We interviewed Chinese military aviation expert Andreas Rupprecht to learn more about the progress of the PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) Naval Aviation.
By Greg Waldron2021-05-21T07:48:00+01:00
The recent appearance of an operational Chengdu J-10C powered by a domestically produced engine marks a key moment for the single-engined type in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
As with so much in Chinese airpower, much of the J-10’s history is shrouded in mystery. It is understood that the type, which originated in the 1980s, traces its lineage to the J-9, a canard/delta fighter that was abandoned in 1980. It is also believed that the J-10 benefited from the 1980s Israel Aircraft Industries Lavi programme.
Source: Chinese social media
Source: Chinese Television
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Source: Wikimedia Commons
One of the first J-20s powered by the indigenous WS-10C engine pictured sometime in 2017. The WS-10C can be identified by the sawtooth exhaust
Source: Chinese social media
Source: Chinese social media
Source: Chinese social media @pupu-2012
Five Chengdu J-20s appeared in Beijing s 1 October 2019 military parade
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Source: Chinese social media
A J-20 with two PL-10 missiles deployed. The weapons bay doors close before the missile is launched
Source: Chinese social media @minorlogan
That said, the J-20 fleet is still small. Andreas Rupprecht is an avid observer of Chinese military aviation, and author of