Since its introduction to service with the PLAAF, the J-11B has remained the backbone of China’s aerial fleet.
More and more reports surrounding the makeup of China’s ever-expanding aerial arsenal suggest that the J-11 fighter is gradually being replaced with the newer fifth-generation Chengdu J-20 platform. Although the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has not confirmed this transition outright, analyses of satellite images and reports from military observers suggest the aging J-11 Shenyang fighters may soon no longer form the backbone of the Chinese Air Force. According to the Bulgarian Military, satellite images depicting the 19th Air Brigade stationed in the Central Theatre Command of China showcased a J-20 jet alongside several J-11B fighters. Ultimately, the entire squadron of J-11s could be replaced with their more enhanced successors.
An Overview of the J-11
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force initially set out to replace its aging Shenyang J-6 and Nanchang Q-5 platforms in the late 1960s, following the tumultuous Vietnam War. The proposed J-11 series was meant to resemble the French Dassault Mirage F-1 and incorporate the Rolls-Royce Spey 512 engine. However, an engine matching the Spey 512 could not be procured and the J-11 design process was eventually nixed. Beijing, however, still required a suitable replacement fighter that could potentially go up against the American-made F-16 Fighting Falcon.
During this time period, the Soviet-designed Su-27 was considered a top-tier aircraft. In fact, Beijing would become the first nation outside of the former Soviet Union to acquire the NATO-designated Flanker. While Beijing initially purchased fully-made Su-27 fighters, Chinese officials abruptly terminated their arrangement with the newly installed Russian government by the end of the century. Instead, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) negotiated a license to develop 200 J-11 jets in China based on Russian-supplied kits of the Su-27 platform. Moscow agreed to the arrangement based on the condition that the engines and avionics of the Chinese jets would still be domestically produced in Russia. However, Beijing later canceled the deal altogether, citing that the Su-27 no longer served the defense needs of the PRC. Over the next few years, it appeared Chinese engineers simply reverse-engineered the Flanker platform to create its J-11B fighter series. The resulting aircraft was nearly identical to the Russian Su-27.
Specs and Capabilities
Since its introduction to service with the PLAAF, the J-11B has remained the backbone of China’s aerial fleet. The fighter platform reportedly has a top speed in excess of Mach 2.0 (times the speed of sound) and can fly at a range of approximately 2,000 miles. A pair of Lyulka AL-31F Taihang turbofan engines power the platform. In terms of ordnance power, the J-11 is considered to be quite lethal. The fighter is equipped with a 30mm GSh-30-1 cannon and ten hardpoints capable of carrying a vast array of weaponry. As detailed by Air Force Technology, these missiles include the PL-12 radar-guided air-to-air missile, the PL-8-air-ti-air missile, the Vympel R-77 medium-range air-to-air missile, and the infrared-homing air-to-air missile.
While the J-11 has served the PLAAF for decades, the newer fifth-generation J-20 series hosts the capabilities necessary for China to confront America’s long-standing air supremacy.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter:@MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.