April 25, 2024 | International, C4ISR
July 13, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
China’s stealth fighter goes into mass production after thrust upgrade
- The J-20B has overcome agility problems to finally be considered a fully fledged fifth-generation fighter, military source says
- Aircraft still will be fitted with Russian engine but ‘Chinese version could be ready in a year or two'
A modified version of China's first stealth fighter jet, the J-20, has formally entered mass production, with upgrades earning it a place as a fifth-generation fighter jet, according to a military source close to the project.
The moment was marked at a ceremonial unveiling of the modified J-20B stealth fighter jet on Wednesday attended by many senior military leaders including Central Military Commission (CMC) vice-chairman General Zhang Youxia, the source said.
Zhang is the second-ranked vice-chairman of the CMC and is in charge of weapons development for the People's Liberation Army.
“Mass production of the J-20B started on Wednesday. It has finally become a complete stealth fighter jet, with its agility meeting the original criteria,” the source said.
“The most significant change to the fighter jet is that it is now equipped with thrust vector control.”
Thrust vector control (TVC) allows pilots to better control the aircraft by redirecting engine thrust.
In 2018, China debuted its J-10C multirole fighter – fitted with a WS-10 Taihang engine – at the China air show in Zhuhai, putting the aircraft through its paces in a performance that indicated that China had succeeded in thrust technology.
While the TVC technology had been applied to the stealth fighter, the J-20B would still use Russian Saturn AL-31 engines because more work needed to be done on China's WS-15 engine, the source said.
Chinese engineers have been developing high-thrust turbofan WS-15 engines for the J-20, but that work has fallen behind schedule.
“The Chinese engine designed for the J-20s still failed to meet requirements, but its development is going quite smoothly, and it may be ready in the next one or two years,” the source said.
“The ultimate goal is to equip the J-20B fighter jets with domestic engines.”
China was thought to have built about 50 J-20s by the end of 2019, but problems with the jets' engines delayed further production plans.
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth assembly plant in Texas delivered 134 F-35 stealth fighters in 2019, three more than its target and 47 per cent more than its output in 2018, according to the company.
China's first batch of J-20s entered service in 2017 when the US decided to deploy more than 100 F-35s to Japan and South Korea that year.
The J-20 was meant to be a fifth-generation fighter jet on a par with Lockheed's F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning multirole strike fighters.
Fifth-generation fighters are defined by their stealth technology, supersonic cruising speed, super manoeuvrability, and highly integrated avionics.
But the earlier version of the J-20 was described by Western media as a “dedicated interceptor aircraft” because of its lack of agility.
“The launch of the J-20B means this aircraft now is a formal fifth-generation fighter jet,” the military source said, adding that Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (CAC), which manufactures the J-20s, had received “heavy orders” from the PLA.
CAC set up its fourth production line in 2019, each one with a capacity to make about one J-20 a month.
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February 16, 2022 | International, Land
Greek parliament considers major arms deals with France
Lawmakers are also debating whether to add six new Rafale fighter jets to an existing order for 18 planes ' six of them newly built and 12 that were previously in service in the French air force.
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September 28, 2018 | International, Aerospace
PENTAGON AND LOCKHEED MARTIN AGREE TO REDUCED F-35 PRICE IN NEW PRODUCTION CONTRACT
F-35A Aircraft Now Below $90 Million FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) have finalized an $11.5 billion contract for the production and delivery of 141 F-35 aircraft at the lowest per aircraft price in program history. For the eleventh consecutive year, the cost of an F-35A was lowered. The F-35A unit price including aircraft, engine and fee, is $89.2 million. This represents a 5.4 percent reduction from the $94.3 million it cost for an F-35A in Low-Rate Initial Production Lot 10 (LRIP 10). In LRIP 11, the F-35B unit cost was lowered to $115.5 million. This represents a 5.7 percent reduction from the $122.4 million it cost for the short-takeoff and landing variant in LRIP 10. The F-35C unit cost was lowered to $107.7 million. This represents an 11.1 percent reduction from the $121.2 million it cost for the carrier variant in LRIP 10. The LRIP 11 agreement funds 91 aircraft for the U.S. Services, 28 for F-35 International Partners and 22 for F-35 Foreign Military Sales customers. Deliveries will begin in 2019. "Driving down cost is critical to the success of this program," said Vice Admiral Mat Winter, F-35 Program Executive Officer. "We are delivering on our commitment to get the best price for taxpayers and warfighters. "This agreement for the next lot of F-35s represents a fair deal for the U.S. Government, our international partnership and industry. We remain focused on aggressively reducing F-35 cost and delivering best value." With stealth technology, supersonic speed, powerful sensors, large weapons capacity and global deployment, the F-35 is the most advanced fighter aircraft ever built, enabling women and men in uniform to execute their mission and return home safely. More than a fighter jet, the F-35's ability to collect, analyze and share data, is a powerful force multiplier that enhances all airborne, surface and ground-based assets in the battlespace. "This agreement marks a significant step forward for the F-35 program as we continue to increase production, reduce costs and deliver transformational capabilities to our men and women in uniform," said Greg Ulmer, F-35 Vice President and General Manager. "As production ramps up, and we implement additional cost savings initiatives, we are on track to reduce the cost of the F-35A to $80 million by 2020, which is equal to or less than legacy aircraft, while providing a major leap in capability." Program Progress The latest contract is a demonstration of the program's progress and maturity, as industry and the government now set their sights on future acquisition approaches for the next three production lots to further reduce costs. With more than 320 aircraft operating from 15 bases around the globe – the F-35 is playing a critical role in today's global security environment. More than 680 pilots and 6,200 maintainers have been trained and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 155,000 cumulative flight hours. The F-35 weapons system reliability continues to improve through a combination of hardware and software improvements. In addition to advanced capability, the F-35 provides economic stability to the U.S. and Allied nations by creating jobs, commerce and security, and contributing to the global trade balance. The F-35 is built by thousands of men and women in America and around the world. With more than 1,500 suppliers in 46 states and Puerto Rico, the F-35 program supports more than 194,000 direct and indirect jobs in the U.S. alone. The program also includes more than 100 international suppliers, creating or sustaining thousands of international jobs. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. This year the company received three Edison Awards for ground-breaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and directed energy. SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2018-09-28-Pentagon-and-Lockheed-Martin-Agree-To-Reduced-F-35-Price-in-New-Production-Contract