China will have to purchase Su-35 fighters To Fill The Gaps In Its Air Force

China needs Russian Su-35 fighters, despite the fact that Beijing has carried out flight testing of it own latest fighter J-11D.
J-11D was derived from J-11B, which is analogue of Su-27 manufactured in China. Probably the most outstanding feature of J-11D is the fact that it is fitted with avionics installed on the more advanced J-16 fighter. The jet is fitted with radar with an active electronically scanned array (AESA).
China needs Su-35 in order to fill the gap in the fleet of its air forces. Even if China increases output to two J-11 jets per month it won’t be enough to reduce the gap between Chinese air forces and air forces of other countries. In addition, it is unclear, when J-11 will be able to compete with other fifth-generation fighters.
Su-35 is the “4++”-generation fighter derived from Su-27.
ruaviation

Chinese MOD Calls for a Stop of U.S. ‘Close-In’ Surveillance Flights

China called on the U.S. military to stop its “wide in range, highly frequent and close in distance,” surveillance missions on the edge of the Chinese mainland, People’s Liberation Army officials said in a Thursday Beijing press conferences.
“These behaviors of U.S. military ships and aircraft could easily cause misperception and miscalculation or even air and sea accidents,” Yang Yujun, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense (MOD), said in response to questions.
“Therefore, we do urge the U.S. side to decrease these close-in reconnaissance activities against China towards a complete stop.”
Yang said the U.S. ships and aircraft “often [show] up without being invited or even broke in our exercise or training zones which have been announced in advance.”
The most recent comments follow an incident in which a Chinese Shenyang J-11BH fighter buzzed a P-8A Poseidon off the coast of Hainan Island in the South China Sea on Aug. 19.
The fighter, “made several passes, three different occasions, crossed under the aircraft with one pass having only 50-100 feet separation,” Rear Adm. John Kirby said on Aug. 22.
“The Chinese jet also passed the nose of the P-8 at 90 degrees with its belly toward the P-8 Poseidon, we believe to make a point of showing its weapons load-out.”
usni.org

China PLA Could Commission Four Carrier Battle Groups

The People's Liberation Army Navy will commission between three and four carrier battle groups over the next 15 years.
Photos on the internet revealed new facilities and vehicles on the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier which is now undergoing maintenance at Dalian Shipyard. PLA Navy has gained more experience in operating an aircraft carrier in the 18 months since the Liaoning was commissioned.
China already has plans to build two domestic aircraft carriers after the Liaoning. Over the next 15 years, the PLA Navy may be able to maintain four carrier battle groups. For the US Navy, meanwhile, there is currently debate over whether it is necessary to keep 11 aircraft carriers in active service.
Through gaining more diesel-electric submarines from Russia or producing them domestically, the PLA Navy possesses enough underwater threat to take on the United States Navy in any potential conflict. All of the diesel-electric submarines are equipped with air-independent propulsion systems, which allow a non-nuclear submarine to operate without the need to access atmospheric oxygen and to stay underwater for a longer period of time.
The nuclear strike capability of the PLA has increased dramatically with the DF-41 nuclear solid-fueled road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile and the JL-2 intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile in service.
At the same time, China is producing more and more fourth-generation fighters such as the J-11B, the J-15, the J-16 and the J-10B. China has no intention of challenging US influence around the globe, however, it has enough air and naval forces to conduct an anti-access and area-denial strategy over the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
defense-studies

First mass production J-16 conducts test flight

China's first mass production J-16 fighter conducted its first test flight.
The difference between the mass production J-16 and the prototype aircraft with the serial number 1601 is that the former does not have an airspeed tube. The number 0102 indicated on the engine intake of the 1602 also shows that the number of J-16s produced may be limited. Meanwhile, it is possible that units of PLA Air Force or Navy Air Force may already be equipped with the some of the advanced fighters, designed based on the Chinese J-11, for operational tests.
China has devoted massive resources to developing the precision attack capability of its air force. Unlike the J-11, which was mainly designed for aerial combat, the J-16 can now carry munitions and missiles for ground attack missions. The fighter is also capable of carrying more ground attack munitions than any other type of fighter in China.
In addition, the J-16 is also equipped with active electronically scanned array radar and a helmet mounted display and sight system. This new fighter-bomber is likely to fill a gap between China's fourth-generation fighter and fifth-generation stealth fighters.
wantchinatimes

China's aircraft carrier may use upgraded version of J-11 fighters

China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, is over 300 meters long and over 70 meters wide. The distance from the keel to the top of the mainmast is over 60 meters. There are 10 decks below the main deck, and nine levels of island-style superstructures above the main deck, making the aircraft carrier look like a 20-story building. The Liaoning has a normal displacement of more than 50,000 tons.

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