Shenyang J-31/35 Stealth Fighter

China's Stealth Fighters: Ready to Soar?

The test pilots of China’s state-run Shenyang Aircraft Corporation have been joyriding in a high-tech new aircraft. Does China already have a multi-role fighter in the works to challenge the F-35? Or is this new aircraft really “all about the program?” Chinese military research and development is notoriously secretive, so Chinese and international People’s Liberation Army (PLA)-watchers were surprised by the October 2012 appearance of the J-31, a fully-fledged, advanced fighter prototype, deployed by the Shenyang Aircraft Company. It’s similarity in shape to the F-35 is noteworthy. In recent months there has been a great deal of speculation about successful Chinese espionage against the F-35 program, although most of it has focused on the appearance of certain sensor systems on China’s prototype air-superiority fighter, the J-20. The J-20 might very well have been influenced by the F-35, but the J-31 almost certainly was.

With a rumored three prototypes in production, the J-31 might be one-half of a “high-low mix” of big J-20s for high-altitude dogfighting with the elite aircraft of China’s enemies, while the J-31 fills the ranks as the mainline fighter and strike aircraft, in a force configuration similar to what the U.S. Air Force is pursuing with the F-22 and the F-35A. But it’s not likely. It’s always hard to know in advance what the Chinese military is going to do with its technology; so far, the signs are that the J-31 is intended for export and is not going to be in service with the PLA Air Force in large numbers. There have been mixed statements from Chinese military officials and state-run media about the aircraft’s future. This could be a result of the fact that China’s military-industrial complex often employs a “generational leap-frogging” system of development. Numerous different designs are rapidly produced and used as prototypes or inducted into service in small numbers to quickly advance Chinese mastery of the technology, but also to build institutional capability for the mass production of a system that can match its international peers. This system is clear in China’s naval development: the PLA Navy has inducted five native-produced destroyer classes into service since the 1990s, each an incremental improvement over the previous one, with only the final class, the 052D, approved for mass production.

China’s aircraft development has followed a similar model in recent years. Shenyang Aircraft Corporation has produced small test batches of highly upgraded Flankers and carrier-ready Flankers, as well as the J-31. The Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, the other giant, state-run aerospace company, rolled out the J-10A multirole fighter in 2005, which was superseded a few years later by the upgraded J-10B, and is now producing the J-20 air-superiority fighter prototypes. It’s hard to imagine that the PLA Air Force will abandon their small-batch, rapid advance approach just yet and be satisfied with their first attempts at fifth-generation aircraft technology. Thus, the J-31 probably exists less for striking enemy aircraft out of the sky and more for improving the capabilities of China’s aerospace engineers. Check back in with us again in a year or two when China reveals their next prototype to get a better sense of what the F-35’s rival might look like.

Russian RD-93 Engine To Power China’s New J-31 Fighter Jet
Source : Our Bureau ~ Dated : Monday, November 10, 2014 @ 12:34 PM



China’s soon-to-be debuted J-31 fighter aircraft will be powered by the Russian-made RD-93 engine.

Rosoboronexport’s Air Force Equipment Export Department Head Sergey Kornev, "J-31 with the Russian engine RD-93 is considered to be an export program, able to compete with the American F-35 fifth generation aircraft on the regional markets."

"The program is ambitious, but very real, especially considering the high cost of F-35 and some problems with its development," Kornev added.

According to Ria Novosti, Sergey Kornev, head of the Russian delegation at China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, said that two fifth generation fighters are being developed in China, the J-20 and J-31, which demonstrates the high potential of Chinese science and aviation industry.

China will present the J-31 stealth fighter at the 10th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition on November 11, 2014 in Zhuhai and conduct a demonstration flight.

According to Nanfang Daily, the J-31 stealth fighter is very likely to be put into mass production within five years, and has a big chance of being a carrier-borne type.



It has been just two years since the successful maiden flight of the J-31 in 2012. As a fighter under test, the J-31 is now in the primary stage of performance development.

Russian RD-93 engines are a variant of the RD-33 engines, initially developed to power MiG-29 fighters. The RD-93 was developed by Russia’s Klimov design bureau specifically for the FC-1 fighter, known in Pakistan as the JF-17 Thunder, according to Ria Novosti.

max steel wrote:Taiwan seeks Russia's help in designing 5th gen fighters    


http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?cid=1101&MainCatID=11&id=20150328000054

GarryB wrote:the russian assistance to develop a new SAM system for South Korea seemed to be successful... all the US could offer in this regard would be a part share in the F-35... which does not sound so appealing to me... and I don't think there will be cooperation between South Korea and China.

I rather suspect China has been hiring Russian expertise with the new developments... why wouldn't they... they have money and Russia has no sanctions on China...

GarryB wrote:the russian assistance to develop a new SAM system for South Korea seemed to be successful... all the US could offer in this regard would be a part share in the F-35... which does not sound so appealing to me... and I don't think there will be cooperation between South Korea and China.

I rather suspect China has been hiring Russian expertise with the new developments... why wouldn't they... they have money and Russia has no sanctions on China...

Cyberspec wrote:Ivan the Colorado,

I think you severely underestimate modern China (too put it mildly)

Vladimir79 wrote:

Cyberspec wrote:Ivan the Colorado,

I think you severely underestimate modern China (too put it mildly)

There are really only two ways to gauge the current state of Chinese defence technology... imports and exports.  Exports being tested systems acceptable to third parties and imports showing what China lacks in technology.    

Cyberspec wrote:Ivan the Colorado,

I think you severely underestimate modern China (too put it mildly)

Werewolf wrote:

China does lack overall in technology but it is a blatant to just claim China can only copy or has no technologies.

You just have to look where China was 50 years back, they had nothing it just started becoming an industrial country while US and Russia already had their nuclear weapons race.

There are two ways for a country that seeks to be mighty or develops itself the best it can. The first way would be the same as Russia,US and some other countries trying to invest money in research and projects with risk of failure, there is a huge list of failed projects in those countries, and somewhen in 100 years to get where the rest of the big players are. The other method is to take any measures needed to first eleminate the big gap between your country and the progress and level in military technologies of the rest big players, by that china safed itself already more than 50 years and shit load of money by avoiding to spent valuable resources on research and projects.

China currently is strong and nobody can doubt it. Yes, they do lack in most fields but that is just a question of 10-15 years which they far better can deal with then most countries would expect or admitt.

They bought technology, sought for partners for new technologies and copied, regardless how someone feels about it all those bring technologies to china and understanding of new technologies. Their Military Industrial complex is the biggest grower since years, while most others are declining or barely growing.


Don't underestimate china they always had smart and capable people.

max steel wrote:Yankees also share technology with China . China steal most stuff from Usa . It was US who gave MIRV tech to China let alone those israeli companies which comfortably steal america's tech and sell them to chinese . No one talks about or mention it but its been happening .

Vladimir79 wrote:

max steel wrote:Yankees also share technology with China . China steal most stuff from Usa . It was US who gave MIRV tech to China let alone those israeli companies which comfortably steal america's tech and sell them to chinese . No one talks about or mention it but its been happening .

The technology the US and Russia shares with China is decades old.  By the time they can competently field it, it is yet another decade behind. They need to stop worrying about copying old tech and develop the ingenuity and innovation to create their own systems and do so in a timely manner.  

GarryB wrote:When you start from so far behind you have to buy or steal to get up with the game... everybody buys new ideas... even the west will buy new ideas.

I think it is amusing to accuse China of copying and stealing ideas when the largest structure in the world for copying and stealing information is run by the NSA... do you really think they use it to find child molesters and drug dealers and terrorists?