Last Updated: Mon Mar 15 00:33:21 UTC 2010


 Shenyang J-11B Flanker B+

Technical Report APA-TR-2008-0901


by Dr Carlo Kopp, SMAIAA, MIEEE, PEng
September, 2009
Text © 2008 Carlo Kopp
Line Artwork © 2008 Carlo Kopp


New build Shenyang J-11B Flanker B fighter. The missile under the wing is a Chinese clone of the Rafael Python 3  heatseeking missile. The J-11B aircraft are typically painted in different camouflage to the J-11A, with a medium blue grey upper surface, light grey lower surface, black radome, while the half ellipse grey area on the nose is overpainted with uniform camouflage (Chinese internet images).



Background

The controversial J-11B is an unauthorised derivative of the Sukhoi J-11A/Su-27SK, built by Shenyang in China. The aircraft has been the subject of an ongoing dispute between Beijing and Moscow which has caused the suspension of production of the second batch on indigenously manufactured legally licenced J-11A/Su-27SK.

The J-11B is not an exact clone of the Su-27SK, despite the commonly held view this is so. The airframe and engines can be considered to be 'cloned' but the systems are mostly unique to this variant.

Known differences include:

  1. A Chinese IRST set located in the centreline position as with the OLS-27 in early Su-27S.
  2. A planar array multimode radar which resembles the Phazotron Zhuk-27 series. It includes an IFF interrogator array.
  3. An Onboard Oxygen Generator System (OBOGS). Only the most recent Russian variants have an OBOGS.
  4. A unique glass cockpit design, with an asymmetric layout quite different from the Su-30MKK/MK2 and Su-27SMK.
  5. An optical MAWS system claimed to operate in the UV band.
  6. Dielectric panels on the stabilators not seen on any Russian variant.

The differences between the J-11B, Su-27SK and Su-27SMK are sufficiently great that this must be considered a unique offshoot of the Flanker family of fighters, not a subtype of the baseline Su-27SK/J-11A.



Resources

Australian Aviation  - August 2004 - The Sleeping Giant Awakens (PLA-AF/PLA-N)
Australian Aviation  - July 2004 - Asia's Advanced Precision Guided Munitions
Defence Today - January/February 2006  -  Regional Precision Guided Munitions Survey
Defence Today - Sept  2004 - 2010+ Regional Futures
Defence Today - January/February 2006  - Regional Developments 2005



J-11B unpainted. The missiles on the centreline station are the PL-12, a Chinese equivalent to the AMRAAM using the Agat active radar seeker designed for the R-77 / AA-12 Adder.



Optical Missile Approach Warning System apertures on the J-11B.














Imagery Sources: Xinhua; MilitaryPhotos.net; other Internet sources.


Technical Report APA-TR-2008-0901




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