Pakistan seeks to build on bonds with China

By Farhan Bokhari

With the unveiling of Islamabad's first indigenously assembled JF-17 aircraft, Pakistan and China are keen to demonstrate their bonds. Farhan Bokhari reports

Framed under a larger-than-life portrait of the first JF-17 Chinese- built fighter aircraft painted with Chinese and Pakistani flags, which flew into Pakistan last year, the unveiling of Islamabad's first indigenously assembled fighter aircraft in the same series on 23 November carried more than just symbolic value.

With both of its wings painted green - the colour of Pakistan's flag - and a yellow thunderbolt painted on each of its wings (a reminder of the JF-17's other title: 'Thunder') the roll-out from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF)-run Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) marked a vital moment for Pakistan and China to highlight their carefully crafted strategic partnership.

Over the past year China has handed over eight JF-17s to the PAF, whose officials claim the PAF will be equipped with as many as 250 JF-17 fighters by the end of the next decade. Pakistan plans to build nine to 11 aircraft by June 2010, which, combined with the Chinese aircraft already delivered, will form the PAF's first squadron of JF-17s.

While Pakistan aims to seek military hardware globally, notably of US origin, for Western observers its policy-makers are showing signs of an increasingly pro-China tilt even in seeking sophisticated weapons. This is in apparent recognition of Beijing's improving capacity to build advanced weapons.

Pakistan and China are also keen to publicly demonstrate their proximity in ways seldom seen before. "[Our] friendship [with Pakistan] is higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the Arabian Sea and sweeter than honey," said Luo Zhaohui, the Chinese ambassador to Islamabad ahead of the roll-out, prompting applause from the audience.

The gathering at the PAF-run Pakistan Aeronautical complex (PAC) at Kamra, just north of Islamabad, marked the first step towards the PAF's plans to build at least 42 fighters - a stage that will see the PAC produce 58 per cent of the JF-17's parts, according to Pakistani officials.

Yusuf Raza Gilani, Pakistan's prime minister, used the event to commend China for always standing by Pakistan "in our hour of need", while Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, the PAF's chief of staff, reminded the audience of the "time-tested" character of Pakistan's relations with China.

The launch of the JF-17 has taken almost 20 years since Pakistan and China first decided to jointly produce a fighter aircraft, which in the words of Pakistan's ACM Suleman, was meant to be "a low-cost, high-performance aircraft".

For Islamabad and Beijing, the defence relationship dates back to 1966 when Pakistan approached China for the first time to purchase the F-6 aircraft - the Chinese version of the Soviet MiG-19 - just a year after Islamabad was slapped with US sanctions following its war with India in 1965.

Since then, while Pakistan was sanctioned by Washington in 1990 over concerns that Islamabad was working to produce nuclear weapons, China has never delayed or withheld its promised supply of weapons. This relationship has earned Beijing a much stronger friendship with parts of Pakistan's ruling establishment than the US, which resumed its military and economic support to Islamabad after the New York terrorist attacks of September 2001.

"Pakistan trusts the Chinese much more than others. China has remained a close friend, an ally and, above all, an important emerging global power," retired Pakistan Army lieutenant general Talat Masood told Jane's.

Early in November Pakistani and Western officials confirmed that Pakistan and China had reached an understanding for Beijing to sell at least 36 of its J-10s to Islamabad. PAF officials consider the J-10 to be the most advanced among China's fighter aircraft.

Additionally, Beijing is due to supply four of its airborne early-warnings systems to the PAF within the next 12 to 18 months. In the past, China has also supplied the PAF with the K-8 trainer aircraft. Other major deals have included the go-ahead for China's sale of four F22P frigates to the Pakistan Navy and its support in the development of the Pakistan Army's Al-Khalid main battle tank.

After the ceremony on 23 November, a senior Pakistani government told Jane's that Pakistan's navy was in informal negotiations with China for the purchase of another three to four frigates, that will be larger than the F22Ps. However, he declined to give further details.

While the relationship has generally been friendly, China is known to have expressed its concerns to Pakistan from the late 1990s to the early part of this decade over Pakistani Muslim separatists teaming up with Muslim separatists from China's northern Xinjiang region.

However, Pakistani officials say China's concerns have largely been addressed after Islamabad provided assurances in 2003 that it would actively work to block any attempt by its own militants to support Chinese Muslim separatists, including the provision of arms and training.

More broadly, progress on the JF-17 and the J-10 aircraft as well as other weapon systems suggests a three-part theme clearly emerging in Sino-Pakistan relations.

First, Islamabad is continuing to seek Western arms, notably US arms, but is also eager to deepen its relations with China and work jointly on more sophisticated systems than before. This strategy appears to be driven primarily by the view that relations with partners such as the US, no matter how close on the surface, will always be prone to policy disagreements that could at least temporarily, if not permanently, halt the flow of weapons. In contrast China, with its long history of co-operating with Pakistan, will remain a reliable supplier.

Second, China's advancement as a global power and its long-term relationship with Pakistan, in the eyes of Islamabad, creates the opportunity for the country to benefit from China's future. Pakistan's policy planners see arms development co-operation leading to a relationship where Islamabad is likely to benefit from export orders, especially for Sino-Pakistani weapons. Already, Pakistani officials have pointed towards the probable price of a fighter aircraft like the JF-17 being significantly lower than an aircraft in a similar category produced by a Western manufacturer.

Finally, Pakistan's push to militarily confront Taliban militants with attacks in the northern Swat valley and the south Waziristan region near the Afghan border potentially eases some of Beijing's own concerns over Islamabad's past tolerance of Islamic hardliners, allaying fears in Beijing of parts of Islamabad's ruling establishment remaining soft on hardcore militants.

Jane's Defence Weekly

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China plans to market FC-1/JF-17 and J-10 fighters aggressively

By Siva Govindasamy

China plans to market the Chengdu FC-1/JF-17 and J-10 fighters aggressively as part of its plan to become a major player in the global aerospace industry. "While AVIC's main job is to manufacture aircraft, the company also fulfils a national agenda by producing military aircraft for China's political allies around the world," says a source close to Chengdu's state-owned parent company. "There are also countries that would like to buy a good fighter, but not at the cost of a Western fighter.

"While China's military aircraft have been exported for many years, this is the first time that there is a concerted effort to properly market them and establish a support network," the source adds. In the past few months, senior company officials have been identifying the military products that will be given the most attention for the export market. In the fighter segment, the JF-17 and the J-10 are the two most important aircraft, says the source. Given that the JF-17 has been in service in China and Pakistan for a number of years and is a mature programme, it is being given first priority," the source adds. Islamabad, which helped to develop the JF-17, has committed to buying 150 aircraft produced by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. This figure could rise to 300 aircraft to replace the country's air force fleets of Nanchang A-5s, Chengdu F-7s and Dassault Mirage III and Mirage Vs.

The JF-17 will be able to carry a variety of conventional and precision-guided bombs, and air-to-air and air-to-sea missiles from short- to beyond-visual-range. The type is already being marketed to countries in Africa, the Middle East, South America and South-East Asia. "The J-10 is not ready for export yet, as AVIC is still finalising upgrades for the fighter," the source says. "But there has been interest from several countries." AVIC is likely to begin exports of the new type - which entered Chinese air force service in early 2007 - after it has finished developing an upgraded J-10B version. Enhancements are to include a modified vertical stabiliser and ventral fins, redesigned engine inlet, a new radar and an infrared search and track sensor.

Pakistan is likely to be the first export customer, having begun negotiations to buy 36 aircraft several years ago. To be designated locally as FC-20s, deliveries are likely to begin from 2014-15. Beijing could extend loans to purchasing countries and offer local assembly if there are sufficient orders, the source adds.

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China readies J-10A fighter for export

By Andrei Chang and John Wu

China is aiming at a substantial share of the international market for third-generation fighter aircraft, with a particular eye on oil-rich third-world countries as part of its arms-for-oil strategy. This was evidenced by the high-profile display of its J-10A fighter at the 2008 Zhuhai Air Show last November.Chinese experts were observed giving exhaustive information on the J-10A to military delegations from Angola, Nigeria and Venezuela at the air show. Venezuela seemed most interested in the aircraft.The first foreign buyer of the J-10A will be Pakistan, a source from the Chinese aviation industry said. In March, Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshall Tanvir Mehmood Ahmed confirmed that a deal with China had been reached, and the aircraft would be delivered in 2014 and 2015. The version for Pakistan will be called the FC-20.However, there is an issue with the engine on this aircraft. The J-10A is currently equipped with Russian-made AL-31F aviation engines. It is unclear whether Russia will permit China to install these engines on its aircraft and then export them to Pakistan. Such a move would have not only economic but also political repercussions, considering that Pakistan’s rival, India, is a major purchaser of Russian arms.For this reason, the export version of the J-10A fighter is still under design. Both the engine and the weapon systems on board will be different from the domestic version, according to the source from the Chinese aviation industry.India has been using the Russian AL-31FP engine extensively in its fighter aircraft. If China exports large numbers of J-10P/FC-20 fighters outfitted with Russian engines to Pakistan, India will be much more concerned over this deal than with China’s earlier export of JF-17 fighters to Pakistan. As a third-generation combat aircraft, the J-10A will pose a real threat to the Indian Air Force.With this concern, India sent a strong delegation to the Zhuhai Air Show to expand its contacts with the Chinese, led by its air chief of staff. The Indian Air Force’s aerobatics demonstration team also put on a performance at this event.At the Singapore Air Show earlier last year, Indian Air Chief Marshall Fali Homi Major had already carefully inspected the simulation cockpit of the JF-17, which is being jointly developed by China and Pakistan. His trip to Zhuhai was to examine the J-10A/ FC-20 fighter.In contrast to India’s increased interest in engaging with China, Russia sent a much smaller delegation than usual to Zhuhai. For the first time, Russia did not exhibit any combat aircraft or radar systems at the air show. Some representatives of Russian enterprises even cancelled their planned trips to China at the last minute.One member of the Russian military delegation described China-Russian arms trade as being in a long and drawn-out “winter.” A representative of Rosoboronexport, the agency that handles exports of Russian defense equipment, declined to comment on China’s possible export of J-10A fighters equipped with Russian AL-31F engines.China did have its own indigenous engine on display at the show, the Taihang turbofan engine, with a thrust power of 13,200 kilograms – although some experts say it is only 12,800 kilograms. The Taihang’s exterior design and modular structure, as well as the processing and polishing technologies of the core machine and engine blades, seem to be an improvement over China’s previous aviation engines, but it is still far behind similar systems from Russia and Western countries.Representatives of China’s Liming Motor Corporation refused to answer questions about the engine’s performance features. It is unclear why China decided to introduce this engine to the international market when it has not elected to use it on its own J-10 fighters.A Chinese military source disclosed that China has been promoting the J-10A to Egypt, but it appears that no substantial negotiations have yet taken place. An authoritative source from the Russian military industry has said that Russia will not allow China to use its engines in exported planes if it perceives such sales as having a negative impact on Russia’s own export market. Egypt was once a major client of Russian arms, though it now buys little other than spare parts.Pakistan, on the other hand, is not a traditional client of Russian aircraft. Therefore Russia allowed its engines to be used on the JF-17 fighters China is developing with Pakistan. The same arrangement may therefore hold for the J-10A.The basic price for the J-10A is about US$29.3 million, according to the Chinese source. Considering that China aims to sell this fighter primarily to oil-producing countries – and is prepared to trade it for oil and other natural resources – it could be an attractive option for such countries.A general assessment of the export version of the J-10A fighter can conclude that its engine has less thrust than the F-16 Block 52, while its radar system is more or less on a par with the Zhuk-ME multifunction radar on the Russian MiG-28 SMT. This is because Russia’s Phazotron Design Bureau exported to China three sets of its Zemchung multirole radar systems after 2001, allowing China to come up with its own version of the Zhuk-ME radar. This radar has a detection range of 120 kilometers for 5m2 aerial targets and can attack four targets in the air simultaneously.In terms of the diversity and performance of its weapon systems, especially long-range attack weapons, the J-10A lags far behind the F-16 Block 52. The-air-to-air missiles loaded on the J-10A fighter at the Zhuhai exhibition were SD-10A AAMs with compound hardpoints. The SD-10A is a medium-range active radar-guided air-to-air missile upgraded from the SD-10, with its maximum range extended to 70 kilometers. Its length is 3.9 meters, diameter 203 millimeters, weight 198 kilograms, and maximum speed Mach 5.The PL-12 air-to-air missiles currently in service in the PLA Air Force have undergone similar upgrading. Short-range missiles include the new-generation PL-5EII and PL-9C. The PL-5EII is equipped with a multichannel infrared seeker, the latest laser proximity fuse, and a rocket motor with a non-smoke propellant.The air-to-ground weapons on the J-10A mainly include the LT-2 laser-guided bomb and the FT series of global positioning system-guided bombs. In recent years China has been imitating U.S. aviation combat weapons, a trend that is reflected in the weapon platforms on the J-10A, including its imitation U.S. joint direct attack munition serial bombs.At the most recent Zhuhai show, China put on open display its FT-5 GPS-guided bomb. The FT-1 and FT-3 500/250-kilogram-class GPS-guided bombs were on display at the previous show in 2006. China also showed off its 500-kilogram-class FT-2 with gliding fins added. The FT-2 has an effective range of 15-90 kilometers, a circular error probability of 20 meters and an air-dropping altitude of 3,000 to 12,000 meters.The FT-5 small-diameter bomb copies the latest design of the U.S. military. A designer of the system said that the FT-5’s warhead has a weight of 35 kilograms and a circular error probability of 15 meters. It was developed mainly for unmanned aerial vehicles. The effective range of the FT-5 is 2-5 kilometers when launched from a UAV and 3-35 kilometers when launched from a J-10A.China has also developed the LT-3 GPS+ terminal laser-guided air-to-ground missile for the J-10A, which is very similar in structure to the U.S. Army’s JDAM+ laser-guided bomb.These imitations provide evidence that the Chinese military has been tracking U.S. technology, viewing the United States as both a presumed enemy and a competitor in the arms export market. Of course China’s imitations are not limited to U.S. military equipment, but it is certainly learning from U.S. technology as well as military combat doctrines.China is now paying close attention to the development of anti-GPS-jamming multiple-guidance weapons. Its Sekong Company has developed a 570-kilogram-class guided bomb based on the Russian Krasnopole laser-guided projectile’s seeker technology. China plans to promote this guided bomb along with the J-10A. A designer says that this bomb has a circular error probability of 3.1 meters and an air-release altitude of 500-10,000 meters.It is not clear whether the LT-3 has ever been test-fired, as China did not show video footage of this guided bomb under test.As for anti-ship weapons, Chinese promoters of the J-10A claim that the fighter can carry 75-kilometer-range new-generation C-705 anti-ship missiles or C-802A anti-ship missiles with a range close to 250 kilometers. The C-705 was also on exhibit for the first time. The C-705 is a modified version of the C-704, with a turbojet engine and two flight fins. The weight of its warhead is 110 kilograms and it has a minimum flight altitude of 12 meters.The J-10A fighter has 11 hardpoints, two of which are of compound structure, making the total number of hardpoints 13.The PLA Navy seems to be assessing the possibility of acquiring J-10As for its combat ships. A Chinese source said that the navy liked its price and its aerial refuelling capability. This source also disclosed that the J-10A’s combat radius is 800 kilometers. In this regard, the technological standard of the materials used on the J-10A can be judged far inferior to those of the same-generation fighters of the United States and Europe.The J-10A is already fitted with an arresting hook imported from Russia for shipboard landing drills. However, the same source said no decision had as yet been made as to whether the PLA Navy will employ the J-10A as a ship-borne combat aircraft. (Andrei Chang is editor-in-chief of Kanwa Defense Review Monthly, registered in Toronto, Canada. John Wu is a reporter for the same magazine.)

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New Pictures of J-10B fighter jet

Chinese web pages have featured photos of a new variant of the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) J-10 multirole fighter that appears to confirm a spate of late December 2008 web reports on this same aircraft, with some accounts noting it has already been test flown.This single-seat variant differs from the initial single-seat J-10 model in that it appears to feature a revised engine inlet, consistent in design with the diverter-less supersonic inlet (DSI) featured on the latest version of the Chengdu FC-1 lightweight multirole fighter.

Reminiscent of the DSI modification first tested on a Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 30 in 1996, this modification saves weight and improves specific engine power and stealth. It also cleans up the J-10's previous complex inlet configuration, which was reportedly prone to vibration.China's research on DSIs dates back to the late 1990s, with Chengdu's 611 institute for aerospace design having been assisted by government-funded research at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

In addition, this J-10 variant has a new infrared search and track (IRST) system canted to the right of the windscreen, with an apparent smaller optical sensor below the radome area, and a new electronic systems faring near the top of the vertical stabiliser, also similar to that of the FC-1. In addition, the radome has been changed to a flatter F-16-like profile. The back-leaning angle of the radome attachment bulkhead gives credence to web reports suggesting it also has a new radar, perhaps a new electronically scanned array, either active or passive.

The photos do not offer any indication of a new engine, either a new more powerful version of the Russian Saturn AL-31FN or the Chinese developed Liming WS-10A. While these could follow later, this aircraft appears to be an incremental upgrade for the J-10, which would be consistent with previous Chinese practice for indigenously designed combat aircraft. Nevertheless, these upgrades, perhaps to include a new radar, would enhance the aerial combat flexibility of the J-10, positioning it to better compete with the Shenyang J-11B for People's Liberation Army Air Force orders.

It is also suggested that this J-10 is an initial development for what may become the 'FC-20' to be purchased by Pakistan.For some time there have been indications, mainly from Russian industry sources, that Chengdu has been developing advanced variants of the J-10. The most near-term upgrade cited by these sources would have used a thrust-vectored version of the AL-31FN to power a potential aircraft carrier variant or one better suited for high-altitude airfields near India.

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Jian-10B Multirole Fighter Aircraft

The J-10B is a modified variant of the J-10 multirole fighter aircraft, with modifications in airframe and avionics. Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of AVIC began to develop a follow-on variant of its J-10 fighter around 2004/05. A J-10B prototype reportedly made its maiden flight in December 2008. Photos of the aircraft began on emerge on the Chinese Internet in March 2009. Once commissioned, the J-10B is likely going to become the standard for later J-10 productions.

Rampless Inlet

The J-10B features a chin-mounted diffuser supersonic inlet (DSI) air inlet. The traditional rectangle-shape air inlet on the J-10 requires a large moveable inlet ramp to generate a rearward leaning oblique shock wave to aid the inlet compression process. The ramp sits at an acute angle to deflect the intake air stream from the longitudinal direction. The air inlets comprises many moving parts, which increases the aircraft’s weight and radar reflections. The newly designed rampless inlet, first tested on the FC-1/JF-17 fighter design by Chengdu, employs a one-piece bump at the top of the inlet replacing the movable ramp. This eliminates all moving parts on the inlet, lightening the overall weight and reducing the aircraft’s radar signature.

Electro-Optic Targeting System

The J-10B has been added with an electronic-optic targeting system (EOTS) commonly found on all fourth-generation Russian fighter aircraft such as Su-27 and MiG-29. Placed forward of the cockpit canopy to the right, the system comprises an infrared search and track (IRST) sensor and a laser rangefinder, which can detect enemy targets passively without requiring to turn on the fire-control radar, thus reducing the chance of the aircraft being detected. The EOTS of the J-10B is likely based on a Russian design.

Tailfin ECM Pod

The upper edge of J-10B’s tailfin is curved, in contrast to the straight-edged tailfin of the J-10. A large fairing is added to the tip of the tailfin to accommodate electronic warfare and countermeasures (EW/ECM) equipment.

ECM Antenna Array

The J-10B has four black antenna arrays attached externally to the fuselage, a larger one on either side of the cockpit and a smaller one on either side of the rear fuselage near the engine nozzle. The specific purpose of these antennas is unknown but they are thought to be for electronic countermeasures purpose.

Sinodefence.com

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China's fighter plane makes forced landing

Diplomats said that the incident underscored the problems the PLA has had developing an engine for the fighter. "They will be very disappointed by this,” one said.The J-10, which China has taken about 20 years to make, was on a training exercise with deputy regiment air force commander Li Feng at the controls. He tried to exercise a tricky manoeuvre at an altitude of 4,500 metres when the engine failed, state media reported. Realising the the jet could lose power at any time, he requested permission to return.Related LinksStiill seven kilometers from the airfield, the engine stopped and the jet began to lose altitude at a rate of 25 metres per second. The pilot succeeded in gliding the fighter onto the runway without power. The rear parachute also failed, but he succeeded in bringing the fighter to a halt after taxiing for some 1,400 metres down the runway.

The entire landing took 104 seconds, state television said. The success of the pilot may have influenced their decision to broadcast the landing.One aviation expert said that the skill of the pilot should not be underestimated. He said: “A fighter jet glides like a soggy brick.”It was the first reported incident involving the J-10 since it was unveiled with great fanfare before an international audience at the Zhuhai air show in southern China last November. It received several impressive reviews of its performance at the time. Vladimir Karnozov, a Mosco-based aerospace journalist, wrote a blog calling the J-10 the real deal. He said: “The pilot did none of the show tricks like post-stall or tail slide or pitch-back, but turns were very tight, initial rate of turn very high. It was clear there is a lot of potential in this airplane to achieve the same maneuvers more quickly. “However, diplomats said question marks still hung over the plane, which has taken some 20 years to develop. Most involve its engine.All the J-10 fighters built so far are believed to be powered by a single Russian-built turbofan engine, the AL-31F. Diplomats said that there had been problems adapting the plane and the engine to fit, adding that the use of a Russian engine could affect Chinese plans to sell the jet overseas.

China already has an order for 40 of the fighters from Pakistan.They said that China was keen to install its own engine in the aircraft but so far this had not been possible. Chinese media said last year that the PLA had finally developed an indigenous turbojet engine called the WS-10A, or "Taihang", as it is known commercially, and had started installing it in the J-10.Chinese-made engines are currently used in the twin-engine J-8, which is based on the design of the Russian Sukhoi-15 fighter, but these are still being adapted to the far more rigorous demands of a single-engine jet.

The Chinese engine is believed to take twice as long as the Russian one to reach the same level of performance: the lag of up to one minute could mean the difference between life or death for a pilot needing to restart his engine or eject. The aviation expert said: “These single-engine fighters are often known as widow-makers.”Experts said that China was apparently still trying to adapt its domestic engines to power the J-10. Its programme faces additional urgency since the PLA may be keen to use fully homemade fighters once it builds its own aircraft carrier. Several senior officers have indicated China’s construction of such a group is now only a matter of time.

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Photos Part-III: J-10 production line

Some pictures, grabbed from TV, showing the Chengdu J-10 production line.

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Photos Part-II: J-10 production line

Some pictures, grabbed from TV, showing the Chengdu J-10 production line.

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Photos Part-1: J-10 production line

Some pictures, grabbed from TV, showing the Chengdu J-10 production line.

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