Development of Chinese fighter aircraft
The basis of the PLA Air Force (as well as all the air forces of the main military powers in the world) are fighters and fighter-bombers (" Through the thorns to the fifth generation ", "HBO", 25.02.22). Naturally, they are part of the aviation of all five regional commands and all three fleets of the Chinese Armed Forces.
Previously, the Chinese Air Force included 44 air divisions (from the 1st to the 44th), three regiments each with through numbering (from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd regiments in the 1st Air Division to the 130th, 131st, 132nd in the 44th). For several years now, the PLA Air Force has been undergoing a process of "brigadization". There are no more than 15 air divisions left, and only four of them have three regiments. The rest of the divisions (in the sense of their headquarters) and part of the regiments were disbanded, most of the regiments were transformed into aviation brigades with the preservation of the previous regimental numbers.
First of all, it affected fighter aircraft. Divisions still remain in the far (" The sky darkens from red dragons ", "HBO", 18.03.22) in transport and special aviation (" Air carriers of the Celestial Empire ", "HBO", 28.01.22). And in fighter aviation – only for obsolete aircraft, and even then very partially.
FROM MIG-21 TO LAVI
Created by copying the Soviet MiG-21F-13 fighter, the Chinese J-7 fighter then went through many modifications. At least eight of them, not counting the combat training JJ-7, were produced in significant quantities. In total, about 1.2 thousand machines of this type of all modifications were produced for the PLA Air Force and naval aviation.
Currently, approximately 146 to 222 J-7s remain in service (100-160 J-7II/H/D/E/G, 47 to 62 combat training JJ-7s; up to 800 more J-7s and up to 72 JJ-7s have been withdrawn from combat units and are in storage, part converted into combat UAVs).
Aircraft of this type of various modifications are in service 36, 44, 63, 88, 91- The 1st Aviation Brigade of the Northern Command. The 20th regiment of the 7th Air Division, the 57th regiment of the 19th Air Division, the 21st Air Brigade of the Central Command. The 18th and 97th Aviation Brigades of the Western Command. 25th and 27th regiments of the 9th Air Division, 52nd, 125th and 132nd air Brigades of the Southern Command. 42nd regiment of the 14th Air Division, 94th Regiment of the 32nd Air Division, 86th Air Brigade of the Eastern Command.
Also, a significant number of J-7 and JJ-7 are available in various training units. There are no J-7 fighters left in the combat composition of naval aviation, up to 80 machines can be stored.
The J-8 fighter had no direct Soviet analogues, although there is a clear "kinship" with the MiG-21, MiG-23 and Su-15. As for the J-7, many modifications of this aircraft were created with the constant improvement of engines, avionics, weapons.
In particular, in the second half of the 1980s, the J-8II aircraft project with American equipment (engines, avionics, missiles) began to be implemented. However, it was stopped due to the events in Tiananmen Square in June 1989. However, in 1990, Washington was ready to resume it on condition of an increase in the price, but Beijing refused this, since it had already begun to purchase Soviet Su-27s.
Currently, no more than 33 J-8DH interceptors and J-8FR scouts remain in service with the PLA Air Force in the 35th regiment of the 12th Air Division of the Northern Command, 78 and 93rd air Brigades of the Eastern Command. Up to 250 more cars of various modifications can be stored.
In naval aviation, up to 20 J-8F/FR are in service with the 15th Regiment of the 5th Air Division of the Northern Fleet. Up to 50 machines of several modifications can be stored.
Most likely, by 2025, neither J-7 nor J-8 will remain in service. Their main substitute is the J-10 fighter, created on the basis of the Israeli Lavi (which, in turn, was created on the basis of the American F-16).
Currently, there are up to 368 J-10s in service (up to 222 J-10A, up to 64 combat training J-10S, 31 J-10B, 46-51 J-10S; about 40 more vehicles of early variants may have been deposited). Production of the first and second variants of the J-10A / B aircraft has been discontinued, now the J-10C is in production (it is, in particular, equipped with radar with headlights).
Perhaps this is not the last modification of this fighter. But it is still difficult to say whether the J-10 will replace its outdated predecessors by their maximum number, although the Chinese aviation industry is quite capable of it.
J-10 fighters are in service with the 2nd, 34th and 61st Aviation Brigades of the Northern Command. 170, 171, 175, 177th Aviation Brigade of the Training and Testing Center (located in the dual subordination of the Central Command and the headquarters of the PLA Air Force). 43, 56, 70 and 72nd aviation Brigade of the Central Command. 5, 26, 124, 130, 131- The 1st Aviation Brigade of the Southern Command. The 8th Aviation Brigade of the Eastern Command, as well as the aerobatic team "August 1".
The PLA naval aviation is armed with 23 J-10 special marine modifications (16 J-10AN, 7 J-10SN), they are part of the 12th Aviation Brigade of the Eastern Fleet. Further deliveries of these aircraft to the fleet, apparently, are not planned.
BEARING BASE
As in the Russian Aerospace Forces, China's "main fighter" is the Su-27 and its derivatives – the Russian Su-30MKK/MK2 and Su-35S, Chinese copies of the Su-27 (licensed J-11A, unlicensed J-11B/BS and their marine versions J-11BH/BSH, unlicensed copies Su-30 J-16, deck J-15). The marine versions of the J-11B (as well as the J-10) differ from the standard versions primarily by the greater resistance of the aircraft structure to an aggressive external environment (that is, to salt water).
Currently, the PLA Air Force has up to 246 combat Su-27 / J-11A/ B (including from 5 to 28 Su-27SK, up to 100 J-11A and from 65 to 118 J-11B), from 62 to 75 combat training vehicles (from 31 to 39 Su-27UBK, from 31 to 36 J-11BS), production of J-11B/BS continues.
Su-27 and J-11 of various modifications are in service with the 1st and 89th aviation Brigades of the Northern Command. The 19th and 55th Aviation Brigades of the Central Command. The 16th, 98th, 109th and 111th Aviation Brigades of the Western Command. 4th Aviation Brigade of the Southern Command. The 40th, 41st and 95th Aviation Brigades of the Eastern Command.
Also, these types of vehicles are available in the 171st, 175th and 177th Aviation Brigades of the PLA Air Force Training and Testing Center. The "complement" to these aircraft were 24 newest Su-35S fighters, which were received by the 6th Aviation Brigade of the Southern Command.
The PLA naval aviation is armed with 94 to 106 J-11B (from 51 to 57 HH, from 43 to 51 HH), as well as 43 to 49 J-15 deck fighters copied from the first version of the Su-27K deck version purchased in Ukraine). "Marine" J-11B are part of the 22nd and 24th regiments of the 8th Air Division, the 25th regiment of the 9th Air Division of the Southern Fleet. J-15s are assigned to two Chinese aircraft carriers.
68 Su-30MKK are in service with the 54th Aviation Brigade of the Southern Command, the 9th and 85th aviation Brigade of the Eastern Command, they are also part of the 172nd Aviation Brigade of the Training and Testing Center. 23 "marine" Su-30MK2 are part of the 10th Aviation Brigade of the Eastern Fleet. The production of their Chinese unlicensed copies of the J-16 seems to be even more vigorous than the equally unlicensed (that is, stolen) J-11B.
Currently, the PLA Air Force has from 63 to 113 J-16s, including one or two J-16D electronic warfare aircraft. They are in service with the 3rd Air Brigades of the Northern Command, the 98th and 99th air Brigades of the Western Command, the 26th Air Brigades of the Southern Command, the 7th and 40th air Brigades of the Eastern Command. Also, these fighter-bombers are available in the 172nd, 175 and 176th aviation brigades of the Training and Testing Center.
THE FUTURE IN CHINESE
Since 2016, the PLA Air Force began to receive heavy fighters of the 5th generation of its own production J-20. Currently, from 24 to 32 such aircraft have been produced (as well as 11-12 flight prototypes and pre-production machines). They are available in the 172nd and 176th aviation brigades of the Training and Testing Center. They are mainly staffed by the 9th Aviation Brigade of the Eastern Command. Now the J-20s have begun to enter service with the 1st Aviation Brigade of the Northern Command and, possibly, the 85th Aviation Brigade of the Eastern Command.
It can be noted that we also have about 10 flight prototypes of the 5th generation Su-57 fighter, but no more than four are in service. That is, China is confidently bypassing us here. In addition, it can be assumed that he plans to build not 76 (like our Su-57), but many times more J-20. It is not possible to carry out a qualitative comparison of these two machines, because we seriously do not know anything about either one or the other.
The continued dependence on foreign technologies could be considered the weakest point of Chinese aviation. But this weakness is largely offset by China's lack of any moral and legal restrictions in terms of stealing these technologies.
At the same time, the scientific and technological base of the People's Republic of China allows not only to copy foreign advanced technologies, but also to develop them creatively. And the presence of colossal production capacities allows minor deficiencies in the quality of aircraft to more than compensate for quantitative superiority.
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.
