Oct. 09, 2015 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Zhao Lei China Daily; published Oct. 09, 2015)

BEIJING --- China's leading aircraft manufacturer is on the verge of exporting its fifth-generation fighter jet, according to industry sources. Aviation Industry Corp of China disclosed the technical specifications of the J-31 Gyrfalcon at an aviation expo even though the plane was still being tested, the sources said.

During the four-day Aviation Expo China 2015, a biennial event held in Beijing in mid-September, AVIC also displayed a large-scale model of the J-31.

Expo visitors were surprised that the State-owned defense contractor was willing to declassify the J-31's specifications, as it had never previously released such information on military air-craft until they entered mass-production and were ready for export.

Analysts said the decision indicates that the corporation wants potential foreign buyers to learn about the plane's capabilities as soon as possible so that it can secure contracts when the jet becomes operational.

A source close to AVIC who declined to be named said publication of the aircraft's specifications was aimed at impressing potential buyers. "The earlier the buyers know about the J-31's capabilities, the higher chance AVIC has of taking up a good share of the fifth-generation aircraft market," he told China Daily.

"Once the company receives buyers' payments, it can use these to sustain the production line and continue to upgrade the aircraft to win more customers."

AVIC executives have never concealed their intentions for the J-31 project. Li Yuhai, deputy general manager of AVIC, told reporters in November, "Since the start of the J-31's development, we have planned to use the plane to end some foreign nations' dominance of the fifth-generation fighter jet. One of its variants will be specifically designed for export."

Li was speaking on the sidelines of the 10th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition held in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.

Chen Hu, a military expert with the People's Liberation Army, said exporting the J-31 would be a milestone for China's aviation industry because the plane would give AVIC a significant boost in competition with Western defense giants.

Xu Bangnian, a professor at the PLA Air Force Command Institute, said he expected international demand for the plane as it appeared to be the only choice for developing countries wanting an affordable fifth-generation stealth aircraft.

The only fifth-generation fighter jet available on the market is the United States' Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, but the US will only sell it to its allies.

The J-31's maiden flight in October 2012 caused a surprise globally, as few people expected China to develop another fifth-generation fighter jet following the J-20 stealth aircraft, which made its first flight in January 2011. During the past three years, the J-31 has undergone several test flights and some changes have been made to its design.

The AVIC specifications show that it has a maximum takeoff weight of 25 metric tons and is designed to be in service for up to 30 years.

September 30, 2015: Strategy Page

Recently someone in China anonymously posted performance data for the new Chinese J-31 fighter. This was in the form of a sales brochure (for trade shows) that had not been distributed to the public. So far the manufacturer has been vague about J-31 performance data. This despite the fact that the J-31 has been showing up at Chinese weapons shows. But so far this promotion has been all about looking at the impressive appearance of the J-31, not crunching any numbers.

It gets more interesting when you realize that the recently posted data ascribes better engine performance than actual engines the Chinese have in service or access to. There were also descriptions of J-31 electronics that sounded more like a Chinese wish list than anything the Chinese have or are known to be developing. Many in the industry see this as some kind of desperate publicity stunt.  Efforts to sell the J-31 have not been very successful so far.

In late 2014 China quietly approached some potential customers about interest in buying its 18 ton J-31 stealth fighter. For export customers the J-31 would be called the FC-31 and it was understood that this version would not have all the best stuff the J-31 has. Pakistan expressed some interest, but then Pakistan is the largest export customer for Chinese weapons. Pakistan apparently thought it best to wait a bit because it was unclear how ready the J-31 was for active service. Since 2012 China has been testing the J-31 “Falcon Eagle” (from an inscription on the tail). While it looks like the American F-22, it’s also smaller than China’s other stealth fighter (the 35 ton J-20, which has been around longer). The J-31 was built by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (which makes the J-11, the illegal Chinese copy of the Russian Su-27). The J-31 has some characteristics of the F-35 as well and appears to be something of an “F-35” to the earlier J-20s effort to match the American F-22. The J-31 flew for the first time in October 2012 and at that point there were at least two prototypes. The designer has talked of the J-31 being able to operate off an aircraft carrier (like the U.S. F-35 and the Chinese J-15, a J-11 variant).

One advantage the J-31 is that it has two engines, compared to one for the 31 ton F-35. In theory this means the J-31 could carry more weapons, but this is less crucial with all the guided weapons available. Moreover the J-31 is seen using Chinese engines, which are less powerful and reliable, even when two are used, compared to the single engine in the F-35C.

The J-31 is further evidence that China is determined to develop its own high tech military gear. While China is eager to develop advanced military technology locally, it recognizes that this takes time and more effort than nations new to this expect. Thus, China is trying to avoid the mistakes Russia made in this area. That means having competing designs and developing necessary supporting industries as part of that. All this takes a lot of time and involves lots of little (and some major) failures. The Chinese are doing it right and are willing to wait until they get military tech that is truly world class.

At this point the J-31 is scheduled to be ready for service in 2019 and have ground attack as well as air-to-air capabilities.

November 14, 2014 by Mike Hoffman  - defensetech.org

China unveiled its version of the U.S. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter — the Shenyang FC-31 — at the biennial Zhuhai Air Show in a surprise to the rest of the world’s aviation community.

The military aviation display comes ahead of President Obama’s visit to Beijing for the APEC summit. It also comes right before Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had planned to visit U.S. allies in the Pacific. Hagel has since delayed that trip.

Many have speculated that China’s display of the FC-31 was meant as a show of force as the U.S. makes strides on its own F-35 program.

Rarely do the Chinese display an aircraft ahead of the completion of its development, which caused the ground swell when the FC-31 made headlines at the Chinese air show. Plenty of cameras from across the globe were pointed into the sky as foreign military leaders got their first up close look at the aircraft.

12 novembre 2014 par Jacques N. Godbout - 45eNord.ca

Au moment où le président des États-Unis Barack Obama est à Pékin pour le sommet Asie-Pacifique, la Chine a dévoilé son nouvel avion de chasse furtif, qui pourrait bien concurrencer le F-35 américain, lors du salon aéronautique de Zhuhai qui se tient du 11 au 16 novembre.

Le Président Xi Jinping veut renforcer les forces armées de Chine, les entreprises chinoises de défense et l’armée de l’air de l’Armée populaire de libération.

La Chine espère que les J-31 avions furtifs très attendus, développé par l’AVIC (l’Aviation Industry Corp of China ), premier fabricant d’avions du pays, fers concurrence avec le matériel de fabrication américaine sur les marchés d’exportation.

Le J-31 a effectué une démonstration, mais n’a pas été exposé ensuite au salon aéronautique où on ne pouvait voir qu’une maquette du nouveau chasseur chinois.

Un porte-parole de l’AVIC, Fu Mingyao, a cependant déclaré que l’entreprise m’entend pas commencer à faire la promotion de l’appareil maintenant, mais deux autres démonstrations du J-31 sont toutefois prévues pendant le salon.

«Les experts prédisent que le J-31 fera des incursions rapides dans le marché international à l’avenir, et saura sans doute voler la vedette au F-35», avait écrit le Quotidien du Peuple, organe du parti communiste chinois, en août dernier, ajoutant que l’avion serait particulièrement intéressant pour les pays qui sont exclus des exportations d’armes américaines.

Le J-31 est d’environ la même taille que le F-35.

Le chasseur furtif chinois de 5e génération destiné à l’exportation, sera équipé d’un propulseur russe RD-93, a pour sa part annoncé au salon aéronautique Sergueï Kornev, chef de la délégation de l’Agence russe d’exportation d’armements (Rosoboronexport), cité par l’agence officielle russe Ria Novosti.

«On estime que le J-31, équipé de propulseur russe RD-93 et destiné à l’exportation, est capable de concurrencer l’avion américain de cinquième génération F-35 sur les marchés régionaux», a indiqué le responsable russe.

«Le programme es ambitieux, mais tout à fait réaliste, surtout si l’on tient compte du coût élevé du F-35 et de certains problèmes lors de sa mise au point», a estimé Sergueï Kornev.

La Chine a jusqu’à maintenant mis au point deux chasseurs de cinquième génération, le J-20 et le J-31, capables, selon lui, de rivaliser avec le F-35 américain et le T-50 russe.

Les avions furtifs devraient en outre permettre à la force aérienne de la Chine, une armée de l’air principalement territoriale actuellement, de développer la capacité à réaliser des deux opérations offensives et défensives.

L’avion furtif, disent les analystes, permettra ainsi à la Chine de mieux projeter sa force dans les mers de Chine orientale et de Chine du Sud.

Chinese media report that the Shenyang J-31 “stealth” fighter, now dubbed “Falcon Hawk,” began intensive flight trials this month, and claim it will outperform and out-sell Lockheed’s F-35 on the world market. (file photo)

Aug 30, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: People's Daily Online; published Aug 29, 2013)

Intensive Flight-Tests for China's J-31 Fighter; May Challenge US for Market Share

Since August China's fourth-generation stealth fighter, the J-31 "Falcon Hawk", has carried out more than three sets of trial flights at a rapidly increasing frequency. America's fourth-generation equivalent has achieved huge market penetration, and analysts believe that the excellent performance of the J-31 will make it a strong competitor in this market.

J-31 performance compares favorably with F-35

Although similar to the fourth-generation stealth fighter, the J-31's overall aerodynamic design and stealth appearance is not so identical with J-20, which has a higher degree of exposure. Military enthusiasts prefer to compare the relation of J-31 and J-20 with that of the U.S. Air Force F-22 and F-35. J-31 and F-35 use the same DSI inlet (non-boundary layer separated lane supersonic inlet) design, the difference is, F-35 uses a single engine to provide power, but J-31 is designed with double engines. In addition, some models of F-35 support the short distance/vertical landing; J-31 cannot do this for the time being.

Earlier reports indicate that the J-31 is equipped with twin Russian RD-93 engines - news that has been confirmed by Russia's MiG Aircraft Corporation. The "Fierce Dragon" light fighter developed jointly by China and Pakistan is also equipped with this model of engine. Judged against the specifications of fourth-generation aircraft, the RD-93 engine seems somewhat old, but during prototype testing the use of a stable engine with mature technology is the safest approach. Sources point out that once in service, the J-31 will hopefully carry our self-developed WS-13 engine, which has significantly improved performance in comparison with the RD-93.

China's Air Force test pilot expert Xu Yongling points out that the J-31's stealth aerodynamic design, stealth engine design and stealth coating design have all reached internationally advanced standards in stealth technology. He also pointed out that the J-31 possesses both stealth capability and a considerable payload level. In addition, Xu Yongling says that China has its own considerations in the development of fourth-generation aircraft, taking account not only of the need for stealth, but also of its performance in air-to-ground and air-to-air combat, and the relevant weapons requirements. This means that in payload, the J-31 will prevail over the F-35.

Domestic fourth-generation aircraft target the export market

A landmark in international military aviation history, the fourth-generation stealth aircraft will not only have a great impact on combat strategy, but also exercise a tremendous influence on geopolitics, especially on international relations and the geo-strategic situation in the Asia-Pacific region. The stealth fighter has gone beyond a simple weapons platform; its presence is now an indication of the balances and the strategic considerations at play among different countries. It could be said that the high-tech weapon systems represented by stealth fighters are becoming a new variable in the Sino-US strategic game.

Experts predict that the J-31 will make rapid inroads in the international market in the future, and will undoubtedly steal the limelight from the F-35. China's fourth-generation aircraft will become a new option for those countries which have not yet made the decision to purchase the F-35. In particular for those countries which are excluded from access to U.S. arms exports, China's fourth generation aircraft will certainly be attractive. The J-31, with its main target as the export market, represents a serious threat to U.S. arms manufacturers.

J-31 can be part of an aircraft carrier's payload

Earlier this year, the chief architect of the J-31 fighter Sun Cong revealed that the improved version of the J-31 is expected to become China's next generation of carrier-based aircraft.

Analysts believe that the J-31 fighter can act as a carrier-borne aircraft. One of the important factors affecting this question is the configuration of the landing gear. The front landing gear of the J-31 is designed with double wheels (the J-20, which is twice the weight, only has single front wheel), while the back landing gear adopts a dogleg structure – both these features provide strong supporting capacity and excellent shock resistance. Considering that a carrier-borne aircraft requires the ability to withstand a greater impact when landing on an aircraft carrier than when landing on land, the J-31 seems designed to meet the requirements of a carrier-borne landing.

In addition, it has recently been reported that if the J-31 is deployed on the aircraft carrier, it may combine in light-weight battle formations with the early-service J-15.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Although the above Chinese claims about the J-31’s performance have little credibility, at least at this early stage in its development, they are interesting for what they reveal about Chinese perceptions of the aircraft and its competition.

As for claims that the J-31 will “make rapid inroads in the international market,” and that it will “undoubtedly steal the limelight from the F-35,” they show that Chinese writers make up in creativity what they lack in realism.)