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A PLAAF general appeared on CCTV's airforce special documentary today, confirmed that they were putting finishing touches to first prototype of China's F-22 class fighter and will make its maiden flight shortly, and hope to introduce into service within 8~10 years.

The announcement of Chinese 5th gen fighter deployment as early as 2017 forces China's neighbors to go with Typhoon(Second best air-superiority fighter after F-22, which can engage stealth fighters with AWACS assist), or pressure the US to sell them F-22 to counter Chinese F-22 class fighters deployed in a massive volume.

Which therefore will end up meaning that the first squadron will really begin receiving production configuration jets in anywhere from 8-12 years, and be IOC by USAF standards a couple years later, and actually have a couple squadrons ready to fight in sustained air operations as an integrated part of the PLAAF a few years after that.

 

And by the way, the Chinese XXJ will not even be equivalent to today's F-22, much less the F-22s in 2020 after receiving whatever updates will be added by then, and the XXJ certainly will not be available in "massive volume" for a good decade after that.  China will be doing great to build 30 a year.  However, I concede that 300 XXJ by 2030 will appear as "massive" to a nation with a relatively small size air force like South Korea currently has, in the context of a scenario pitting only China against only South Korea.

 

@ warpig

 

 

And it's not like China will stop building at 187.

 

> However, I concede that 300 XXJ by 2030

 

14 years x 30 units/year = 420 units. In reality, the actual production number would be higher due to their naval requirements and exports to Pakistan and other 3rd world countries. A $80 million F-22 class fighter will do very well in the international export market, in the absence of F-22 on export market.

 

> will appear as "massive"

 

Well, it's 187 F-22s vs 420 minimum for PLAAF represent a headache for USAF too. Remember, China's in a cold-war style arms building race with its new found riches.

Sorry, I should have specified CREDIBLE sources. None of your sources is credible.

 

 

This is a perfect case of language barriers I have observed.

 

Japanese and Korean sites were ablaze with this Chinese F-22 class fighter announcement since 12 hours ago, but it is not covered by any of western press, and only the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper had it in English.

 

They know what happens in the US and Europe in real time, but the people in the US and Europe often face delays in days before the East Asian news is reached to them. 

Nikkei repeats verbatum what the PRCs claim?

 

The PRC official propaganda rag is a credible source?

 

Note what I just wrote. Its not a language barrier. Its the fact that you have no basic understanding of what is propaganda and what is serious credible information. 

 

Until you see hull metal in the water or a flying prototype from the PRCS shown in a SERIOUS industry trade publications , all you have  is wild ravings and unsubstantiated assertions. 

 

You do understand that your attempts to claim or excuse your errors by claiming your audience doesn't understand your evidence is as bogus as the assertions you tried to pass off as fact?

 

 

 

 

The CCP's state paper is a reliable source?  Let me introduce you to a similarily reliable source of news, Slowman: ever hear of Pravda? 

 

The problem with state-controlled media is that the government uses it for propaganda.  I recall People's Daily also claiming the Chinese had ten SLBM-equipped subs (they have at best three) and that Chinese tourists were regularly beaten up visiting the US.  I wouldn't be surprised that China is developing their own version of the F-22, but People's Daily is the last source I'd trust. 

 

I'm getting an error message on the Nikkei page--not your fault; I think SP's being squirrelly again.

 

On the PLAN's new aircraft carrier, from the AFP article:

 

However, the security chief, Tsai Teh-sheng said the carrier's construction "has not been smooth" and that the Chinese navy may struggle to put it into service by 2012 unless it makes a manufacturing breakthrough soon.

@ Sentinel28a