Chengdu J-10

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-10

The Chengdu J-10 (simplified Chinese: ?-10; traditional Chinese: ?-10; NATO
reporting name : Firebird is a lightweight multirole fighter aircraft capable of
all-weather operation, configured with a delta wing and canard design, with
fly-by-wire flight controls, and produced by the People's Republic of China's
Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) for the People's Liberation Army Air Force
(PLAAF).

The J-10 was officially unveiled by the Chinese government in January 2007, when
photographs were published by Xinhua News Agency. The aircraft's existence was
known long before the announcement, although concrete details remained scarce
due to secrecy. Rumors of crashes during flight testing were actually mishaps
related to the AL-31 engine.

The prototype "J-10 01" was rolled out in November 1997 and first flown on 23
March 1998 in a twenty-minute flight.


Role
Multirole combat aircraft

National origin
China

Manufacturer
Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group

Design group
Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute

First flight
23 March 1998

Introduction
2006

Status
In service

Primary user
People's Liberation Army Air Force

Produced
2002 – present

Number built
346+

Program cost
500 million RMB allocated in 1982 (Project #10)

Unit cost

190 million RMB (27.84 million USD; 2010)


Developed from
Chengdu J-9

The first aircraft were delivered to the 13th Test Regiment on 23 February 2003.
The aircraft was declared 'operational' in December of the same year, after 18
years in development. The first operational regiment was the 131st Regiment of
the 44th Division.

The J-10C entered combat service in April 2018.

In July 2011, Daily Jang reported that China will give a squadron of the
advanced J-10B fighter aircraft to Pakistan. According to the report,"the offer
was made by senior Chinese military leaders to visiting Pakistan Army's Chief of
General Staff, Lt Gen Waheed Arshad". In March 2012, talks were held between the
two countries to discuss the delivery of latest J-10B fighter jets to Pakistan.
However, this has been cancelled as of 2016. Pakistan Air Force is focussing on
JF-17 Block 3 and in future it is looking to procure the export version of J-31,
the FC-31 stealth fighter. 40 jets are to be procured initially.

Controversy

The J-10 is externally similar to the IAI Lavi. In 2008, aviation publishing
house Jane's alleged that China's development of the Chengdu J-10 had benefited
from technical information from the Lavi project, citing senior Russian
engineers who said they had heard this from Chinese colleagues. In 2007, the
J-10's designer, Song Wencong (???), denied any connection with the Lavi,
pointing to similarities with the Chengdu J-9, which developed in the 1960s.
This was echoed by PLAAF major Zhang Weigang in a 2012 interview. There have
been no public statements or formal claims along those lines; by 2000, however,
openly disclosed advanced technology transfer of any origin had become anathema
to the United States, which forced Israel to cancel a sale of Phalcon airborne
early warning planes.

Specifications (J-10A)

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 15.49 m (50.82 ft)
Wingspan: 9.75 m (31.99 ft)
Height: 5.43 m (17.81 ft)
Wing area: 33 m² (356.3 ft²)
Empty weight: 8,850 kg (21,495 lb)
Useful load: 6,000 kg (13,200lb)
Loaded weight: 12,400 kg (28,600 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 19,277 kg (42,500 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Saturn-Lyulka AL-31FN or WS-10A turbofan Dry thrust: 79.43 kN /
89.17 kN (17,860 lbf / 19,000 lbf)
Thrust with afterburner: 125 kN / 130 kN (27,999 lbf / 29,000 lbf)


Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8
Combat radius: 550 km (342 mi)
Ferry range: 1,850 km (1,150 mi)
Service ceiling: 18,000 m (59,055 ft)
Wing loading: 381 kg/m² (78 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 1.15 (with AL-31FN3); 1.16 (with WS-10B)
Maximum g-load: +9/–3 g

Armament

Guns: 1× Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23
Hardpoints: 11 in total (6× under-wing, 5× under-fuselage) with a capacity of
7,000 kg (15,400 lb) external fuel and ordnance
Rockets: 90 mm unguided rocket pods
Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles:
PL-8
PL-9
PL-11
PL-12
Air-to-surface missiles:
PJ-9
YJ-9K

Bombs:
Laser-guided bombs: (LT-2)
Glide bombs: (LS-6, GB3, GB2A, GB3A)
Satellite-guided bombs: (FT-1)
Unguided bombs: 250 kg, 500 kg
Others: Up to 3 external fuel drop-tanks (1× under-fuselage, 2× under-wing) for
extended range and loitering time




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