Irna/Global Times – A model of an FC-31 fighter jet is displayed at AirshowChina 2018 in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province on Thursday.
China’s future aircraft carriers will see stealth warplanes on their decks,likely the medium-sized fighter jet FC-31, said Chinese military experts asthe People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is procuring stealth parts for China’saircraft carrier-based fighter jet manufacturer.
Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute is in need of an integral unit forphotoelectric target acquisition that is stealth capable, according to anotice the PLA weapon and equipment procurement website weain.mil.cnreleased on Thursday.
The notice also said that the unit must be able to operate against navaltargets and capable of monitoring humidity.
Judging from the stated requirements and previous rumors, Chinese militaryobservers said the parts mentioned in the procurement are very likely to beused on China’s new aircraft carrier-based stealth fighter jets althoughthe notice did not specify how the parts will be used.
Having already designed China’s current aircraft carrier-borne fighter jetJ-15, Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute is developing a new carrier-basedwarplane based on the FC-31, a Chinese military insider, who asked not tobe named, told the Global Times.
The FC-31 is a fourth generation medium-sized stealth fighter jetoriginally intended for export. Chinese military experts said the PLAprocurement notice suggests the FC-31 is no longer export-oriented, and isdestined for domestic military service. The FC-31 made its public debutflight at Airshow China 2014 in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province,but went relatively quiet after that.
Multiple changes and upgrades are being made to the FC-31 allowing it to beused on an aircraft carrier, the insider said.
China’s third aircraft carrier, which was confirmed to be underconstruction by the Xinhua News Agency in November and is widely expectedto be equipped with an electromagnetic catapult, will use the stealthfighter jet, predicted Wang Yunfei, a naval expert and retired PLA Navyofficer.
The single-seat, twin-engine fighter jet will greatly expand Chineseaircraft carrier battle groups’ capabilities just as China’s most advancedstealth fighter jet the J-20 did for the PLA Air Force, the anonymousinsider said.
‘Only a fourth generation fighter jet can stand up against another fourthgeneration fighter in an engagement without being at a significantdisadvantage,’ he said.
The US-made fourth generation fighter jet F-35B and F-35C are capable ofoperating on aircraft carriers, and Japan is planning to upgrade itsIzumo-class helicopter destroyers into aircraft carriers, equipping themwith imported F-35Bs.