Malaysia is currently considering purchasing a new type of light single-engine fighter jet to modernize its air force, with the top three candidates being the South Korean F / A-50, the JF-17. of Sino-Pakistan and Tejas of India. According to some sources, the country’s armed forces are now leaning in favor of the JF-17, a significantly longer operational aircraft that has been produced in larger numbers and deployed. operated by three countries including Pakistan, Myanmar and Nigeria. The F / A-50 fighter is also considered a prime candidate, but the Tejas fighter is not. Other contenders believed to have been eliminated were the Yak-130 of Russia, the British Hawk and the US-Swedish Gripen. The Yak-130 and Hawk had much more limited combat capabilities and were unable to fly hypersonic, while the Gripen had limited features in use. The JF-17 and Tejas have long been regarded as rival fighter jet programs, both of which have many similarities including being very light in weight, and they are smaller than class fighters. Light standard as F-16 and J-10 in size. Both are designed to favor low operating costs and use derivative engines, the engine developed for the Cold War medium-weight two-engine fighters, but used in one engine configuration. Tejas engine was derived from the American F-18, while the JF-17 used engines from the Soviet MiG-29, a direct competitor of the US F-18 during the Cold War. . Both fighters are designed to serve the primary goal of air combat and are built to operate at low cost with either minimal fuel consumption or maintenance requirements. It can be speculated that the reason why Malaysia prefers Pakistan’s JF-17. This fighter was produced in larger numbers and had less difficulty in development than during the Tejas development. Indian fighters entered service more than 40 years after development began. The JF-17 is also available in many variants including a two-seat attack and training variant like the JF-17B. Sino-Pakistani jets are also more compatible with modern armament to which Malaysia is currently heavily dependent, while the Tejas is a Westernized aircraft. Tejas uses American engines, especially Israel’s avionics systems, which is a big drawback for an Islamic country like Malaysia – which doesn’t like Israelis. Tejas is also significantly more costly to manufacture due to the less efficient production line and the very high cost of the component parts from the US and Israel on which it depends. The latest Tejas variants especially have a superior radar advantage over the JF-17 Block 2. However the upcoming JF-17 Block 3 variant is expected to go into mass production by the end of 2023 and will be available. the performance is far superior. Among the outstanding features of the JF-17 Block 3, the most prominent are the integration of AESA radar, Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missile, improved engines and generation avionics. Thursday. In the end, no matter what type of fighter aircraft is chosen, the new aircraft will be a secondary force, while the elite Malaysian air force still consists of Russian Su-30MKA heavy fighters. In addition, the country is particularly interested in more modern Su-57 next-generation fighters. Photo source: Pinterest. India introduced the Tejas fighter – the best domestic fighter the country has ever built. Source: Nigel Woolley.

The J-11B fighter today became a mainstay of China’s heavy fighter squadron and is considered one of the fourth-generation fighters capable of serving the best in both air-to-air and attack capabilities.

More than 200 J-11B fighters are currently in service with the Chinese Air Force, including 70 in the Navy and about 140 in the country’s Air Force.

The design of the J-11B fighter was based on the Soviet Su-27 Flanker airframe, and the Su-27 was rated as the best combat aircraft of the Cold War era.

At that time the Chinese Air Force was equipped with older and increasingly out-of-the-way fighters, losing its serious advantage against Japanese F-15 fighters in the region.

The Su-27 is equipped with the R-73 short-range air-to-air missile, as well as the R-27 long-range missile with a range more than twice as long as any previous missile in Chinese payroll.

China quickly copied the Su-27 to create its own fighter, the J-11, and was generally similar to the Su-27 in the Russian Air Force. China then began a program to develop more capable heavy fighters and launched the J-11B.

Ten years after the first Su-27s were delivered, the first simulation of the J-11B was revealed in 2002 by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.

The aircraft used more composite material, an area where China overtook Russia at this time, making the airframe both lighter and more durable, while improving flight performance due to its lower weight.

New electronic combat systems and sensors were also integrated, including the Chinese-designed Type 1493 pulsed doppler radar and a significantly more powerful IRST system than the already formidable Soviet N001E radar. According to the report, the new radar can detect medium fighters at a range of about 150-170km and surface warships at about 350km.

The new aviation electronics and sensors also allowed J-11B fighters to operate much more efficiently in air and sea attack roles than su-27s, an example of the ability to carry accurate bombs and guided missiles against enemy targets.

The J-11B also replaced the R-27 semi-active radar-guided air-to-air missile with a native PL-12 missile, which had active guidance radar that allowed the aircraft to strike more targets simultaneously and provided the ability to “shoot and forget” against enemy aircraft.

This puts the J-11B on par with the latest U.S. competitors in terms of firepower, American fighters in the 2000s began using AIM-120C missiles with active radar guidance and a similar range of about 100km.

China’s fourth-generation fighter will greatly improve its combat capabilities over the next decade, with J-16 fighters also based on the Su-27 Flanker design being entered service since 2013 and boasting the first AESA radar built into the fighter.

The J-16 is more capable than the J-11B in both air-to-air and attack roles, not only due to modern radar but also by stealth coatings, electronic combat systems, weapons, and aviation electronics including helmet-mounted sights. In addition, the PL-15 missile of the fighter has an estimated range of about 250-300km.

The J-11 would then continue to be improved to upgrade to a level closer to the J-16, with the J-11BG version integrating an AESA radar believed to be based on the J-16’s radar as well as new aviation electronics. These allowed the aircraft to use PL-15 and PL-10 air-to-air missiles.

It is unclear whether the J-11D will be produced in the same number of more than 200 as the J-11B, or how many J-11Bs will be upgraded to the J-11BG standard. However, China will continue to develop new technologies for the fifth, sixth and J-11 fighters that will continue to be improved to have power on par with the world’s leading aircraft. Image source: Pinterest.

Close-up of the J-20 fifth-generation fighter – the Chinese-made fifth-generation fighter, which is said to outperform the Su-57. Source: QQ.