J-11A
Contents
Description
The J-11A (歼-11A型歼击机) with identical NATO codename of Flanker-B, represents the Sino-Belarusian upgrade for the SKD series J-11, a licensed built of the infamous Su-27SK. By 1996, SAC has negotiated for the domestic assemble and later production of Su-27SK at Shenyang, Liaoning, where the experiences gained during the construction would further be refined by engineers as the basis of future heavy interceptors; after the blueprints and required machineries have been delivered to Shenyang, SAC constructed the first batch by September 1998 and further 4 batches were constructed until the later J-11B (Flanker-L) replaced the production line, now with mostly domestic alternatives to the decade-old Flankers and fully translated cockpit. Originally, Russia has planned for a Su-27SMK variant for PLAAF with upgraded avionics and weaponry; however the completion of reverse-engineer and introduction of domestic interceptors with vastly improved avionics put an end to this program. Meanwhile, after the introduction of PLANAF's Su-30MKK (Flanker-G) and their R-77 missiles, PLAAF seek for solutions to upgrade the J-11A fleet with capabilities to launch ARH AAMs; this in turn led to the cooperation between SAC and Belarusian's 558th Aircraft Repair Plant where the latter introduced a very interesting mean to bypass the obsolete FCS on J-11A, by programming and rewiring the systems to trick it that it was an earlier R-27 series instead of a R-77 was installed, Belarusian engineers upgraded the aircraft at minimal costs and modifications to J-11A. By 2010s, the need for intensive CAP missions over South China Sea also brought in a new upgrade for certain J-11As operated by divisions in Guangdong by installing domestic UV MAWS systems for maximum situational awareness; these aircrafts are still in service with PLAAF by some units as part of the ever-growing PLAAF interceptor fleet.
Introduced in Update "Seek & Destroy" as one of the new Flankers arrived in game for this patch, J-11A introduced the capabilities to launch ARH AAM while having slight upgrade on situational awareness; while the aircraft itself is still haunts by the vastly inferior Russian avionics, the overall combat capability and handling is mostly identical, if not better than previous J-11 (Su-27SK).
General info
Flight performance
Like its brother J-11, the performance of J-11A can be said as identical to its predecessor. Although it would still take 8 more years for SAC to refine the somewhat overweight airframe, the original design of Flanker has exceptional maneuverability for such a huge jet; like mentioned in previous jet, J-11, it has very similar length to a J-8II while having much wider airframe, making it one of the largest jet fighter in game in terms of surface area. With the help of the SDU-10 FBW system and almost 1.0 T/W ratio, even jets at lighter weight will have problem dogfighting a Flanker in dire situation; while it still retains very similar, if not the same stall speed of other Flankers in-game, remember the most iconic maneuver, "Pugachev's Cobra" is more of an aerobatics instead of conventional maneuvers for dogfight and its 21x14 m size also means enemy shots will have easy time landing shots onto the airframe, so unless in a solo dogfight, take Flanker as a missile truck, then "hit-and-run" for maximum efficiency while evading any missile that has locked onto the player.
| Characteristics | Max speed (km/h at _,___ m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | ___ | ___ | 16000 | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | ___ |
| Upgraded | ___ | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 0 | 700 | ___ | ___ | ___ | ~__ | ~__ |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < ___ | < ___ | < ___ | - |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Basic mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | |||
| _____ | _ | _,___ kg | ___ kg/m2 | |||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Gross Weight | ||||
| Weight (each) | Type | _m fuel | __m fuel | __m fuel | ||
| ___ kg | ___ | _,___ kg | _,___ kg | _,___ kg | _,___ kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (___%/WEP) | |||||
| Condition | 100% | ___%/WEP | _m fuel | __m fuel | __m fuel | MGW |
| Stationary | ___ kgf | ___ kgf | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ |
| Optimal | ___ kgf (_ km/h) |
___ kgf (_ km/h) |
_.__ | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ |
Survivability and armour
By 1980s, to further reduce the weight, most interceptors were not equipped with extra armor plates for both the pilot and critical components; this is no exception for the Flanker series and also its Chinese domestic production variants, thus the pilot can face fatal hits from both autocannons or missile shrapnel.
Meanwhile, all the 5 fuel tanks onboard are self-sealed, meaning that with the help of researchable fire extinguishers, the J-11A can sometimes save itself from fatal structural failure in case of a fire.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
| Ballistic Computer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCIP (Guns) | CCIP (Rockets) | CCIP (Bombs) | CCRP (Bombs) | EEGS |
 |
|
|
|
|
Offensive armament
The J-11A is armed with:
- 1 x 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon, wing root-mounted (150 rpg)
- 96 x large calibre countermeasures
Suspended armament
The overall payload of J-11A is 94% identical to previous J-11 with only R-77 missiles as the exception. The principle of the design of Flanker is an interceptor, not multirole fighter; thus it still lacks more advanced precision ground attack munition like AGMs or LGBs for much safer approach on enemy vehicles, this also hinders the overall research efficiency when players have to ditch AAMs for unguided munitions in case players need the XP from AI ground targets. While using them at ground RB is still possible, this requires the elite among elites to achieve maximum efficiency without being blasted out of the skies at the first minute.
For AAM loadouts, R-73E, R-27(E)T/R1 and R-77 are now your best friends when facing enemy aircrafts; the loadout options can leave up to 10 AAMs at once with different loadout options depending on player's desire. The R-73E and its Russian cousin are well known for their excellent maneuverability at close range while having some extend of ECCM capabilities; while they are still susceptible to flares or sometimes the sun itself, a shot on careless players can certainly earn a victory over them while sometimes seeing the missile flies like an UFO then hit the target. Before the R-77 was researched, the R-27T or R (IR; radar-homing) missiles can be said as better than none due to their already inferior performance at its tier since they don't have sufficient thrust for long-range engagements, this also worsen by the unreliable N001E radar in this case; the ET1/ER1 is completely another story, the former turned itself into a huge IR AAM seeking for the most careless player from afar while the latter can travels up to 20 km reliable and score a victory even from more advanced foes, but this require a radar lock so be very cautious for any oncoming threats before the target was erased from existence.
The R-77 finally turns J-11A into a competent rival at top tier, although the unique fence-wing drastically increase its drag for long-range engagements, a lock on enemy jets at much closer distances (i.e 10 km) turns R-77 into a somewhat dogfight missile; due to the datalink limits at only one missile at a time, be sure to keep the lock as long as possible before the tracker fires up and search for the enemy target.
The ground loadout on the other hand is still disappointing: all the loadouts under this category is totally identical to Su-27S/J-11 with wide range of unguided bombs or rockets at player's disposal. The rocket pods are more for light vehicle columns or SPAAs while the bombs at up to 500 kg is still more than enough to take down even the heaviest MBT at its tier; in case players do have the need to go for ground attacks in ground RB, make very good use of CCRP or top-down attacks given players evaded the blind spots of enemy threats.
| Default weapon presets | |
|---|---|
| |
Usage in battles
Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Identical handling to J-11 with excellent maneuverability for such a huge jet
- Upgraded domestic UV MAWS for higher situational awareness
- Vast arsenal of AAMs or A2G weapons at up to 10 payload points
- Huge internal fuel tank for sustained combat
- Access to R-77 ARH AAM for even longer engage radius
- Devastating 30 mm autocannon with sufficiently high RoF
Cons:
- Huge target
- Retains the same inferior Soviet-era electronics and RWR
- Only guides a single R-77 at once due to datalink limits
- Low ammo pool for last-ditch gunfights
- Lacks precision A2G ammunition for CAS operations
History
For PLAAF, the deal of Su-27SK was certainly an excellent (and the most viable) decision to enhance the already obsolete PLAAF interceptor fleet which was still yet to deploy any SARH AAM (the previous tests on J-8II and B wasted many imported Aspide-1A missiles; it was way until 2002 when PL-11 and J-8H were finalized) and seeking for a heavy interceptor platform for the more advanced domestic avionics. After the introduction of the 38th and 39th batch of Su-27SK from Soviet Union/Russia, PLAAF negotiated for almost 3 years since 1993 for the domestic production license of Su-27SK by SAC in Shenyang; with the threats for no further orders of Flankers to PLAAF service and the worsening economy after the shock therapy, the deal was set for 200 jets to be assembled on CKD/SKD kits at Shenyang since 1998 while the engineers have to prepare beforehand for the translations of documents two years earlier since 1996. This set for the foundation of later J-11A and (mostly) domestic J-11B; but by the end of 20th century, the tactics of aerial combat have shifted vastly - after the introduction of more advanced ARH AAM such as AIM-120 series, the absence of continuous guidance on target from the launcher aircraft enabled "hit-and-run" tactics at a much farther radius. Although deemed as the state-of-the-art jet for PLAAF of its era, J-11A which was produced since 1998 now lagged behind the era and would soon be threaten by another Sukhoi jet for PLANAF: Su-30MKK Flanker-G delivered in 2000.
Earlier by 1995, Sukhoi introduced the very unique Su-27SMK* (block no. 40-01, 305; also the prototype of Su-27SKM for Indonesia) in attempt to further secure the orders from PLAAF with retractable refuel probe, ground attack capabilities and upgraded avionics; but the eventual first flight of J-10 and advancement in radar technology broke any hopes to sell this variant to PLAAF. This also led to the eventual cancellation of any further production of Su-27SK in Shenyang with only 105 jets delivered to PLAAF (the remaining 95 airframes were reused for Su-27SM series by KnAAPO); with the commence of J-11B program and Project No. 12 (PL-12) by 1998, attempts to enhance the combat capabilities of J-11A also rose up as PLAAF now has R-77 (RVV-AE; AA-12 Adder) introduced thanks to the PLANAF deal on Su-30MKK; this missiles delivered since 2000 brought in a major problem for engineers: How to guide an ARH AAM with the N001E radar?
*Editor's note: Seriyniy Modifitsirivanniy Komyercheskyi (Serial Modernization-Commercial) would be the more grammatically correct name; due to the halt of this program, the jet sold to Indonesia was renamed to Seriyniy Komyercheskyi Modifitsirivanniy (SKM) instead.
Due to the design of N001E radar, its guidance method and unable to reverse-engineer the FCS, it was impossible for J-11A to even consider R-77 at the first place (NIIP revised the radar systems as the N001VEP for Su-27SM; while Su-30MKK installed N001VE for additional air-to-surface combat capabilities); which also means F-16C or F-15C/E series can engage the Flanker way before it reaches the calculated maximum firing range. Due to the lack of concrete information, aside from PLAAF images showing J-11A with two R-77s on the centerline, there is a missing link between those images and the modification; the most well-known rumor suggested that SAC seek for the assistance of Belarusian's 558th Aircraft Repair Plant and led to an interesting solution to the problem: since PLAAF never imported the first series R-27 which still exists in the coding of FCS, Belarusian engineers decided to rework on the programming and some hardware of the radar systems to trick the SUV-27 FCS that it was R-27 instead of R-77 that was in the payload. This crude yet effective modification quickly became the upgrade for J-11A; although the modification requires the pilot to countdown with clock before launch, it gave the chance to return-fire upon foes, not being a sitting duck during aerial combat. Around 2010s, thanks to the advancement of avionics at CETC and their introduction of UV MAWS for PLAAF interceptors, some J-11A operated by the 2nd Division, PLAAF received experimental MAWS installed on four corners of the aircraft as an solution to enhance situational awareness during their CAP missions over the South China Sea; although not becoming the standard issue for the remaining J-11A fleet in PLAAF service, this ultimate upgrade done by both Chinese and Belarusian can at least keep J-11A up to the pace of modern aerial combats - it might be obsolete since it's a two-decade-old aircraft, but with the help of the extensive datalink complex of PLA, J-11A could still support its more advanced "brothers in arms" to defend the skies.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
Su-27 "Flanker" series
Soviet Union/Russia
- Su-27 - Su-27S to be precise; the second serial production variant for VVS
- Su-27SM - Modernization of Su-27S with upgraded avionics and capabilities to use precision munitions
Mainland China
- Su-27SK/J-11 - PLAAF purchase of block 38 and 39 Su-27S in 1990 and 1993 respectively
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| China jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | J-2 · J-4 · Shenyang F-5 · J-6A · J-7II · J-7D · J-7E · J-8B · J-8F · J-11 · J-11A |
| Strike aircraft | Q-5 early · Q-5A · Q-5L · A-5C · JH-7A |
| Bombers | H-5 |
| American | ␗F-84G-21-RE · ␗F-84G-31-RE · ␗F-86F-30 · ␗F-86F-40 · ␗F-100A · ␗F-100F · ␗F-104A · ␗F-104G · ␗F-5A · ␗F-5E · ␗F-16A MLU |
| Soviet | ␗MiG-9 · ␗MiG-9 (l) |
