A new Chinese J-31 “Gyrfalcon” Stealth Fighter Design Unveiled at the Shenyang Aircraft Corp.

China has unofficially unveiled another stealth fighter.

This aircraft, externally resembling the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor, could be the F-60, an export version of a AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Corporation developed ’fourth generation’ fighter. By painting the marking ’31001′, Shenyang may be hinting about the design’s goal aspiring to be an alternative for the Chengdu J-20, toward a future selection by People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Alternatively, the J-31/F60 could be positioned for a future option for the People’s republic Army Navy (PLAN), for its future aircraft carrier force. In the near future, PLAN is to use the Russian Su-33 and its domestically designed Su-33 copycat dubbed J-15, also built by Shenyang.

The new stealth fighter was spotted yesterday at the Shenyang aircraft factory, bearing the marking ’31001′. The first and second prototypes of the J-20 carried the markings ’2001′ and ’2002′.

The role of the stealthy Shenyang J-31

As outlined above, nothing is official in China. It could be the new design is complementary to the larger J-20, the J-20 would have the air superiority fighter/multirole combat aircraft role, the J-31 a smaller multirole fighter. But it could also be that the J-31 is a competitor to the J-20 and just one of them will really make it. The disadvantage of one aircraft would be less specialization and the higher concentration risk in case of problems with a design - the advantage is the increased efficiency of a one-fleet policy, a topic we covered in article about drones and the pressure on manned fighter jet.

It is rather likely that the smaller J-31 will be used on the Liaoning Aircraft Carrier. Maybe there are also different versions like the F-35 with three designs. The J-31 would probably come in two different designs, the Navy version for People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force and the land-based J-31 version for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

Engines and Stealth characteristics are believed to be poor compared to the Western Stealth fighters. But again, it is better to be careful and respect these Chinese Stealth Fighters before a real estimate can be made based on facts or experience.


Source: defense-update.com / Tamir Eshel - MiGFlug 16 September 2012

Photo: A front view of the new Chinese Shenyang J-31stealth fighter. Note the trapezoidal canted tails. and flat wing-body blending (different from the J-20 and similar to the US F-22 (Photo by www.china-defense-mashup.com)

(16.09.2012)