J-11B Flanker-L
J-11B is the new version of the J-11, s a 4.5-generation multirole version which uses more Chinese components, including radar, engine, and missiles. Chinese sources claim the J-11B has the same overall performance as the US third-generation fighter F-15E. The J-11B was rejected by the Air Force because of tremor during its test flight in 2009. The 2016 test flight showed that the Shenyang plant seems to have made improvements to the original second batch of J-11B.
The J-11B, which adopts Western design standards and my country's avionics technology, flew for the first time in 2003 (it is said to use analog telex), and it was finalized and put into service in 2007. The J-11B originally planned to use the domestic Taihang engine, but due to the unstable performance of the Taihang at that time, the first batch of J-11B in a regiment still used the AL-31F. In the first half of 2008-2009, Taihang continued to be ineffective, and the J-11B accumulated a large number of airframes but no engine was available. In the second half of 2009, Taihang basically solved the problem, and J-11B began to serve in large quantities in late 2009 or early 2010.
The chief program engineer for J-11B is Mr. Guo Dianman. China is interested in reducing its reliance on foreign technology for both cost reasons and a desire to improve its domestic research and design. It is reported that one regiment of J-11B are currently in service. In May, 2007, the existence of J-11B was finally acknowledged by the Chinese government for the first time when the state-run Chinese TV stations first aired the report on J-11B in PLAAF service.
The J-11B is superior to Su-27SK in a number of areas. The J-11B will be equipped with domestic engines, and is aerial refueling capable. The extensive adoption of composite material (mainly carbon fiber) for the surfaces reduced the weight of the aircraft by more than 700 kg, while the life of the composite parts increased over 10,000 hours in comparison to the original parts built from steel. Redesigned engine intakes air inlets reduce the radar cross section, which coupled with the adoption of composite material, and application of radar absorbent material, reduced the radar cross section (RCS) of 15 square meters of Su-27SK to just >3 square meters of J-11B.
Full air-to-surface / sea capability is added and J-11B is able to launch various precision guided air-to-surface and air-to-sea munitions. The J-11B is be equipped with WS-10 engines (will be upgraded to WS-10A in the future) turbofan engine, which is claimed to be cheaper to operate than the AL-31F. With the exception of Su-35 and Su-37, J-11B is the first of the Su-27 family to incorporate an on-board oxygen generating system (OBOGS). Due to the adoption of western style design features such as fully digitized computerized controls and solid state micro-electronics, the Chinese claimed that the domestic OBOGS is superior than the analog system Russia offered to China.
As the main fighter of the Chinese Air Force, the J-11B also needs to be equipped with active phased array fire control radar. Compared with the currently equipped mechanical scanning radar, active phased array radar has higher average power and stronger detection capability, especially With multi-target attack capability, the J-11B is a heavy-duty fighter that can mount multiple air-to-air missiles. Equipped with an active phased array fire control radar, it can give full play to its strong mount capability.
Some of the photos of the new J-11B variant show that the aircraft still has a pitot tube on the center front of its radar dome, and usually the pitot tube has compatibility issues with an AESA radar, so if the aircraft is indeed equipped with an AESA radar remains to be determined. China upgraded the J-11B with AESA radar (most likely the same AESA Radar seen on the J-15 and J-16). China 's State Television (CCTV) Said: J-11B radar has 1760 T/R modules, has a search range of 450 km against 1 m^2 target and 250 km against a 0.1 m^2 target.
The J-11B also uses a plane integrated pulse Doppler radar developed by China to replace the Russian N-0001 radar. It is reported that both the A and B versions of the J-11 series have begun to use this Chinese-made radar. Its antenna section is slightly larger than N-0001, so the nose radome is different from SU-27SK.
The new radar is able to track 8 targets at the same time, and engage 4 of the 8 tracked targets simultaneously. When used against large surface targets such as a destroyer, the maximum range of the radar was in excess of 350 km. The range against aerial targets was not disclosed, but it would be definitely much less, as in all radars. Chinese official report claimed that the radar was better than the 147x/KLJ-X radar family, but stopped short of identifying the exact type. Contrary to many erroneous comments by many domestic Chinese sources, which mistakenly claimed that the radar had adopted a passive phased array antenna, the official claims of many Chinese governmental sources such as technical journals and publications revealed that the radar still adopted a slotted planar array antenna.
In order to take advantage of the active phased array radar, the airborne weapon will be upgraded from the current PL-12 to the PL-15. Compared with the former, the PL-15 uses a double pulse solid rocket motor and has a larger launch envelope. The tactical and technical indicators are at or close to the level of AIM-120C. In the era of active radar-guided air-to-air missiles, it is also important to improve the level of airborne electronic warfare systems. At present, advanced foreign fighters have been equipped with towed decoys, so the upgrade of the J-11B should also be on the plane The onboard electronic warfare system is equipped with towed decoys to improve the aircraft's survivability in modern air combat.
Fully digitized solid-state avionics replaced the analog one in Su-27SK. In the mid-2007, the Chinese governmental television station CCTV-7 released news clips of Chinese pilots in the cockpits of J-11B, with the LCD of glass cockpit of J-11B clearly visible, despite that the official report itself only claimed replacing the original avionics with domestic Chinese fully digitized solid-state avionics, and nothing of EFIS or glass cockpit was mentioned. In comparison to the earlier EFIS on J-11A, the most obvious difference is that LCD MFDs on J-11B are aligned in a straight line, instead of the middle one being slightly lower. The arrangement, appearance and layout of MFDs and EFIS of J-11B are similar to the general design concept of the west.
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