J-10 pilot wearing a helmet-mounted sight (Chinese Internet)
The J-10 has made some significant improvements in avionics, which is traditionally a major weakness for all Chinese-made fighters. CAC revealed that the indigenous radar equipped by the J-10 is a pulse-Doppler (PD) design with a mechanically slewed planar array antenna, capable of tracking 10 targets and engaging 2 (using semi-active radar-homing AAM) or 4 (using active radar-homing AAM) of them simultaneously. Possibly based on Russian or Israeli technologies, the radar is believed to be comparable to the early 1990s era Western fighter radar designs. Alternatively the J-10 could be fitted with a range of fire-control radar introduced by Russian, Israeli, and European manufacturers on its export variant.
The cockpit of the J-10 is very similar to that of those modern Western figthers, featuring a “Hands On Throttle And Stick” (HOTAS) controls that enable operation of weapon systems while hands remain on these critical aircraft controls; a full-colour and two monochrome liquid cristal multifunctional display (MFD) that allow pilot to view flight data, weapon status, and taget information by pressing a button; a wide field of view head-up display (HUD) that displays flight data and target information in front of the pilot. The cockpit could also use the indigenous helmet-mounted sight (HMS) that enables fast reaction in air-to-air combat.
Armament
The fixed armament of the J-10 includes an internally-mounted Type 23-3 twin-barrel 23mm cannon, located on the port side of the front landing gear. The gas-operated cannon has a combat weight of 50.5kg, a length of 1,530mm, and a maximum rate of fire of 3,000~3,4000 rounds/minute. The cannon fires 320g, 23X200mm high-explosive/incendiary with tracer round and armour-piercing round, with a muzzle velocity of 715m/s. The cannon is electric-driven using 27V 8A DC.
The aircraft has 11 external stores stations for weapon carriage, three under each wing and five under the fuselage. The centreline under-fuselage station and the two inbound wing stations are pumped to carry drop tanks, with a 800 litre tank for the centreline station and a 1,700 litre tanks for each of the wing stations. The two under-fuselage stations at front (under air intake) could be used to carry various targeting or navigation pods for operations at night and in complex weather conditions.
J-10 in static display with air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons (Chinese Internet)
For air-superiority and interception missions, the J-10 could carry a mix of medium-range air-to-air missiles (MRAAM), short-range air-to-air missiles (SRAAM) and drop tanks.
Typical air-Superiority and interception weapon configuration:
4X PL-11 / PL-12 MRAAM + 2X PL-8 SRAAM + 1X 800ltr drop tank
2X PL-11 / PL-12 MRAAM + 2X PL-8 SRAAM + 2X 1,600ltr drop tanks + 1X 800ltr drop tank
The J-10 was the first Chinese-made fighter to have surface attack capability in mind right from the design stage. The fighter is fully capable of all-weather offensive strikes, and could be fitted with a forward looking infrared and laser target designator pod. The AVIC I has displayed a model of the J-10 carrying what were believed to be targeting and navigation pods, which would provide the capability of the J-10 to deploy laser and satellite navigation guided weapons.
In a typical surface attack mission, the fighter carries up to eight 250kg bombs, along with two drop tanks and two PL-8/9 SRAAMs. Although the PLAAF has already developed the pylon integrated dispenser system (PIDS) that can carry up to six 250kg LDGP bombs for the J-8B fighter and JH-7 fighter-bomber, the similar system has not been seen being equipped by the J-10.
Typical surface attack and interdiction weapon configuration:
2X PL-8 SRAAM + 6X 250kg LDGP bomb + 2X 1,600ltr drop tanks + 1X 800ltr drop tank
2X PL-8 SRAAM + 2X 500kg LGB + 2X 1,600ltr drop tanks + 1X 800ltr drop tank + laser targeting pod
Powerplant
The J-10 was originally planed to be powered by an indigenous WP-15 turbojet engine, but the engine development plan was cancelled. Instead the J-10 was fitted with a Russian Salyut AL-31F turbofan engine rated at 76.2kN (7,770kg, 17,130 lb) dry and 122.55kN (12,500kg, 27,557 lb) with afterburning. The AL-31F is a high-performance jet engine originally developed for the Su-27, Su-30MK and Su-33 fighters and the Su-34 bomber. The version used by the J-10 is the AL-31FN, a modified variant specially tailored for the J-10. In order to fit the engine into the J-10 airframe, Russia engine supplier made necessary modifications on the AL-31F, including relocating the accessory gearbox to be mounted beneath the engine. Accordingly, the J-10 designer also made modifications on the J-10’s airframe and air intake.
The\Salyut AL-31FN turbofan jet engine specifically tailored for the J-10 (Chinese Internet)
The AL-31FN is built by Moscow-based Salyut Machine Building Enterprise. The development of the AL-31FN was completed in 2000. Between 2002 and 2004, Salyut delivered 54 AL-31FN engines to China, with a unit price of US$3 million. A Russian source also confirmed to Interfax that China was seeking to maintain and repair these engines locally in a Chinese plant.
In July 2005, Russian media reported that the state-owned arms trading company Rosoboroneksport has concluded a US$300 million deal with China for the export of an additional 100 units of the AL-31FN engine to be delivered within the next three years. China also reserved the right to order a further 150 units by 2010, and may consider a licensed co-production.
Salyut has also introduced an improved version of the AL-31FN, featuring a fully variable, all-aspect thrust vector control (TVC) nozzle and an increased afterburning thrust of 124.54kN (12,700kg, 27,998lb). Currently Salyut is actively marketing the engine to China, but it is not known whether this engine will be fitted on future production J-10 fighters.
Shenyang-based AVIC1 Aviation Engine Institute (also known as 606 Institute) and Shenyang Liming Aero-Engine Group carried on the development of the indigenous WS-10 throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The revised design, possibly based on some of the AL-31F technology, was known as WS-10A, or “Taihang” in its commercial name. AVIC I announced that the development of the WS-10A was completed in November 2005.
The WS-10A is slightly larger than the AL-31F in size. The engine is reportedly rated at 73.5kN (7,495kg, 16,523lb) dry and 110kN (11,217kg, 24,729 lb) with afterburning, which may result in slightly reduced aerodynamic performance in the WS-10A-equipped J-10.
Video clips of the J-10 fighter released by the Chinese state media (Source: CCTV)
