Indian Defense
Chinese Magazine Praises J-20 Fighter; But Experts Doubt It Can Rule The Skies: Chinese Media
Military publication suggests the jet, dubbed Mighty Dragon, is likely to join more exercises in future. But its Russian engine and a lack of strategic transporters will limit its influence, observers say
An influential Chinese military magazine has said that the Chengdu J-20 is likely to appear in more training exercises – but analysts say its inferior engine and the air force’s lack of strategic transporters will limit the country’s ambitions.
The magazine, Ordnance Industry Science Technology, said in a report that the J-20, also known as Mighty Dragon, had enhanced the Chinese air force’s offensive and defensive abilities, and could serve as a “grinding stone” to test group troops’ anti-air abilities.
The article said previous Chinese aircraft could not lead the Chinese air force in a fighting scenario because of their limited range and versatility – a situation it said began to shift in the mid-1990s.
“In a real combat, the J-20 can take advantage of its stealthy capabilities and breach the rival’s defence line, paving the way for other aircraft to perform other operations,” the article said. “For ground troops, the J-20 can test the combat readiness of radar troops, ground-to-air missile troops, anti-aircraft artillery troops and so on.”
The report said the aircraft had entered mass production and output would increase year by year, without giving numbers.
China in August deployed a large sortie of planes, including J-20 stealth fighters and H-6K bombers, to join a large-scale strategic military exercise with Russia. Y-20 large transport planes also took part, according to media reports.
“Because of an increase in production and the experience of the Sino-Russian drill, the J-20 is likely to join more exercises in the future,” the article said.
The J-20 made its debut in 2011, making China the second country, after the US, to develop an advanced fifth-generation fighter with stealth and supersonic cruise capabilities, as well as super manoeuvrability and super avionics.
The jet was finalised and commissioned in 2017, and has since evolved into the modified version J-20B, with thrust vector controls.
Its maker, the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China, revealed this month that a twin-seat version was under development. Debates continue over whether it should be modified for loading on aircraft carriers.
But analysts doubt whether the J-20 alone can enable China’s air force to compete with other countries, especially the United States.
Ridzwan Rahmat, principal defence analyst at Janes, said a major weakness of the J-20 remained unresolved: its engine.
“A significant number of airframes in service still rely on Russia-supplied engines,” Rahmat said. “This engine can produce only about 125 kilonewtons of thrust, which pales in comparison with fifth-generation fighters operated by China’s rivals, such as the F-22 and the F-35.
“The thrust produced is an important parameter because it determines the types of manoeuvres that can be performed by the aircraft, and the number and types of weapons that it can carry. When caught in a dogfight, the aircraft with better thrust will be in a better position to come out on top.”
Beijing-based military expert Zhou Chenming said China needed more types of aircraft, especially transport planes and bombers, to support its long-term goals.
“China cannot rely only on J-20s to rule the sky, which can only be achieved if Beijing has enough transport aircraft and bombers,” he said. “Without these vital aircraft, China won’t have long-distance attacking and logistics capabilities.”
The solid-fuelled K-4 missile is being developed by DRDO to arm the country’s nuclear-powered submarines in the shape of INS Arihant and its under-development sister vessels. INS Arihant, which became fully operational in November 2018 to complete India’s nuclear triad, is currently armed with the much shorter K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.
“The K-4 is now virtually ready for its serial production to kick-off. The two tests have demonstrated its capability to emerge straight from underwater and undertake its parabolic trajectory,” said a source.
India has the land-based Agni missiles, with the over 5,000-km Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile now in the process of being inducted, and fighter jets jury-rigged to deliver nuclear weapons. But INS Arihant gives the country’s deterrence posture much more credibility because nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped missiles are considered the most secure, survivable and potent platforms for retaliatory strikes.
Once the K-4 missiles are inducted, they will help India narrow the gap with countries like the US, Russia and China, which have over 5,000-km range SLBMs. The K-4 missiles are to be followed by the K-5 and K-6 missiles in the 5,000-6,000 km range class.
The 6,000-ton INS Arihant, which is propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core, in turn, is to be followed by INS Arighat, which was launched in 2017. The next generation of nuclear submarines, currently called S-4 and S-4*, will be much larger in size.
India has received clearance to upgrade 84 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets, which will result in 78% indigenization after the upgrade
In a significant step towards bolstering its military might with indigenously developed technology, India is poised to witness its Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets evolve into a domestic platform. Speaking at a recent lecture.
The upgrade program is being led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in partnership with the Indian Air Force and other partners. The upgrade is expected to cost US$7.5 billion.
This initiative is a part of a larger effort by the Indian Air Force to modernize its ageing fleet. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari asserted the critical role of an offensive air force as demonstrated in current global conflicts and emphasized India’s move towards an indigenized arsenal. To this end, the IAF has been proactive, from upgrading its Mirage 2000 to enhancing its MiG-29 fleet.
In summary, the IAF’s commitment to updating their combat forces with the latest technology, including shifting to fifth-generation fighter jets, ensures operational preparedness and a strong deterrence capability. The gradual indigenization of its air fleet marks a pivotal shift in India’s defence landscape, reducing dependency on foreign imports and fostering technological sovereignty.
According to unconfirmed reports, Armenia is a top contender for an export order for Akash SAM system manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
The Akash export version will also be slightly different from the one inducted by the armed forces. The 100-km range air-to-air Astra missiles, now entering production after successful trials from Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, also have “good export potential”, said sources.
Akash is a “tried, tested and successfully inducted systems”. Indian armed forces have ordered Akash systems worth Rs 24,000 crore over the years, and MoD inked a contract in Mar 2023 of over Rs 9,100 crores for improved Akash Weapon System
BDL is a government enterprise under the Ministry of Defence that was established in 1970. BDL manufactures surface-to-air missiles and delivers them to the Indian Army. BDL also offers its products for export.
Akash Weapon System
The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In order to meet aerial threats, two additional Regiments of AWS with Upgradation are being procured for Indian Army for the Northern borders. Improved AWS has Seeker Technology, Reduced Foot Print, 360° Engagement Capability and improved environmental parameters.
The project will give a boost to the Indian missile manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole. The project has overall indigenous content of 82% which will be increased to 93% by 2026-27.
The induction of the improved AWS into the Indian Army will increase India’s self-reliance in Short Range Missile capability. This project will play a role in boosting the overall economy by avoiding outgo of precious foreign exchange to other countries, increasing employment avenues in India and encouraging Indian MSMEs through components manufacturing. Around 60% of the project cost will be awarded to the private industry, including MSMEs, in maintaining the supply chain of the weapon system, thereby creating large scale of direct and indirect employment.
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