According
to China Daily, China's aviation industry is working on the development
of aircraft with short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities needed
for an important role in the Chinese navy's future operations, military
experts said. "Research and development on components of STOVL
aircraft, such as the engine, have started," Wang Ya'nan, deputy
editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told China Daily. |
"The
aircraft's principles are not new. They have been known for more than
40 years, so our aircraft designers should be able to develop the plane
on their own," Wang said.
In late March, the Aviation Industry Corp of China, the country's leading
aircraft maker, announced on its website that two of its subsidiaries
- AVIC Chengdu Engine Group and China Aviation Engine Establishment
- have signed a cooperation agreement on the development of the STOVL
aircraft's engine. The statement said the STOVL aircraft project aims
to strengthen the People's Liberation Army navy's amphibious combat
capability and address the absence of such a weapon in the PLA's arsenal.
Compared with conventional fixed-wing aircraft, a STOVL plane can be
readied for action in a shorter period of time and occupies less space
in a hangar bay or on the deck of a ship. These features have made it
a popular choice for naval powers since late 1960s, when Britain's subsonic
Hawker Siddley Harrier became the first STOVL aircraft to be put in
service.
Almost all STOVL aircraft in active service are based on the Harrier
design, and they form the backbone of the naval forces of India and
Spain.
This move is not the first time China has aimed to build a STOVL aircraft.
In the late 1960s, the PLA asked the aircraft institutes to develop
a fixed-wing plane capable of vertical takeoff and landing. The project
was later abandoned due to technical difficulties.
The PLA also tried to buy the Hawker Siddley Harrier in the late 1970s,
but dropped the attempt because of cost, according to Western military
observers.
This time, AVIC appears to have made the right decision at the right
time as the PLA navy now needs a STOVL aircraft because it will "significantly
supplement and improve its amphibious capabilities", Wang said.
"Though the PLA navy now has an aircraft carrier - the CNS Liaoning
- it still lacks the experience of developing and manufacturing such
a sophisticated naval platform, so there won't be more carriers in the
short term," Wang said. "Let's assume that a conflict breaks
out between China and another nation in the near future; the PLA navy's
limited number of carrier-borne fighter jets, the J-15s, would have
to engage in long-distance strikes as well as air defense for the carrier
battle group, and they would have to be divided into small groups to
perform these tasks simultaneously."
If China had STOVL aircraft, they could be deployed on the CNS Liaoning
and other ships to defend against incoming enemy aircraft, relieving
the burden on the J-15s, which could then focus on long-range operations,
Wang said.
"Actually, in the foreseeable future, I don't see a high probability
of China's involvement in a war far from its shores. Being dragged into
limited amphibious conflicts in or near our territorial waters would
be more likely. The STOVL aircraft will be the best choice for air support
in such conflicts," Wang said, noting that it would be a perfect
match for China's future amphibious assault ships. |
