PLA Air Force General News Thread:

Well to be fair the US has been flying planes around with what appear to be hypersonic missiles... the difference is that the US admit they are untested and are at the start of trials and testing.

The Chinese have not said anything about their missiles either.

The Russians have Kinzhal, a modified ground launched hypersonic manouvering missile but it has been in service for decades so modifying it for air launch from MiG-31K missiles explains how they got that into service so quickly...

I would suggest it might be a case of the Chinese doing the same to get a missile into service quickly too. And why wouldn't they?

I wonder what sort of weapons will their new strategic bomber likely to carry, & do they have some of them already?

The H-6N with BM:
https://nvo.ng.ru/realty/2020-11-26/2_1119_armament.html?print=Y

George1 wrote:

Thats SU30, Su30, Su30 with a paintjob, su30 with a blue paintjob, and su30 with 50 shades of grey.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3111322/chinese-military-testing-home-made-engines-y-20-transport

66Ts payload is 6Ts over the IL-476 & only 11Ts less than C-17 77Ts payload.

66 tons would be 4 tons over the Il-476s payload capacity, but so what?

Payload capacity doesn't mean very much at all...

In the hot/high environment of C/SE Asia, Africa, Tibet & SC Sea it's better to have more powerful engines. Later they may build 6 engine An-225-like planes too, but smaller.

What is the definition of "quality" when used to evaluate a cargo transport? Apparently the PRC mil. leaders r satisfied with Y-20s so far; export customers can /would chose more expensive planes if they want/can afford to pay for better quality as they understand the term- "u get what u pay for".

Their availability rates...

All the Y-20s r still new & it'll be years before their maintenance issues pile up, if ever- with right schedules & practices they won't run into the ground before their time. Even if/when it's low, I'm sure they'll have extra planes built & on stand by for that & attrition.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37939/chinas-y-20-transport-appears-to-be-finally-flying-with-indigenous-jet-engines

After the Y-8 landing there, it was going to happen: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3116028/south-china-sea-why-did-pla-land-its-massive-y-20-warplane

https://topwar.ru/178747-kitajskij-voenno-transportnyj-samolet-y-20-vpervye-prizemlilsja-na-spornom-arhipelage-spratli.html

George1 wrote:Satellite images of the flight test station of the Chinese aircraft factory Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation from December 20, 2020. The newest AWACS KJ-500 aircraft, second generation air force electronic reconnaissance aircraft Y9G and military transport aircraft Y9. Chinese aircraft assembly line at work.





https://dambiev.livejournal.com/2195654.html

Seing atleast 15 AWACS. They will soon reach same numbers of aircrafts as the Russian airforce with this pase. If they havnt already passed it.

That is possible, but the Soviets and Russians only ever used AWACS aircraft as gap fillers... their ground base radar network is enormous and rather comprehensive.

This is good news because China would benefit from having good awareness of its airspace, and they are useful platforms for controlling groups of interceptors too.

They provide better communication and situational awareness in that local area... something India would have benefited from the last time they tangled with Pakistan.

They provide better communication and situational awareness in that local area...

including in the E/S China Seas, the W. Pacific & in/around the SE Asia.

Found this history of the PLA air force.

Keeping up the pressure & honing their skills: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/24/world/asia/china-taiwan-strait-exercise-biden.html

J-17 may come out soon: https://news.creaders.net/china/2015/10/31/1601846.html

They can also be used as long range interceptors/interdictors, & no need for any Tu-22Ms.

Tsavo Lion wrote:J-17 may come out soon: https://news.creaders.net/china/2015/10/31/1601846.html

They can also be used as long range interceptors/interdictors, & no need for any Tu-22Ms.

The article is from 2015.

That doesn't mean they never started or stopped working on it.
They don't need to navalize it- just draw a 5K km circle from AFBs in NE China, Yunnan, in Tibet, Sinkiang, on the E. C. Sea coast, & their "unsinkable CVs" in the SC Sea, to see how far their ALCMs will be able to strike.

Heavy drone WJ-700 made its maiden flight in January.

Focusing on both domestic and international market needs in the next 5 to 10 years, the WJ-700is characterized by high altitude, high speed and high payload capability. It can perform a wide range of tasks on risky battlefields,including air-to-ground standoff strikes, air-to-surface precision strikes, as well as wide-area surveillance.

http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2021-01/13/content_9967223.htm