuming Beijing’s Christmas stealth-fighter surprise isn’t all just Photoshop magic. With so little good information on military hardware coming out of China, fighter fakery is a real prospect. In which case, we’ll wait for China’s first stealth fighter to make its true debut.
Update, 7:28 EST: There’s another photo up — the clearest yet. “The impression here is of a big, long aircraft, 70+ feet from nose to tail, which would make sense for a number of reasons,” Sweetman wrote in reaction. He speculated the J-20 might have “lower supercruise performance and agility than an F-22, but with larger weapon bays and more fuel.”
“Why would China need or want a short-range stealth aircraft?” he continued. “Any targets with defenses that call for that capability are a long way from the mainland. Also, the bigger that the aircraft is, the more likely it is that it is a bomber as much as, if not more than, a fighter.”
Photo: via Aviation Week
Photo: China – Shenyang J-XX Stealth Fighter / Flight Concept Photo - irandefence.net
The signs have been there for some time. In 1997, the US Office of Naval Intelligence stated their conviction that a 4th generation stealth fighter was under development in China. Then in December, 2008, the highly respected "Jane's All the World's Aircraft" went on record saying that China has been developing a “heavyweight” stealth fighter for many years.
In 2005, a former Northrup B2 design engineer was arrested for selling highly classified data about the B-2 and its stealth design to China. Noshir Gowadia has admitted to the charges and so there is no question that the propulsion system and stealth design features of the B-2 have been studied intensively by those designing fighters and bombers for China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
Photo: China – Shenyang JXX / J14 - concept Aviation art - Karl Toussaint
In April 2009, China cyberwar experts attacked the US Department of Defense computers that hold classified data about the F-35 program. Apparently a great deal of data was downloaded, although theft of information in the highest security classification was not acknowledged.
At least two Chinese stealth fighters are farther along in development than anyone would have imagined six months ago. The most recent of these stealth fighter photographs was published on November 25, 2009 on a website that has high level expertise in all matters relating to Chinese military aviation.
Photo: China – Shenyang J SAC-601 J-15A / Stealth Fighter Prototype – First Photo Photo -cjdby.net / Chinese Military Aviation
The photo below of a Shenyang JXX / J14 in a hanger has been available for at least two years and has been widely criticized. It is described as either a prototype J-14 or J-15 stealth fighter, but it could also be an altered photograph of an existing Chinese heavyweight fighter.
Photo: China – Shenyang JXX / J14 / Stealth Fighter Prototype Photo- centurychina.com
Photo: China J-11B fighter Photo - sinodefence.com
Unveiled in 2002, the Shenyang J-11B is a very advanced, multi-role attack fighter with Chinese-made avionics and some degree of reduced radar cross section (stealth) – ideal for trying out new ideas about increased stealth. Since 2006, it has been a testbed for the Chinese FWS-10A ‘TaiHang’ turbofan engine. The FWS-10A is similar to the Russian AL-31F, and is a candidate for next generation stealth aircraft propulsion.
The J-15 is expected to be stationed on the Varyag aircraft carrier, now in the last stages of fitting out in Dalian. The Russian AL-31F, an advanced and proven turbofan engine, is the first choice for a power plant. The American fighter that most closely resembles what little we know about the J-15 is the F/A-18C 'Super Hornet'. Latest news from China states that the J-15 made its maiden flight on August 31, 2009.
A second 'new' stealth fighter - the J-20 - seems to be in development and we know even less about it than the J-15. Russia remains essential for important features: reduction of radar cross section and the best of the advanced turbofan engines. The J-10B fighter is used as a testbed for many J-20 systems. A full scale model of the J-20 may have been completed in 2009. The maiden flight for the J-20 is scheduled for sometime in 2012 with production and combat readiness set for 2015.
Photo: China – Shenyang JXX / J14 / Stealth Fighter and AWAC - concept Artist - Chang Yu Hu / blog.sina.com.cn
China's Stealth Fighter / Borrowed Design Features from Russia and the USA
The Chinese scrutinize many foreign aircraft for best design features beyond those in the USA and Russia.
Photo: Russia – Mikoyan MiG 1.42 fighter, prototype Photo - jpcolliat.free.fr
Photo: Russian Navy - Sukhoi Su-33UB (Flanker D), AL-31FU turbofan engines / MAAK Air Show, 2005 Photo - Australian Air Power
A prototype of the advanced Su-33 was acquired by China from the Ukraine in 2001. It likely contributed many design features to current Chinese stealth fighter designs.
Photo: MIG-35B /Mikoyan MIG-35 'Fulcrum F' Photo - Sukhoi Company
Photo: Northrup McDonnell YF-23 on runway Photo - Balmung0731 / Wikimedia
Photo: Boeing F/A-18C / takeoff USS Nimitz / North Arabian Sea, Dec.14, 2009 Photo - Mass Communication Specialist, 1st Class David Mercil / U.S. Navy
F-35 / Runway at night Photo – irandefense.net
China Stealth Bomber / Indigenous Features
Photo: China – Xian H8 Bomber CGI artist - Chang Yu Hu / blog.sina.com.cn/zhangyufeiniao
This concept is often described as an Xian-H6i which is an odd identification. All versions of the Xian H6 bomber series are designed with an earlier generation, 'classic' long narrow fuselage that has no flying wing characteristics.
Photo: China – Xian H-8 Stealth Bomber at Hanger CGI artist - Chang Yu Hu / blog.sina.com.cn/zhangyufeiniao
Photo: China – Xian H-8 stealth bomber / bombing run over city / concept CGI artist - Chang Yu Hu / blog.sina.com.cn/zhangyufeiniao
China's Stealth Bomber / Borrowed Design Features from USA
Photo: USA – Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird / prototype Photo - Dbenbenn / Wikipedia
Photo: USA – Northrup Grumman B-2 Spirit / Loading Bombs Photo - Master Sgt. Val Gempis / USAF
China's Quest for Superpower Status
Think about it! There is No Reason why the Chinese should not be aggressively developing stealth military aircraft. Flush with 2 trillion+ USD as they ride out the global recession in much better shape than the United States, research and development can easily be financed. If China can approach parity with the USA in numbers and quality of stealth aircraft, nuclear carrier battle groups and nuclear attack submarines, they have become a 'superpower' via projection of their foreign policy and military strength.
Photo: China – Xian H-8 Stealth Bomber at airfield / concept CGI artist - Chang Yu Hu / blog.sina.com.cn/zhangyufeiniao
A trillion dollars + will be spent on the F-35 program before it concludes many years hence. Monies spent on stealth aircraft in the United States further weaken the overall economy of the crumbling super power. In that alone, China's 'stealth aircraft program' will have accomplished a great deal.
Photo: China – Stealth Fighters with Owl Artist - Chang Yu Hu / photo.blog.sina.com.cn
This planet does not want to see a continuation of America as the world's sole superpower, nor would it be a 'good thing' for China to assume first position by itself. When neither country can achieve dominance, there is a bipolar world in which cooperation, rather than confrontation, should be the foreign policy of choice. Ideally, trillion dollar weapons system programs should not be the route to peace, but history often takes a less than direct path to conflict resolution and friendly competition.
Photo: China – Shenyang J-XX Stealth Fighter / Concept Photo - irandefence.net
Settle back, enjoy the leaked photos and aviation art. Stealth aircraft prototypes may have already had test flights in China.
A much longer and technically detailed article about China's military stealth aircraft may be found at ahrtp.com.
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