These are milestones marking the large repair capacity of fighter jets and recognizing the outstanding development of Vietnam’s aviation engineering industry. Su-27 fighter at A32 Factory. In addition, the factory also repaired tens of thousands of spare parts and equipment for the units; produce hundreds of thousands of aviation technical materials. Besides, it also repairs special motorcycles; participate in the repair of weapons of the Air Defense units, Navy. Recently, the High-Tech Center went into operation, marking a great step forward of the unit. From here, A32 Factory can improve repair capacity to regional and international level. The People’s Army newspaper also said that in the past time, the A32 Factory has successfully repaired and put into flight 30 aircraft of all kinds, ensuring good technical indicators and handed over to the units. The factory also replaced 4 oil barrels and repaired and enhanced the Su-30MK2 aircraft fuel system; manufactures 188 fuel pipes, special high-pressure gas pipes, special air defense lights for TZM cars… In addition, A32 also repairs and replaces parts and components for air defense units; repair the hydraulic system that controls the rotation of the radar antenna on the ship; manufacturing and mechanical processing of components for the X51 Factory and the General Department of Defense Industry. To meet the requirements and tasks of aeronautical engineering repair, the factory has promoted the spirit of self-reliance, self-reliance, collective intelligence, designed hundreds of mechanical drawings for processing and manufacturing. components, spare parts, technical materials for repair and production. Not only that, but the factory also compiled many documents, including bilingual documents, especially the set of major repair technology, increasing the service life of Su-22 and Su-27 aircraft. Vietnam’s success has surprised the Russian side, in a recent article titled “Su 27/30: Vietnam will repair itself at home”, Russian defense magazine VPK said that Vietnam has self- Repairing and upgrading Su-27 and Su-30 fighters at the new factory in Da Nang. Accordingly, Vietnam is building capacity for basic maintenance and repair of Su-27 and Su-30 fighters, to avoid sending aircraft abroad. To implement this program, Vietnam recently put into operation the A32 defense plant in Da Nang. “The self-repair and upgrade of the aircraft in the country will significantly increase the operational readiness of the fighter,” the source confirmed. According to VPK, to get this result, A32 Factory sent dozens of staff to train abroad. Currently, the factory has successfully repaired the failures of this modern fighter on its own. Each workshop repairs a technical array with over 10,000 different components that require extreme caution, precision, and meticulousness.

“As early as Soviet times, this concept was formed when our armed forces simultaneously used front-line fighters of both heavy and light.” “If in the fourth generation, the MiG-29 plays the role of a twin-engine light fighter and the corresponding heavy is the Su-27, in the fifth generation we have the same twin-engine Su-57. for expensive”. “Until recently we did not have an aircraft of another light weight class,” said AviaPort’s head of analysis, expert Oleg Panteleev. At the same time, light and heavy fighters are designed to solve different problems. “Heavy fighters are needed to cover large areas, which means they have to fly a long enough distance before completing the mission,” the expert explained. “For light fighters, aircraft with fuel reserves and a smaller combat range, another mission has been determined. Figuratively speaking, it would fight over a protected object and tackle an equivalent range of missions in terms of versatility, including aerial combat and assault against ground and water targets, but at a shorter distance from its base,” added Panteleev. Concept graphics of a new generation of Russian single-engine light fighter This expert considers the idea of ​​​​building a single-engine fighter to be right. “Common sense, a single-engine aircraft will always be cheaper than a two-engine aircraft if we consider comparable performance,” he said. “However, in the event of one engine failure, the plane is likely to crash, while a twin-engine aircraft can continue to fly thanks to the other engine.” “But with the progress being made in improving the engines and increasing their reliability, situations where engine failure leads to the loss of an aircraft are quite rare. Second, rescue work has developed well enough to ensure guarantee the rescue of the pilot,” Panteleev said. The expert also pointed out that at the test stage, Al-31FN series 3 and 4 engines can be used. In addition, during aircraft construction, flight tests can be performed on existing engines to check the operation of systems independent of the dynamometer. Of course it does not match the full range of engine characteristics that are the target of the aircraft. “We also know that the AL-31 and its modifications are a well-run and mass-produced engine with high reliability due to the modernization carried out. So at the experimental stage, its use proved to be quite reasonable,” said Panteleev. At the same time, the expert noted that the construction of engines that can be used in the light version of the fifth-generation aircraft has been taking place in Russia for a long time. “We remember that the new engine for the Su-57 was used and the T-50 prototype of the Su-57 fighter even flew with this engine. So there will certainly be no delay in creating a new engine,” Panteleev said. As for the difficulties that need to be solved when building a fifth-generation light fighter, the expert notes a large number of requirements for it. Often these requirements conflict – “compact, low reflectivity and high payload, long flight time and, if possible, supersonic cruise; deployment of concealed weapons and an increase in the range of weapons carried, including relatively large long-range missiles”. “So the main difficulty is how to achieve the optimal combination of requirements, and at the same time to compete on price so that the aircraft does not burden the Russian budget and is attractive for export.” Mr. Panteleev concluded.

In the current payroll of the Russian Aerospace Forces, there are more than 2000 jet aircraft of all types. However, this force only uses two-engine fighters, does not own any single-engine fighters. One of the main reasons is that most of the fighters in the current Russian Aerospace Forces, most of which are fighters developed from the previous Su-27 series, use two jet engine. However, part of the reason why Russia did not use single-engine fighters in service, came from the lack of it in the final stage when the Soviet Union was about to disintegrate. Specifically with the MiG-29 fighter. This type of fighter, when developed, was aimed at a single-engine fighter design, to compete with the US-made F-16 fighter. However, this design encountered a very difficult obstacle, that is, the Soviet Union at that time did not have a jet engine strong and light enough to be applied to the design of the MiG-29 at that time. . Designer Mikoyan then had to revise the drawings of the MiG-29, forcing it to use two jet engines instead of one as originally envisioned. Basically, at the last stage when the Soviet Union was about to disintegrate, it was very difficult to spend money on research and manufacturing of new generation jet engines. The fighter designers were then forced to use all that was available to them, and the idea of ​​a single-engined Moscow fighter jet ended since. However, it can still be considered that twin-engine fighters have more advantages than single-engine fighters. The US itself at the present time has also stopped producing single-engine fighter aircraft, the F-16 version, although very popular, has only received further upgrades so far, the new production line has been closed. Doors from 2017 to 2019 are allowed to reopen, but only for export. Compared with single-engine fighters, dual-engine combat is considered to be more stable in operation. In the event of one engine failure, at least one remaining engine is enough to bring the plane to a safe landing. Two engines, which means that the aircraft will have two independent power supplies to power the computer system, and also the hydraulic systems on the plane. With single-engine fighters, once the engine stops working, the aircraft will immediately fall into a state of loss of control. Especially with today’s modern aircraft, which use fly-by-wire electronic steering, as soon as the engine is turned off, the computer will also turn off and the steering system will be useless immediately. The American F-16 fighter itself also uses special fuel, along with an electrical energy storage system, allowing the aircraft to operate for an additional 10 minutes after the engine is turned off. At the end of 10 minutes, the energy reserves will run out and the aircraft will also be uncontrollable. In the opposite direction, a single-engine fighter has the advantage of being more compact, lighter, and more fuel-efficient when compared to a twin-engine fighter with the same output thrust. Even the US F-16 fighters, capable of carrying weapons up to 7.7 tons, are only 300 kg inferior to the Russian twin-engine Su-30 aircraft. In the future, Russia is looking to replace its MiG-29 fighters with a single-engine fighter. However, up to now, the design of the new Russian single-engine fighter is likely still on paper. The first thing Moscow needed was a jet engine powerful enough to carry the fighter. Image source: Pinterest. Russia’s MiG-29 fighter is still considered the most “light” fighter that Moscow owns. Source: Mikoyan.

According to China’s Sina site, owning an air force ready to fight requires the state to pay huge costs, something not every country can do. “Any country that intends to build its own air force must have a solid economic foundation, otherwise they will not be able to maintain a fleet of fighter aircraft,” Sina said. clear. Chinese military experts noted that the Flanker-class fighters were the main foundation of the country’s air force, and they tried to enumerate the factors that influence the cost of the flight. The first indicator to take into account is the fuel consumption, which is influenced by the fuselage weight and the weapon’s weight. Besides, there is also the flight mode (at a lower fuel consumption rate as opposed to tactical maneuvering); engine model (consumption increase is proportional to engine power); pilot skills. The Su-27 Flanker is used as an example. The total weight of fuel carried by the aircraft is 9.7 tons. At the same time an aviation fuel specific gravity of 0.85 will result in a fuel volume of 11,200 liters. “In a normal flight, the Su-27 in cruise mode, excluding maneuvers, fuel consumption per hour is 3,750 liters, its flight time is 3 hours”. If you calculate that with the current jet fuel price of 6,500 yuan per ton ($ 990), the Su-27’s one-hour flight time will cost 63,000 yuan ($ 9,590), “Sina said. just the most economic state “. If we take into account take-off time and the pilot’s tactical actions, fuel consumption increases by at least three times, or about 200,000 yuan per hour ($ 30,400), Sina said. Given this fact, the Chinese newspaper argues that average countries simply cannot have a large-scale Air Force, if one takes into account these factors. In addition to the amount of fuel consumption, the purchase of ready-made fighters abroad requires the payment of tens of millions of dollars per aircraft, possibly hundreds of millions of dollars. After solving the problem of purchasing combat vehicles (including accompanying weapons), it is necessary to continue investing in the maintenance, maintenance, construction of ground infrastructure and pilot training. “The money to maintain a large number of fighters is extremely expensive. But without its own air force, any country in the modern world could be plundered by the opponent”, Sina confirmed. However, the Chinese newspaper also noted that the flight on the Su-27 is not the culmination of costs, as an hour of flight of the F-35 stealth fighter is estimated at $ 36,000, even though it is only a single engine. The aforementioned amount is mainly calculated into the depreciation cost of machinery or the wear and tear of stealth coating, guaranteed weapons, showing that owning the fifth generation fighter is still a dream of many countries.

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.