19 Aug, 2024

Defense News Aerospace 2024

2024年8月19日

国防新闻 航空2024

 

The Chinese are rapidly modernizing and developing their air force. It is estimated that China is already producing at least 240 combat aircraft per year. This includes approximately 100 J-20 Mighty Dragons, 40 J-10C Vigorous Dragons, over 100 J-16 Hidden Dragons, and an unknown number of J-11 and J-15 (derivatives of the Russian Flanker). But what combat aircraft are currently under development in China? Here are three known Chinese combat aircraft in development.

中国空军正在迅速现代化和发展。据估计，中国每年至少生产240架战斗机。其中包括大约100架歼-20“威龙”、40架歼-10C“猛龙”、100多架歼-16“潜龙”，以及数量不详的歼-11和歼-15（俄罗斯侧卫的衍生机型）。但是中国目前正在开发什么战斗机呢？这里有三种已知的中国战斗机正在研发中。

 

FC-31 after Takeoff (Picture source: Danny Yu| Wikimedia)

起飞后的FC-31（图片来源：Danny Yu |维基媒体）

 

Shenyang FC-31 Gyrfalcon

沈阳FC-31“鹘鹰”

 

The FC-31 (also called J-31 or J-35) is often compared to the American F-35 Lightning II fighter (the Chinese are often accused of having stolen F-35 technology). The FC-31 is currently under development and is a fifth-generation twin-engine fighter developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC). When it enters service, it will be China’s second fifth-generation fighter. It is unclear whether the PLAAF (People’s Liberation Army Air Force) is interested in acquiring the aircraft to operate alongside the J-20 or not.

FC-31（也称为J-31或J-35）经常被比作美国F-35闪电II战斗机（中国经常被指控窃取F-35技术）。FC-31目前正在开发中，是沈阳飞机公司（SAC）开发的第五代双引发战斗机。当它投入使用时，它将成为中国第二种第五代战斗机。目前尚不清楚中国人民解放军空军是否有兴趣购买与歼-20并肩作战的飞机。

 

The aircraft is said to have been developed by the aircraft manufacturer as part of a private initiative. SAC continued the development of the aircraft after its rival, the J-20 Mighty Dragon from Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, was selected by the PLAAF. While the J-20 is banned from export, SAC is reportedly attempting to export the FC-31. Pakistan and Egypt have emerged as potential buyers of the aircraft.

据说这架飞机是由飞机制造商作为私人倡议的一部分开发的。在其竞争对手、成都航空航天公司的歼-20“威龙”被中国人民解放军空军选中后，沈阳飞机公司继续开发该飞机。虽然歼-20被禁止出口，但据报道，沈阳飞机公司正试图出口FC-31。巴基斯坦和埃及已成为该飞机的潜在买家。

 

The FC-31 is also said to be developed with a carrier-based variant (China has a rapidly growing fleet of aircraft carriers). Commentators have dubbed this variant the J-35. The J-35 made its first flight in 2021 and is expected to operate from the new Chinese Type 003 aircraft carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system. Mock-ups have been visible aboard the CV-18 Fujian aircraft carrier equipped with catapults (currently undergoing sea trials) and the older training aircraft carrier CV-16 Liaoning. This suggests that the aircraft is built to be compatible with the PLA Navy’s ski-jump carriers (the Liaoning and CV-17 Shandong).

据说FC-31还开发了舰载改型（中国拥有快速增长的航母舰队）。评论员将这种改型称为J-35。歼-35于2021年首次飞行，预计将在配备电磁弹射系统的中国新型003型航母上运行。在配备弹射器的CV-18福建号航空母舰（目前正在进行海试）和较旧的训练航空母舰CV-16辽宁号上可以看到模型。这表明，该飞机是为与中国人民解放军海军的滑跃式航母（辽宁号和CV-17山东号）兼容而建造的。

 

According to The Diplomat, initial production could “start in the next two years at the earliest.” Historically, China has not had much success in the combat aircraft export market, but the collapse of the Russian market share and the development of cheap but effective Chinese fighters could change that. Previously, China exported low-end fighters (like the J-7) to cash-strapped Asian and African air forces.

据《外交官》报道，初始生产可能“最早在未来两年开始”。从历史上看，中国在战斗机出口市场上没有取得多大成功，但俄罗斯市场份额的崩溃以及廉价但有效的中国战斗机的发展可能会改变这一点。此前，中国向资金紧张的亚洲和非洲空军出口低端战斗机（如歼-7）。

 

Alleged concept view of J-XD Sixth-Gen fighter ( Picture Source : Osint sources ) 

J-XD第六代战斗机的概念图（图片来源：Osint来源）

 

J-XD Sixth-Generation Fighter

J-XD第六代战斗机

 

China is known to be producing a sixth-generation fighter called the J-XD (which means either "xīn dài" / 新代 meaning new generation, or "xià dài" / 下代 meaning next generation). Among global sixth-generation fighter programs (NGAD, BAE Tempest, F/A-XX, and the Franco-German FCAS), this program is perhaps the least known. The Diplomat states: "The PLA’s manned sixth-generation fighter, or new-generation manned fighter, is considered an established program that is under active development and is expected to emerge in some form during this decade."

众所周知，中国正在生产一款名为J-XD的第六代战斗机。在全球第六代战斗机项目（NGAD、BAE Tempest、F/A-XX和法德FCAS）中，这个项目可能是最不为人知的。《外交官》表示：“中国人民解放军的第六代载人战斗机，或新一代载人战斗机被认为是一个正在积极开发的成熟项目，预计将在本十年内以某种形式出现。”

 

It is believed that China has already flown several demonstrators (possibly smaller in size), but the current indicators of the program remain largely unchanged from a few years ago. The dominant perception is that it is a tailless flying wing stealth design with a swept-wing tip. The Chinese will likely strive to include systems that the West is working on with its sixth-generation fighters (e.g., advanced sensors, loyal wingman drones, and laser weapons), but little can be said with certainty.

据信，中国已经飞行了几架演示机（规模可能较小），但该计划的当前指标与几年前基本保持不变。人们普遍认为，这是一种无尾飞翼隐形设计，带有后掠翼尖。中国可能会努力将西方正在为其第六代战斗机开发的系统（例如，先进的传感器、忠诚僚机和激光武器）纳入其中，但几乎无法确定。

 

View of H-20 stealth bomber developped or In development by chinese industries ( Picture Sources Modern Weaponry) 

中国工业发展或正在发展的H-20隐形轰炸机（图片来源：现代武器）

 

H-20 Stealth Bomber

H-20隐形轰炸机

 

For now, the US Air Force's B-2 Spirit remains the only stealth bomber in service - though that is expected to change as the B-21 Raider is now in low-rate production. The Chinese are known to be working on their own stealth strategic bomber design, which would be a flying-wing design similar to the B-2 Spirit. The existence of the project was acknowledged as early as the late 2010s.

目前，美国空军的B-2“幽灵”仍然是唯一在役的隐形轰炸机，尽管随着B-21“突袭者”低速率生产，这种情况预计会发生变化。众所周知，中国正在研究自己的隐形战略轰炸机设计，这将是一种类似于B-2幽灵的飞翼设计。该项目的存在早在2010年代末就得到了承认。

 

The Chinese have hinted that the bomber will be unveiled soon, but little can be said about it. Some hints suggest that the H-20 could be more comparable to the older American B-2 Spirit than the new B-21 Raider. But little can be said for certain - The Diplomat even stated: "... uncertain rumors have circulated in recent months that the H-20 as a project might not be pursued in the previous consensual form of a flying-wing stealth bomber."

中国方面暗示，这款轰炸机将很快亮相，但对此却知之甚少。一些暗示表明，H-20可能比新的B-21“突袭者”更能与老式的美国B-2“幽灵”相媲美。但几乎没有什么可以确定的——《外交官》甚至表示：“……近几个月来，有不确定的传言称，H-20项目可能不会以之前双方同样采用的飞翼隐形轰炸机的外形进行。”

 

It should also be noted that China is known to produce a number of high-end drones. Like the United States, it is likely developing advanced drones intended to function as long-range stealth reconnaissance drones, carrier-based drones, and loyal wingman drones (called Collaborative Combat Aircraft by the US Air Force). One of China’s most well-known advanced drones is the GJ-11 stealth flying wing.

还应该指出的是，众所周知，中国生产了许多高端无人机。与美国一样，它可能正在开发先进的无人机，旨在作为远程隐形侦察机、舰载无人机和忠诚僚机（美国空军称之为协同作战飞机）。中国最著名的先进无人机之一是GJ-11隐形飞翼无人机。