Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The J-20


The J-20 #2001 prototype was photographed when it was preparing for high-speed taxi trial at the CAC airfield in late December 2010, wearing a distinctive dark green color scheme (RAM coating applied?). The prototype features a pair of all-moving tailfins and Russian 1.44 style ventral stabilizing fins, which shield the engine nozzles but might increase RCS. 

It also features an F-22 style forward fuselage, including Caret intakes but with DSI bumps installed at the upper inner corners, as well as a one-piece frameless canopy. However the canards appear to extend slightly above the plane of the main wings and there are four large underwing actuator fairings which might not be stealth optimized. First disclosed by US Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) in 1997 as XXJ, J-20 is the 4th generation multi-role fighter to enter the service between 2015 and 2018. Since 90s both CAC/611 Institute and SAC/601 Institute had been working their own designs for a twin-engine multi-role heavy fighter with stealth capability and maneuverability comparable to American F-22.



It was speculated that 601 Institute was working on a "tri-plane" design (J-18?) based on canard/conventional layout/V-shape tailfin while 611 Institute working on a design based on canard/tailless delta wing/all moving V-shape tailfin/lateral DSI/bump inlet layout. All designs were expected to feature an internal weapon bay to reduce RCS, which has been speculated to be <0.05m2 (head-on). J-20 also incorporates an advanced FBW system fully integrated with the fire-control and the engine systems. Its fire-control radar is expected to be AESA (Type 1475/KLJ5?). The aircraft may feature a "pure" glass cockpit (a single F-35 style color LCD display and a wide-angle holographic HUD).

Many of these subsystems have been tested onboard J-10B to speed up the development (see above). The exact type of engine powering J-20 prototypes is unclear, even though a Russian turbofan engine such as 117S or 99M2 (14t class) or D-30F6 (15t class) with an axisymmetric TVC nozzle has been speculated. It was reported in November 2006 that a T/W=10 17t class turbofan (WS-15/"large thrust") is being developed and will eventually power J-20. Russian assistance was also speculated in terms of software support for calculating the RCS of various designs. The overall performance of J-20 is thought to be superior to that of Russian T-50 (maneuverability & supercruise) but still inferior to that of American F-22 (electronics & supercruise). In August 2008 it was reported that 611 Institute was selected to be the main contractor for the development of J-20 and 601 Institute as the sub-contractor. Subsequently a full-scale metal mockup was built at CAC. 



One rumor in May 2010 claimed that 611 Institute started to construct the first prototype, which was expected to fly by the end of 2010, even though the full configuration model won't fly until a few years later. Currently two prototypes (#2001 & 2002) have been constructed and the first high-speed taxi trial by 2001 took place on December 22, 2010.

Monday, June 11, 2012

DDG-1000 destroyer


The U.S. is building "the most advanced" warship in history - DDG-1000 destroyer of Zumwalt class that the Pentagon called a "super-stealth silver bullet." It will be able to move quietly along the coast, including in the shallows, hitting the targets of the enemy with electromagnetic rail guns, deceiving enemy radars.

Americans plan to equip its fleet in the Asia-Pacific region with these ships "from sci-fi movies". It is to the shores of China frightening with the increase of its military where the Pentagon intends to relocate 60% of its ships in 2020 in the framework of the renewed military strategy.
 
DDG-1000 destroyer
DDG-1000 Destroyer

The new destroyers are being built in Maine, the first will be launched as early as 2014, the Associated Press reported. Visiting the local shipyard in April, the head of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Grinert praised the ships, saying that they would be the hope in the future. He listed the main advantages: "invisibility", an advanced sonar system, the incredible striking power and small crew size. 
Pentagon chief Leon Panetta, announcing at a regional security conference in Singapore the change to the U.S. military strategy, said that the new high-tech vessel will be a significant part of the U.S. Pacific grouping.

The stealth destroyers could be useful in other regions, such as the Persian Gulf, but the military believe that they will be most beneficial in Asia. The new ships will be able to perform the mission both in the high seas and near the coast. In Asia there are a great number of island States, and China has a long coastline in the Pacific.



Washington is worried that China is actively modernizing its fleet. In particular, the country is working on reliable aircraft carriers, as well as rockets and submarines, because of which the American vessels may be denied access to the strategic sea lanes near the Chinese territory. The United States believes that Beijing intends to prevent the Americans from interfering in the conflict over the disputed territory in the South China Sea or interaction with Taiwan that China considers its own. 

Now the U.S. has a great advantage at the high seas, but China by modernizing its fleet is getting an advantage in shallower, coastal waters. The new American stealth destroyers are designed to cope with this problem.
 

The Chinese ridiculed the American novelty, and critics reminded the U.S. Pentagon of another "super-stealth" project.
 

However, the Chinese military are not afraid of the science fiction "silver bullets". Officially they did not comment on the U.S. plans. But one of the admirals appeared on local television with an openly mocking commentary. He said that all the talk about the invincibility of the new destroyers is no more than the advertising hype, but really any "high tech" ship of the United States can be easily sunk by a simple fishing boat loaded with explosives.
 

In the U.S., too, there are enough critics and skeptics, even though they are mostly afraid of the size of budget spending. The construction of one DDG-1000 costs about $3.1 billion - nearly twice the cost of the existing destroyers. If we add the costs of research and development, the price of one destroyer increases to seven billion dollars.
 

Critics believe that this Pentagon's project is sucking money from the Treasury, while it would be better to spend it on the support of the regular navy. Many security experts have questioned whether the developers are too fixated on the semi-fantastic "technology of the future."
 

They recall the story of the troubled fighter, fifth-generation stealth F-22 Raptor. It was touted as the most advanced fighter ever built, but, as recently revealed, it is almost dangerous to the pilots. But even earlier these fighters were dropped because of exorbitant price. A successor to the F-22 fighter, jet F-35, was the most expensive project in the history of the Pentagon.
 

The Navy says that the cost of a destroyer will pay off. They are convinced that the technology incorporated in the new stealth vessel will meet the most current requirements, and in the next decade will be gradually introduced on other vessels.
 

DDG-1000 destroyers and other stealth vessels of class Zumwalt have the body that leaves almost no trace, they are equipped with an electric motor and the most advanced sonar devices and missiles. These ships are longer and heavier than the current destroyers, but the automated systems installed on them will reduce the crew size by half. In addition, the enemy radar will "see" not a warship, but a boat a little bigger than a small fishing boat.
 

The destroyers will be equipped with an electromagnetic rail gun that with the help of a magnetic field and electric current will run projectiles at speeds several times faster than the speed of sound.
 

However, despite these fabulous features, the new destroyer was virtually "drowned" in Congress. Initially the Navy ordered 32 of these vessels, but the number was reduced to 24 and then to seven. Now only three ships are being built.