More news from China Airshow 2018
While this blog mentioned one event at China Airshow at Zhuhai in the last post, there's a whole bunch of potentially interesting photos and news bites coming out. So let's review some of them that seem to be bringing potentially new abilities to Chinese armed forces or Chinese military exports in the near future.
Two different AESA radars for fighters were shown. Both were sized for small fighters, aiming at export. Both manufacturers claimed JF-17 could benefit from them. CETC, maker of the existing JKL-7 radar, showed an AESA variant with integrated side cheek arrays. The other manufacturer, in an alleged world-first, the LKF601E features an air cooled array. It allows for a lightweight and compact array that can easily retrofitted to existing older planes. Similar tech may find its way onto not only JF-17, but even smaller, cheaper planes, as well as Chinese early J-10A, after a potential retrofit.
A myriad of various drones were shown, but we'll stick to two. JY-300 is made by CETC, makers of all of the major Chinese AWACS-like systems. It features embedded radar arrays into the skin and wings of a drone. Two electronically steered arrays are on the front part of the fuselage and two are in the leading edges of the wings.
While a model was shown at the show, the real prototype flew recently. It remains to be seen if the configuration is meant to be for an operational aircraft or is this a demonstrator which will serve as a precursor to later, larger in-service aerial early warning drones.
Another drone was CH-7, shown as a model. Made by CASC, makers of well known and exported drones such as CH-4 and CH-5, of Predator-like qualities. CH-7 is a much more akin to X-47B, with its flying wing shape, stealthy features and internal bomb bays. It's max take off weight is going to be 13 tons. According to an official from CASC, a prototype is to fly next year and they hope for batch production in 2022. The official also mentioned the drone is for Chinese own needs, though export may be possible in the future. If true, that would suggest a possible actual contract with Chinese Armed forces.
If the 2022 timetable may be met, such a drone may represent a first in the world in-service military drone that checks he following boxes: Stealth requirement, medium/high subsonic speed, bomb strike capable. Of course, being just a model for now, it really remains to be seen how much of that will really pan out and when.
While Chinese Anti-ship ballistic missiles are not new, there have been rumors a ship-borne variant is in the works. And now we've seen two different manufacturers presenting their models. The one with more details available is CM-401. Shown as a truck launched weapon, but another brochure also suggest 055 type destroyer launching it.
The missile is credited with speed of Mach 4-6 and in this export variant with maximum range of 290 km. That's the range usually given for export variants of similar missiles due to MTCR agreement, made to stop proliferation of missiles with range of 300 km and more. Due to the missile's size and given Mach numbers, as well as the fact the missile was shown in one diagram to perform pull up maneuvers, actual potential range might very well be in the 500+ km region.
Two different AESA radars for fighters were shown. Both were sized for small fighters, aiming at export. Both manufacturers claimed JF-17 could benefit from them. CETC, maker of the existing JKL-7 radar, showed an AESA variant with integrated side cheek arrays. The other manufacturer, in an alleged world-first, the LKF601E features an air cooled array. It allows for a lightweight and compact array that can easily retrofitted to existing older planes. Similar tech may find its way onto not only JF-17, but even smaller, cheaper planes, as well as Chinese early J-10A, after a potential retrofit.
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| Brochure for the LKF601E radar |
A myriad of various drones were shown, but we'll stick to two. JY-300 is made by CETC, makers of all of the major Chinese AWACS-like systems. It features embedded radar arrays into the skin and wings of a drone. Two electronically steered arrays are on the front part of the fuselage and two are in the leading edges of the wings.
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| A model a the show |
While a model was shown at the show, the real prototype flew recently. It remains to be seen if the configuration is meant to be for an operational aircraft or is this a demonstrator which will serve as a precursor to later, larger in-service aerial early warning drones.
Another drone was CH-7, shown as a model. Made by CASC, makers of well known and exported drones such as CH-4 and CH-5, of Predator-like qualities. CH-7 is a much more akin to X-47B, with its flying wing shape, stealthy features and internal bomb bays. It's max take off weight is going to be 13 tons. According to an official from CASC, a prototype is to fly next year and they hope for batch production in 2022. The official also mentioned the drone is for Chinese own needs, though export may be possible in the future. If true, that would suggest a possible actual contract with Chinese Armed forces.
 |
| CH-7 model |
If the 2022 timetable may be met, such a drone may represent a first in the world in-service military drone that checks he following boxes: Stealth requirement, medium/high subsonic speed, bomb strike capable. Of course, being just a model for now, it really remains to be seen how much of that will really pan out and when.
While Chinese Anti-ship ballistic missiles are not new, there have been rumors a ship-borne variant is in the works. And now we've seen two different manufacturers presenting their models. The one with more details available is CM-401. Shown as a truck launched weapon, but another brochure also suggest 055 type destroyer launching it.
 |
| CM-401 |
The missile is credited with speed of Mach 4-6 and in this export variant with maximum range of 290 km. That's the range usually given for export variants of similar missiles due to MTCR agreement, made to stop proliferation of missiles with range of 300 km and more. Due to the missile's size and given Mach numbers, as well as the fact the missile was shown in one diagram to perform pull up maneuvers, actual potential range might very well be in the 500+ km region.
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