Airforces Monthly - February 2017

ARTICLE SUMMARY
NEWS
ASIA PACIFIC
Chinese Su-35
deliveries
begin
Second prototype FC-31 airborne
THE SECOND prototype Aviation
Industry Corporation of China
(AVIC) FC-31 fighter completed
its first flight from the Shenyang
factory airfield at around
1000hrs local time on December
23. Compared with the initial
prototype, the second FC-31
— sometimes known as the
FC-31V2 — features extensive
revisions, including an F-22-
style forward fuselage with a
single-piece cockpit canopy, a
refined and slightly enlarged
fuselage, reshaped vertical
tailfins and cropped wingtips. It
is powered by twin WS-13A or
E turbofan engines and has a
retractable refuelling probe.
Previous rumours suggested
that a second FC-31 prototype
might have been adapted
to meet People’s Liberation
Army Air Force (PLAAF)
requirements, perhaps leading
to a production-standard J-31.
Above: This photograph, despite its poor quality, confirms the presence of
the Su-35 in China after much speculation as to the credibility of the deal. via
Chinese internet
DELIVERIES OF the Su-35 multirole
fighter to China’s People’s
Liberation Army Air Force
(PLAAF) began on December
25. The first four examples in
the initial batch flew from their
factory airfield at Komsomolskon-Amur
to a PLAAF training
base at Cangzhou, 110 miles
(180km) south of Beijing. They
New look
for KJ-200
IMAGES PUBLISHED in December
indicate that at least some of
China’s KJ-200 airborne early
warning (AEW) aircraft have
been upgraded to KJ-200A
standard. Compared with the
original version, this derivative
features a new nose-mounted
radar antenna in a redesigned
nose similar to the standard
Y-9 transport, replacing the
previous ‘Pinocchio’-style nose.
In advance of the more recent
KJ-500, the KJ-200 entered
service with China’s People’s
Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)
continued on to Suixi Air Base,
home of the 2nd Fighter Division,
6th Air Regiment, assigned
to the strategically important
Southern Theatre Command.
China ordered 24 Su-35s in
November 2015 at a cost of
around $2bn. The remaining
20 aircraft are due to be
delivered in 2017-2018.
and People’s Liberation Army
Naval Air Force (PLANAF) in
around 2007-08 as a mediumweight
complement to the
larger KJ-2000 Mainring.
The PLAAF operates at least five
KJ-200s – which are also known
as Y-8W or Y-8GX-5 – while the
PLANAF operates as many as
six. It was long expected that
the type would be superseded
by the more capable KJ-500,
via Chinese internet
The KJ-200A’s new radar may
provide the aircraft with better
coverage in the forward hemisphere
and consequently the chin-mounted
weather radar has been removed. via
Chinese internet
but now it seems as if both air
arms will operate the two types
side by side, at least while the
KJ-500 is still being introduced.
Additional images showing
several PLANAF KJ-200Hs indicate
that the PLANAF also operates
an example of the modified
aircraft and it appears highly
likely that all remaining KJ-200s
will be upgraded to KJ-200A
standard. Andreas Rupprecht
Philippine
FA-50 deliveries
continue
THE PHILIPPINE Air Force
(PAF) has received two more
FA-50PH lead-in fighter trainer/
light attack aircraft (17-003 and
17-004) from Korea Aerospace
Industries (KAI). The aircraft
arrived at Clark Air Base,
Pampanga, on December 1
and are the third and fourth
examples delivered from a
total of 12 FA-50s on order.
The previous two FA-50PHs
(serials 15-001 and 15-002)
were delivered on November
28, 2015. The remaining
eight aircraft are due to be
delivered in September 2017.
It was recently reported that
the Philippines’ Department
of National Defense (DND) has
made efforts to accelerate
the procurement of new
equipment, including longrange
patrollers and close air
support aircraft for the PAF.
28 FEBRUARY 2017 #347 www.airforcesmonthly.com