The Chinese J-10 in a detail you never saw!
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LearningTranscript
00:00Hey, when in 2006 the J-10 was officially declassified and pictures started circulating
00:08around the world, well, nobody was really surprised.
00:13Western Intelligence Services had known for about two decades that the Chinese were up
00:18to something, and in the end they had a pretty good picture of what the Chinese were up to.
00:24Actually, it was what happened between 2007 and 2016 that was unexpected.
00:37Welcome to Millennium Seven Star, the channel that helps you make sense of military history
00:40and military technology, and please stay with me till the end because the stuff that we
00:44discuss here is quite difficult to find anywhere else on YouTube.
00:48The J-10 is currently one of the staples of the Chinese air power.
00:54About 500 units are estimated to be in service right now, more than any other model, even
01:01counting all the Flanker variants altogether.
01:04The translation of the Chinese name is Vigorous Dragon, which actually sounds like a male
01:10performance enhancer, so I actually prefer the NATO moniker, which is Firebird.
01:21The program started in 1988, the first flight was in 1998, and the aircraft reached the
01:27initial operational capability in 2006.
01:33The development time hasn't been exceedingly long, to be honest, but there have been many
01:39hiccups along the way, because this was the first time that the Chinese were trying to
01:44design something modern entirely in-house.
01:49Some believe still to this day that the aircraft is actually a variant of the aborted Israeli
01:54Lavi fighter, but this is quite far from the truth.
01:58Yes, it's true the two aircraft share the same general configurations, but one of the
02:04purposes of the J-10 program was to develop the know-how to produce a modern four-generation
02:12aircraft in China.
02:14To do this, the Chinese had to acquire or consolidate some technologies that weren't
02:19really developed at the time, so they worked with Israel and Russia for this purpose.
02:26What actually happened was something pretty common, that is a technology transfer.
02:32They didn't just redeveloped an already existing project.
02:37And by the way, speaking of copying aircraft, it happens quite often.
02:48If two aircraft share some similarities, share the same general configurations, some observers
02:55tend to reach the conclusion that the younger is a sort of a copy of the older, or at least
03:01it has been inspired by the older.
03:04Interesting, considering the timelines required to develop a combat aircraft, there probably
03:10should be at least 5 to 10 years between the two projects for the technologies and the
03:16design of the older becoming available to the newer.
03:20Copying is really useful if you can really avoid doing a chunk of development.
03:28If the shape and size of the aircraft is different, then the aerodynamic design cannot be copied.
03:34Moreover, the airfoil is probably the most critical part of the design and it is really
03:39really difficult to copy just looking at pictures.
03:43If the overall shape and structure is different, then even the structural design cannot be
03:49reused.
03:50If the engine is different, then there are structural implications and also a lot of
03:56internals need to be redesigned, hydraulics, electrics, air ducts and so on.
04:02If the avionics is different, then you need to redesign antenna housing, the internal
04:07layout of the avionic base, the electrics, the connections.
04:12If the weapons are different, this is even more redesign and this is a big one.
04:18Either you copy almost everything, or you copy an isolated subsystem, otherwise copying
04:25is not worth it.
04:27Moreover, the world is full of clever and well-educated people that can find their way
04:31through this kind of project with just some help.
04:35Some people seem to think that you can find competent people just in a few places around
04:40the world, but that's actually not true.
04:43There are clever people all around the world and there's no divine right to technological
04:48superiority.
04:49J-10 is a single-engine, single-seater Delta Canard.
04:58This configuration is typical of the contemporary non-stealth projects.
05:03We have already discussed this configuration many times on the channel and there are several
05:07videos available if you want to dive deep into this subject.
05:11For now, it is enough to say that this kind of configuration has a performance sweet spot
05:17exactly at the speeds where most of the military and combat operations are conducted today,
05:25between 0.7 and 1.2 Mach.
05:28The J-10 is also an unstable design like all the fighters of its generation.
05:34It has closed coupled canards like many fighters of its generation.
05:39The construction is a mix of aluminum, titanium and composites like all the fighters of its
05:46generation.
05:47While overall is a pretty unremarkable design, it's very similar to all the other fighters
05:53of the 4th generation which are not designed to be stealth.
05:58Put the J-10, the Rafale, the Eurofighter, the Gripen and the LaVie side by side in a
06:04picture and you have a family picture.
06:08However, there are a couple of speculations that we can do about the aircraft just looking
06:26at its general layout.
06:28The wing has a variable anhydral angle, a pretty large fairing with the fuselage and
06:37the internal part seems to be quite thick.
06:42It is a rather unusual choice and it is not entirely clear why this complication was adopted.
06:49It may remind some inverted gull configuration of old, but those were justified by ground
06:59clearance mostly and the J-10 doesn't seem to have any particular problem in this department.
07:05It could be a way of actually controlling the point where the delta wing vortices form
07:12on the upper surface of the wing, but we definitely can't be certain.
07:18Another curious element is the presence of two canted surfaces below the tail.
07:23These are fixed surfaces with a superficial similarity with those mounted on the F-16.
07:31Their presence seems to suggest some problems with the lateral stability at high angles
07:37of attack.
07:38I actually have the impression that the vertical stabilizers is a little bit smaller than the
07:46other designs, but again, the reason why there was this split in three of the vertical surfaces
07:56is difficult to say.
07:58Also, apart a couple of curious choices, the aircraft is pretty unremarkable, or if you
08:05want, it is as remarkable as the other Eurocanards are.
08:10Well, judge for yourself.
08:12What was not conventional and definitely remarkable, though, was what happened between 2007 and 2016.
08:20The initial variant, the J-10A, was designed having the European Delta Canards in mind,
08:31not to copy them, but because it was supposed to have the same performances and the same
08:37technology level of those aircraft.
08:40So the J-10 came with the four panoramic displays in the cockpit, handsome throttle F-6 commands,
08:47and a panoramic head-up display.
08:50It was fitted with a Russian engine and with an air intake with a mobile ramp.
08:55And even the radar was a mechanically scanned Russian radar.
08:59And when it entered service, the pilots loved it, and it was quickly clear that it was not
09:06even close to the other European designs.
09:09Well, to be honest, the Chinese have been aware of the problem for a few years, because
09:16the design of the B variant actually started even before the A variant was being produced.
09:23The J-10B received an improved and uprated AL-31 engine, fed by, this time, a DSI intake.
09:33Probably the similarity with the intakes of the F-35 is one of the biggest sources of
09:39the the Chinese can only copy memes.
09:42The DSI intakes are nothing new, they have been invented in the mid-50s by an Italian,
09:46Antonio Ferri, and they make sense now for combat aircraft applications, because speed
09:53is no longer as important as it used to be in the 60s or the 70s.
09:58The DSI intakes have a performance sweet spot at low supersonic speed, and they are simpler,
10:06lighter, cheaper, and a bit more stealthy than conventional air intakes.
10:12I have an entire video dedicated to DSI intakes, and if you are interested in this subject,
10:16you can watch it on the channel.
10:18But the improvements with the J-10B didn't stop there.
10:21The entire fire control system was rebuilt around an indigenous PESA radar and a new
10:28infrared search and track.
10:30One way to recognize a J-10B is because the radome is different from the J-10A which was
10:37necessary to house the new antenna, and it also doesn't have the pitot tube at the tip.
10:44In this B version, it is clearly visible the tilting of the antenna upwards, which is a
10:51feature common to various fixed antenna implementations.
10:55In this way, the antenna's radar reflection is pointed away from the emitter, with the
11:00effect of reducing the frontal RCS of the aircraft.
11:04It is little known, but radar antennas are a very very good radar reflector for the same
11:10reason that they are a very very good radar emitter.
11:13And they are impossible to hide behind, for example, a layer of radar absorbing materials
11:18because otherwise, well, they simply wouldn't work.
11:21But we're not over yet, because on the tail of the aircraft, the sensors, housings and
11:27antenna actually proliferated, showing the presence of a relatively complex and probably
11:34integrated electronic warfare suite, where the J-10A just had a radar warning receiver.
11:41And finally, a missile approach warning system was installed, making the aircraft more survivable.
11:48And I was forgetting, all these systems were indigenous systems developed in China, probably
11:54with some external assistance, but they have been developed in China.
11:59And in fact, since they have been built in-house, we know very little about them.
12:04It is not clear when the J-10 reached the initial operating capability, but this should
12:08have happened around 2010.
12:10But this is not the end, because in 2016 or 2017, the J-10C, a new variant, actually reached
12:17its initial operational capability.
12:19So the J-10C is the current 2022 production version, and it is becoming mainstream.
12:26It features an indigenous WS-10 engine, an indigenous AESA radar, and an indigenous helmet-mounted sight.
12:35And the new antennas have been spotted, and the old ones have been rearranged, hinting
12:41to some improvements in the electronic warfare area too.
12:46So in 10 years, the J-10 went from being a pretty ordinary 4th generation aircraft
12:51to becoming a modern 4++ generation combat aircraft, ticking pretty much all the boxes.
12:59The development underwent by the platform is definitely remarkable, and I don't think
13:06I can find any other example of so much being developed in so little time.
13:16There are 3 main variants of the J-10, the A, the B and the C, and the C being the current
13:28variant.
13:29All of them with increasing level of technology and systems.
13:32The difference between A and B is massive, it includes a new engine and a new DSI intake.
13:39The difference between B and C is limited, but the C version includes a Chinese engine
13:44built in China rather than a Russian engine.
13:46Between A, B and C, however, there is a massive difference in electronics and warfare systems.
13:53Actually, upgrading the AESA to the B level seems probably not possible, but it is in
14:01principle possible to upgrade the B to the C variant, at least partially, at least for
14:07the systems.
14:08There are also several minor variants, for example there is a J-10A display variant,
14:14which is used by the Chinese National Aerobatics Team as an airshow aircraft.
14:20There is a naval variant of the J-10A, which is the J-10AH, which is not carrier capable,
14:27but is used by the Chinese Navy.
14:31The only difference with the J-10A seems to be anti-corrosion treatment and the capability
14:37of using some naval weapons.
14:39The J-10S and the J-10SH are dual seaters, normally used for training, but they do retain
14:46all their combat capabilities.
14:49Then we have the J-10B TV-SEED, which was used to test and experiment with transvectoring.
14:56And finally, there is a J-10CE variant of the J-10, designed for export.
15:07We have very few official numbers about the J-10 and the sources are pretty much all over
15:13the place.
15:14An interesting point though is that the B and C versions seem to be longer, larger and
15:20taller than the A version, and you wouldn't say that by just looking at the pictures.
15:27Actually B and C seem a bit shorter.
15:31Making sense of the engine versions is complicated.
15:35All the sources differ slightly with what happened with the propulsion.
15:40If I understand correctly, both the B and C variants can be propelled both by the Chinese
15:46WS-10 or the Russian Saturn AL-31FN, but the aircraft currently in production use the WS-10.
15:55To be honest, they're both engines in the class of 90kN dry, 140kN with afterburner,
16:05so the difference in performance, while noticeable, is probably not substantial.
16:11Anyway, for those who are passionate about these things, here is a summary of all the specifications.
16:16Well, it's difficult to have this kind of information, even for western aircraft, even
16:35for decommissioned aircraft.
16:37You can imagine how easy it is with Chinese aircraft.
16:41So the J-10C main sensor is the KLJ-7A AESA radar.
16:47So, apologies, there is a bad mistake in the second episode of the series dedicated to
16:52the J-10.
16:53I say that the radar used by the J-10 is the KLJ-7A, which is wrong.
17:00That is the radar which is actually installed on the JF-17 block 3.
17:06The AESA radar installed on the J-10C is not yet disclosed, but it should be a larger
17:13unit, obviously, with an antenna of about 60cm diameter and about 1200 elements.
17:21It is possible that the two units are not much different because they share a common
17:27heritage, but definitely in the video I was wrong.
17:31It is uncertain if the radar has LPI features, but honestly it would be wasted if it didn't,
17:39so...
17:40We also understand that it probably needs explaining what is an LPI radar.
17:45A normal radar has a relatively regular scan pattern, with the antenna moving irregularly
17:51from one side to another, or moving circularly, and it has usually just one beam.
17:59You can have more beams, irregular emissions, different pulse repetition frequencies, you
18:05can also hop between frequencies while you are emitting, and also you can use different
18:11and varied waveforms.
18:13All these features make difficult for a sensor to recognize those emissions as the emissions
18:20of a radar.
18:21The maximum radar power is not declared, but it is to be seen if the electrical power availability
18:28on the J-10 is sufficient to use the radar to the max.
18:32The aircraft was originally designed with different radars and different systems, and
18:36we don't know if the electrical power available on board could grow adequately.
18:44Actually I'm mentioning this because the availability of electrical power is probably the main factor
18:49that is limiting the upgrade of combat aircraft.
18:54However, like every modern fighter, J-10B and J-10C are actually equipped with an infrared
18:59search and track which is mounted in the classical position in front of the cockpit and above
19:05the radar.
19:06Very little is known about this unit.
19:09What we have is a reported detection range of 40 km for an aircraft approaching the J-10
19:17and 100 km from the rear aspect.
19:20However, all these numbers related to the distances, performances, number of aircraft
19:27that can be tracked and so on, must always be taken with a truckload of salt, because
19:34a pinch is probably not enough.
19:35I have zero doubt that these numbers are not accurate, and even the western ones are generally
19:42not accurate, and they are not for two reasons.
19:46The first is that we don't know all the details on how these performances are actually calculated.
19:52Second, everybody has an incentive to this information.
19:57So I leave the judgment to you.
20:04There are several other systems of the J-10, but the connections between these systems
20:12are a bit peculiar.
20:14In fact, the J-10 uses a standard ARINC 429 data bus.
20:18A data bus is the equivalent of a local area network, it is the equivalent of those cables
20:24that you plug into your computer when you are not using Wi-Fi.
20:28Peculiarity in this case is that the ARINC 429 is not a Chinese standard, it is an international
20:35standard and it is a civilian standard, it is used on civilian aircraft.
20:40In the West, the de facto standard for military data buses is the MIL-STD-1553, but you can't
20:47expect the Chinese or the Russians to use it.
20:50What is a bit surprising though, it is that the Chinese military is relying on a civilian
20:55standard.
20:56It would be understandable if there were foreign weapons and systems using this standard, but
21:03if they exist, are actually few and far between.
21:07I personally never heard of one.
21:10If you know any better about the use of the ARINC 429, the comment section below is open
21:15to everyone, so please let me know.
21:18The data bus connects several systems on the aircraft.
21:22The aircraft features an AirData computer, a quadruplex fly-by-wire system, a mission
21:28management computer and a GPS-INS navigation unit that we know nothing about.
21:35These computers drive three multifunctional displays in the cockpit, plus a panoramic
21:41head-up display, plus a helmet-mounted sight.
21:44The radar warning receiver is named ARW9101A, it works from S to Q band, it features 4 antennas
21:55and the threat library to identify radar emitters is a National Chinese Library.
22:02This system is believed to be integrated with the chaffs and flares dispensers to create
22:08an automated protection suite.
22:10And to add to the protection of the J-10B and J-10C, a missile approach warning system
22:15has been installed, making the aircraft more survivable.
22:19The aircraft is obviously equipped with an IFF, whose antenna is visible behind the cockpit,
22:25at least we think.
22:26On the J-10C there is another blade antenna behind the IFF antenna, and analysts believe
22:34it is used by a datalink to guide the PL-15 air-to-air missile, however this is speculation
22:42and we can't really be sure.
22:44And speaking of datalinks, I didn't find any reference to the type of datalinks that are
22:50installed on the aircraft, because it would be very strange if it had none.
22:55The Chinese have developed their own high-speed datalink, which is called the DTS-03, with
23:01a capability of about 2 Mbps and a range of about 400 km.
23:08They also received the Russian datalinks when they received the Flankers, so I would expect
23:14that one or both of these types to be actually available on board the J-10.
23:20On the tail of the aircraft there are a few antennas that have been identified probably
23:25as VOR-slash-localizer antennas, but probably there is more going on there, in fact there
23:32are some features on the tail that make us think that they are electronics housings.
23:38For example, we know nothing about an electronic countermeasure suite on board the aircraft.
23:43The J-10A used to be seen with an ECM pod, the J-10B and C less so, unless we are talking
23:51a configuration for suppression of air defenses.
23:55Considering the importance that in recent times the Chinese are giving to electronic
24:00warfare, it really seems likely that the aircraft has some form of jammers on board.
24:08So as you can see there is a lot of speculation about what is going on and the analysts have
24:13to work with the news that filter in the press or the pictures that are available on
24:20the internet.
24:21Unfortunately, I'm old enough to remember when, during the Cold War, this kind of speculations
24:26were a constant buzz in the specialized press.
24:35So since the J-10 is expected to cover a multi-role spot, it has been integrated with several Chinese
24:43weapons.
24:44Overall, it has a rather complete panoply of weapons available either air-to-air or
24:50air-to-ground.
24:51However, we have to consider that the Chinese still use a good percentage of unguided weapons
25:01like the Russians, of which the aircraft can carry about 5600 kilos.
25:07But I'm running ahead of me, let's start from the beginning.
25:16The J-10 features a classic gun.
25:19It uses a Gryazev-Shipunov GSH-23 dual-barrel Russian cannon, a model that is in use on
25:27several aircraft, mainly of Russian or Chinese origin, around the world.
25:33It is a 23mm weapon with a rate of fire of about 3400 rounds per second and a muzzle
25:43velocity of 715 meters per second.
25:47And no, the dual-barrel configuration is not just an additional barrel, it's a specific
25:53technology.
25:54In fact, the recoil of one barrel actually chambers the other barrel and sets it ready
26:00for fire.
26:01The weapon doesn't need any electrical actuation to start the firing cycle, it is entirely
26:09mechanical and very, very reliable.
26:12It's true it has half the rate of the American Gatlings, but it starts the firing cycle faster.
26:19The round is heavier and with more exploding mass.
26:22This cannon is not new at all, it was designed in the 60s, but it is still in use.
26:28We have to say that the fuse of the rounds that were fired by the first series of the
26:33weapon were not really reliable, but that problem is long gone.
26:43Chinese air-to-air weapons in these days are quite famous and quite widely covered, but
26:49still we want to give our take.
26:51Keep in mind we are using the J-10C, the most recent variant, as our reference variant.
26:58So the C variant is integrated with the PL-8 and the PL-10 short-range infrared missiles.
27:04The PL-8 is basically the standard Chinese air-to-air weapon, it has been in service
27:10since 1988 and it is a derivation of the Israeli Python.
27:17The PL-10 is an entirely Chinese weapon, it is not clear when it enters service, but it
27:23seems to be a great improvement upon the PL-8.
27:27It is slightly larger than the PL-8, it features a mix of thrust vectoring and aerodynamic
27:34controls, allowing the weapon to pull a very high G's, and the seeker is an infrared imaging
27:41seeker that is actually capable of swinging plus or minus 90 degrees.
27:47That is, the entire frontal hemisphere is covered by this sensor.
27:52The sensor is slaved to the helmet-mounted sight, and so the pilot can designate a target
27:59just by looking at it.
28:01The maximum range is declared to be 20 km.
28:05Coming to medium range, the aircraft is integrated with the PL-12 active radar homing missile.
28:12This is basically the standard medium range air-to-air weapon for the Chinese Air Force
28:17and the Chinese Navy.
28:19Analysts consider it to be perfectly equivalent to the American AMRAAM or the Russian R-77.
28:27As often happens with Chinese creations, we know very little about this weapon.
28:32We know it uses the same data link as the R-77.
28:36We know that a particular care has been placed on the homing jam modes, and the maximum range
28:43is declared to be about 100 km.
28:51Mind, when we talk about missile ranges, we should always exert caution, because the declared
28:57range is usually the maximum ballistic range for the missile, and even that may not also
29:04be true.
29:05The actual distance at which a missile can reach a target is extremely variable.
29:12It depends from the relative speeds between the launcher and the target, and also extremely
29:17important is the relative direction between the two.
29:19If they are approaching head-on, the missile range is actually maximized, but if one is
29:26chasing the other, the range could be easily 10%-15% of the maximum declared range.
29:33So don't take these numbers too seriously.
29:36It entered service around 2005, and since then it has been seen basically on all the
29:41main Chinese platforms.
29:43In 2016, though, a new weapon appeared on the pictures being leaked from behind the
29:50Great Firewall.
29:51The PL-15 is a bigger weapon than the PL-12, albeit the general configuration and the guidance
29:58systems are similar.
30:00The analysts believe that the size is actually an indication of a very long range.
30:06Some sources actually estimate that the ballistic range in ideal condition could reach 300 km.
30:14That would make the PL-15 the longest range weapon in service today.
30:21The weapon features an AESA radar and a dual-thrust rocket motor, and western analysts believe
30:28that it has been developed mainly to attack high-value assets like OWACS or tankers.
30:36Should I say OWACSes?
30:38Chinese air-to-ground weaponry is less known but is definitely worth consideration.
30:49So air-to-air is an area where China is believed to have reached substantial parity with the
30:54West, but air-to-ground weaponry is less known.
30:59So as we said before, the aircraft is still often seen with iron bombs and unguided rockets.
31:06The latter in particular seem to be object of quite a lot of attention during training.
31:12We have to remember that the air force in China is actually a branch of the army.
31:19Till the end of the 20th century, air-to-air was sort of an afterthought, or well, maybe
31:28it was definitely given less consideration than air-to-ground.
31:32Weapons like close air support or ground attack were considered the real priority.
31:38So a lot of attention was given, and is still given, to those kind of weapons that can deliver
31:46a large amount of firepower on the ground.
31:49And in the case of China, for large amount, we are probably still talking about low technology
31:56slash unguided.
31:57However, this is changing in China too.
32:01So the Chinese have created a series of families of weapons that fill similar roles as western
32:09weapons.
32:10Ok, let's start.
32:15One of the most common Chinese guided weapons are the bomb kits of the LTPGB family.
32:22These systems have a close resemblance with the American Paveway.
32:27In fact, the first generation was derived by captured Paveway 1 laser designation pods
32:34captured by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam war.
32:38The first generation was actually a cheap copy and was not considered adequate, so it
32:43never entered service.
32:45But the following generation, the LT2, actually did enter service because it was a cheap,
32:52reliable and effective weapon that is still in use today.
32:56And it is probably the most common of all the Chinese guided weapons.
33:01There is a third generation, which is the LT3, which is not a copy, but is definitely
33:07similar in design to the American Paveway 3, but is seen in smaller numbers because
33:14apparently it is more expensive and complex than the simple LT2.
33:20Together with the laser guided LT family, I think you will not be surprised to learn
33:26that exists an inertial and GPS guided family, the FT family, that is sort of equivalent
33:34to the American JDAMs.
33:36There is a legend on the internet that even this one was actually copied from the JDAM,
33:41but no, the inertial technology and the GPS technology are pretty much commonplace, they
33:47can be easily derived from civilian applications, so there was no need to copy a different weapon
33:53just to develop this.
33:54Having this kind of guidance is just a good idea, and it was within reach of a number
34:00of countries, for example France has a similar family of weapons.
34:04It is quite ironic that the weapon can use obviously the Chinese BeiDou system, but also
34:09the American GPNS and the Russian GLONASS.
34:14Yes, because the casual observer may not know that the most used positioning system in the
34:21world is not the American GPS, there are at least three others, there is the European
34:27Galileo, which is actually a civilian service, the Russian GLONASS and the Chinese BeiDou,
34:33which is considered to be the most precise.
34:37The BeiDou system had sort of a rough start, the Chinese had to go through three iterations,
34:43but in 2020 the constellation of 55 satellites has been completed and pretty much the whole
34:50of the globe is now covered by this system.
34:53I wouldn't be surprised if the phone that I'm using to record this is actually calculating
34:58its position using BeiDou rather than GPS.
35:02And for those who are surprised that a weapon can use more than one system, even potentially
35:09opponent systems, well, this is a technology that is commonplace, most civilian receivers
35:17use more than one system.
35:19More modern than LT and FT families, there is the LS family, and in particular the aircraft
35:27has been seen with the LS-6 gliding bomb.
35:31So the LS-6 is basically just another family of kits that can be installed on an iron bomb.
35:39It comes as a normal kit or as a gliding kit.
35:44And the gliding kit is such that with an ideal release at high speed and high altitude,
35:51it can reach above 60 kilometers of distance, which makes the weapon sort of a standoff
35:58weapon.
35:59The peculiarity of the LS family is that it combines the LT and FT guidance systems in
36:07just one package.
36:09So it can be laser guided, it can use the inertial guidance, or it can use a positioning
36:16system to direct itself toward the target.
36:20Obviously, the advantage is that the weapon can attack either moving targets or fixed
36:26targets.
36:27In the first case, it will require laser designation and guidance.
36:32In the second case, it will use the inertial guidance or GPS.
36:36Apparently, they're also developing an infrared guided version, so they're investing big time
36:41on this family.
36:47The KD-88 is generally considered an equivalent of the American SLAM, but in pure Russian
36:54style it is more a family of systems.
36:58Yes, the Chinese definitely appear to be quite fond of this concept of a family of systems.
37:04The missile uses a small turbofan engine and it has a range that is estimated to be about
37:11230 kilometers.
37:12The total weight is 670 kilos, with a warhead of about 285 kilos, semi-armor piercing, which
37:23is respectable.
37:24In the KD-88 family, there are two versions currently in service, one with television
37:31guidance and the other with infrared guidance.
37:35When the missile is launched, it uses inertial guidance, but it also has a data link that
37:39can be used for mid-course correction, but it also transmits back to the launching aircraft
37:45the images that are captured by the sensor.
37:49Terminal guidance can be completely automatic, according to the parameters set before the
37:54launch, or it can still be executed by a human, which can choose the target at the very last
38:03second, giving the weapon a good flexibility.
38:06However, a drawback of this missile is the fact that the launching aircraft must carry
38:13a relatively bulky external communications pod to guide the weapon.
38:18The J-10 has been seen carrying two KD-88.
38:21And since the Chinese love this concept of weapon families, there are news of a radar-guided
38:28variant and suppression of air defense variants, so a radar homing variant currently in development.
38:36The YJ-91 is another typical Chinese story, because at first sight it may seem another
38:42copy of a Russian weapon, the Kh-31, but in truth it is not.
38:48Yes, the Kh-31 is produced in China under an official license.
38:53The YJ-91 features substantial differences.
38:58In fact, the Chinese use it as a radar homing missile with a range of about 100 km and a
39:04speed of Mach 3.
39:06It weighs 600 kg with an 87 kg warhead.
39:10So while general design, structures and propulsion are pretty much the same as the Kh-31, the
39:19seeker and the warhead are totally different.
39:22First of all, it is one seeker and not several seekers as in the original Kh-31, but still
39:29it has a multiband capability, so it's capable of addressing several types of different radars.
39:37Well, I realize that addressing in this case is sort of a euphemism.
39:41The YJ-91 is less dependent than the original Kh-31 to the aircraft ECM, because with this
39:48it can detect and designate its own targets.
39:52From the same missile, the Chinese then developed in-house an anti-ship version.
40:00This version seems to be capable of terminal randomized maneuvering and considering that
40:07the speed of the weapon is about Mach 3, a missile like this is more than a match for
40:14many point defense systems.
40:17So as you can see, in terms of armament and weaponry, the J-10C seems to be perfectly
40:24aligned with other fighters of its own generation.
40:29And if you want to understand which are these other fighters that the J-10 is up against,
40:36I would suggest you to watch part 1 of this series that is going to appear beside me,
40:42together with some other interesting videos about China and the Chinese Air Force.
40:48So thank you very much for watching and see you there!