Was the jet crafted from stolen intelligence? Could it be used on China's new aircraft carrier? With photos appearing online of another Chinese stealth fighter, questions are mounting.
China’s defense industry seems to be up to its new trick of unveiling its latest toy when a senior U.S. official visits Beijing.
Following the playbook established in January 2011 when Chengdu’s J-20 stealth fighter had its maiden test flight just in time to overshadow the visit of then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, rival aerospace firm Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) accidentally-on-purpose allowed some high-definition images of its own fifth-generation fighter jet to appear on the web over the weekend. Coincidentally, current Pentagon chief Leon Panetta had just kicked off an Asian tour that included a stopover in Beijing.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may have been on the end of a similar welcome when she visited China in early September. Grainy images of the PLA Navy’s latest destroyer, the Type 052D, turned up on the web along with a Global Times story just as CCP heir apparent Xi Jinping vanished for two weeks.
In truth, the Shen Fei (or Falcon Eagle), as SAC appears to have nicknamed the aircraft judging from its tail markings, is less of a mystery than the J-20 was when it emerged. As J. Michael Cole noted here in August, a Shen Fei-shaped airframe covered in camouflaged webbing enjoyed a well-publicized tour of China’s road network in June on its way from Shenyang to the China Flight Test Establishment at Xian-Yanglian Airbase, Shaanxi Province.
Now the wraps are off, it’s clear that the Shen Fei is based on a design dubbed the F-60 that has been doing the rounds as a model aircraft since at least September 2011. Described by IHS Jane’s aviation expert Robert Hewson as an “F-35-sized F-22”, it is much closer in platform than the J-20 to these two Lockheed Martin designs, which are fulfilling the U.S.’ next-generation manned fighter requirements.
Some argue that the Shen Fei is a result of some pretty serious cyber-espionage, which may explain why Panetta brought up "the growing threat posed to both economic and security interests by cyber intrusions" in his meeting with Chinese Defense Minister General Liang Guanglie on September 18. And although Western intelligence officials regularly imply that Chinese technological advances are aided by the dark arts, a glance at the F-22, F-35, Russia’s T-50 PAK FA and Japan’s ATD-X show that stealthy fifth-generation fighters tend to have a similar platform.
The Shen Fei and J-20 continue this trend, but the complexities of modern fighter aircraft design and production suggest that there’s still plenty of work for both SAC and Chengdu to do before they can compete with Russia and the West. As Lockheed Martin has found out with the both the F-22 and the F-35, fifth-generation fighters are hard to get right: the F-22 was recently grounded with a system problem that was causing pilots to black out, while the F-35 is behind schedule, over budget and testing the patience of the U.S. Air Force to the limits.
Photo Credit: x-ray delta one (Flickr)
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tama
People with empty brain (little knowledge) always complain's , but few great mind can always appriciate the hard work ….
Lauren Garza
Since all these designs will eventually be very similar in performance it will, as it always does, come down to the individuality, initiative, creativity and spirit of the pilot. And there, the West reigns supreme.
rosedi
the western globalist now are planning to form a new middle east. This will include the destruction of israel. With no more israel, arab countries can be round up together in common goal to face china or iran. Israel have realized this……that is why recent conflict in Gaza ends with surprisingly less arogant shown in israel side……..
manowar
those jets might look good from its outside appearance, but hallow on the inside. nothing more than a scrap metal in the shape of a stealth fighter as they call it. with no less than inferior technology at all.