via Focus Taiwan.
The PLA quickly became aware of the many inadequacies of its Type 071 Kunlun Shan-class (崑崙山艦) amphibious transport dock during conflicts in Africa. Despite its ability to carry two Russian-designed Zubr-class air cushion landing crafts (LCAC), currently the largest military hovercraft of its kind, the Type 071 vessel is plagued by a lack of firepower and inability to fill command and air support roles in combat.A STOVL J-10?
The same inadequacies in military humanitarian missions were repeated during the subsequent armed conflicts in Libya, which hastened the adoption of amphibious crafts by the PLA, the report said.
In addition, the report said that the PLA might be motivated to match the capabilities of the U.S. Navy's America amphibious class landing crafts.
In response, China's dockyards are scrambling to build its own home-grown amphibious assault craft, with a displacement of 50,000 long tons, said the report, and the Shanghai Jiangnan-Changxing Shipbuilding Company Limited (上海江南長興造船廠) has been commissioned to build at least four amphibious assault ships.
The report also implied that the PLA Air Force is developing a variant of the J-10 fighter jet, equipped with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities.
Of note, diagrams released by Xinhuanet (新華網) revealed a design for China's amphibious assault vessel that stands 265 meters in length and is capable of launching jet fighters, helicopters, and LCACs.
They must be working toward a directed thrust, similar to the Harrier if they're talking about putting it into service quickly.
That will be interesting. The simplicity of the Harrier design when coupled to a modern jet could give us the Chinese version of the Harrier III. Depending on how they market it, we could be looking at a competitor to the F-35B.
If the Chinese are willing to allow Western avionics to be installed in the jet...and I can't see why they wouldn't...then they will have a cheaper, possibly higher performing jet that will catch the attention of cost conscious allies and neutral countries.
Everything else in this story comes as no surprise. The Chinese Marine Corps will be every bit as active as the USMC and its only a matter of time before they meet on the field.
I have my doubts about VTOL , but as J-10 has been paraded on a carrier deck or hanger STOL jump jet shouldn't be far off .
ReplyDeleteIn case of actual VTOL being developed my money would be on Yak 141 configuration as its the simplest and still supersonic. Russians surely have set of prints to sell for cheap.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WybwlN_UCVI
A lot of doubts, this will run in to an area where the Chinese still are behind: engines. They try, but still end up powering fighters with Russian ones or even old Spey's .
DeleteI have always wondered what happened to the 141, because it never really got in to full scale use. Did the Russians move on, or was there some flaw I don't know about. If it had been a viable option for them I would have seen India buy them over Harriers for instance.
Ps. The Chines do have advantages over western developments: they can cut corners with safety and get away with it, they can bypass commercial competition and they can order changes 'by decree'. In that regard speed of development is on their side.
DeleteYak 141 died but not before LM got a nozzle design for the F35 , LM also paid for Yak141 Paris appearance. Once Russians went for Jump deck the navalised Mig 29 and SU27 provided much more versatile and capable platform.
DeleteLM already had the design for the nozzle before any input from the Yak-141 program.
DeleteThat is going to be a huge LHA/LHD class ship at 50,000 tons.
ReplyDeleteI have been beating this drum for years and I am going to stick with this beat. The Chinese are developing their Monroe doctrine; no powerful foreign presence in their near areas and they will dictate somewhat reasonable-ish terms to their neighbors. Second China has decided that if they are going to be a world mercantile power they will need powerful Naval assets to secure these foreign holdings. They will need power projection assets not to overthrow foreign country governments but to secure their people and investments.
I do not see China going to war over Taiwan but i certainly see a possibility of Chinese troops smacking around a small country due to economic reason.
China also has smaller LHD design for export that somewhat looks like Mistral class:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.navyrecognition.com/images/stories/news/2014/september/CSIC_LPD_LHD_AAD_2014.jpg