Difference between revisions of "J-11"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (歼-11型歼击机; NATO Codename: Flanker-B), aka '''Su-27SK''' by Sukhoi or '''苏-27''' in PLAAF manuals, is one of the main composition of modern PLAAF's interceptor fleet since the early 1990s as the overseas solution to upgrade the outdated-PLAAF. By 1989, soon after the improving of Sino-Soviet relationships and the nationwide riots during the economic reform, the only viable solution to upgrade PLAAF was from USSR due to the subsequence embargo imposed by NATO countries; a group of military staffs of PLAAF soon departed for USSR to import the latest interceptors of USSR. Initially, the VVS promoted the [[MiG-29]] to Chinese generals during their visit to Kubinka Airbase, but the generals soon spotted the state-of-the-art interceptor - [[Su-27|Su-27S]] - in the airbase and later crash of the Fulcrum during demonstration flight made PLAAF go for the Flanker. After series of meetings and an interesting behind-the-scene story, the deal was set to purchase the 38th and 39th batches of Su-27S at around USD $1 Billion for 24 jets (18 Su-27SK and 6 UBK twin-seater) and 22 jets respectively. After the fall of Soviet Union, PLAAF saw the possibilities to purchase the production license of Su-27SK in 1993. After threats for no further jets would be ordered from KnAAPO and a long negotiation with the now-Russia Federation, 200 Su-27SK would be assembled by SAC within 15 years since 1996; the licensed Su-27SK, now called J-11A would increase domestic production rate through the 5 batches. The design of Flanker alongside with its blueprints and punched tapes were further refined by Chinese engineers with the help of CAD, revising the redundancies on the original design and eventually set the foundation for J-11B (Flanker-L) and future Flanker derivatives.
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (歼-11型歼击机; NATO Codename: Flanker-B), aka '''Su-27SK''' by Sukhoi or '''苏-27''' in PLAAF manuals, is one of the main composition of the PLAAF's modern interceptor fleet since the early 1990s as the overseas solution to upgrade the outdated PLAAF. By 1989, soon after the improving of Sino-Soviet relationships and the nationwide riots during the economic reform, the only viable solution to upgrade PLAAF was from USSR due to the subsequent embargo imposed by NATO countries; a group of military staffs of PLAAF soon departed for the USSR to import the latest Soviet interceptors on May 1990. Initially, the VVS promoted the [[MiG-29]] to Chinese generals during their visit to Kubinka Airbase, but the generals soon spotted the state-of-the-art interceptor [[Su-27|Su-27S]] at the airbase made the PLAAF go for the Flanker. After a series of meetings since during June to September of 1990, the deal was set to purchase the 38th batches at around USD $1 Billion for 24 jets (18 Su-27SK and 6 UBK twin-seater) by March 1991 and 39th batches of 22 Su-27S respectively. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the PLAAF saw the possibility to purchase the production license of the Su-27SK in 1993. After threats that no further jets would be ordered from KnAAPO and a long negotiation with the now-Russian Federation, the new deal was set for 200 Su-27SK assembled by SAC within 15 years since 1996. The licensed Su-27SK, now called J-11A would increase domestic production rate through the 5 batches. The design of Flanker alongside with its blueprints and punched tapes were further refined by Chinese engineers with the help of CAD that was first used on J-10 and later JH-7A, revising the redundancies of the original design and eventually set the foundation for the J-11B (Flanker-L) and future Flanker derivatives.
  
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Introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]] as part of the upgrade, J-11 shares identical performance to its Soviet counterpart even though being an export variant; thanks to its well refined aerodynamic design, power engines, loads of A-A weaponries and sufficiently powerful radar/IRST, J-11 leads PLAAF into the current apex of air battles. While its sheer size and inferior electronics can be a problem in different occasions, J-11 will not disappoint players with its iconic features.
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Introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]] as part of the upgrade, the J-11 shares a close to identical performance to its Soviet counterpart (while 570 kg heavier). Thanks to its well refined aerodynamic design, power engines, loads of A-A weaponries and sufficiently powerful radar/IRST, the J-11 leads the PLAAF into the current apex of air battles. While its sheer size and inferior electronics can be a problem in different occasions, the J-11 will not disappoint players with Flanker's iconic features.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
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{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}
 
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}
 
<!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
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In short words: the overall flight performance is identical to Soviet's Su-27. Thanks to the well-refined airframe which took almost a decade to design, Su-27 series is famous for its great manoeuvrability even at its huge size, to put it in perspective: Su-27/J-11 is almost 4 m longer than MiG-29 series at 21 m, while it is at very similar length to PLAAF's own J-8II series, the large, trapezium wing still makes it the overall largest PLAAF interceptor up to present day (including the domestic refined J-11B and later variants). In first glance, players might consider such a huge jet doesn't have as much manoeuvrability as MiG-29 series; when they eventually have the chance to fight J-11, they will soon know that it will be a hassle to handle, thanks to the FBW systems, airframe designs and two powerful AL-31F engine that gives almost average T/W ratio at 1.0, most earlier jets from lower BR will have major problem handling J-11. When players expect to see an stall-out Flanker, what they might see is that: their own jet will be the first one to stall out before the Flanker eventually stalls out, sometimes even performing the iconic Pugachev's Cobra - where the jet can achieve up to 110° AoA at such speed while pulling the control stick and level out at the same altitude, therefore players might want to think twice before engaging J-11.
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In short words: the overall flight performance is close to identical to Soviet's Su-27. Thanks to the well-refined airframe which took almost a decade to design, the Su-27 series is famous for its great manoeuvrability even at its huge size. To put it in perspective: the Su-27/J-11 is almost 4 m longer than MiG-29 series at 21 m, while it is at very similar length to PLAAF's own J-8II series, the large, trapezium wing still makes it the overall largest PLAAF interceptor up to present day (including the domestic refined J-11B and later variants). In first glance, players might consider such a huge jet doesn't have as much manoeuvrability as MiG-29 series; when they eventually have the chance to fight the J-11, they will soon know that it will be a hassle to handle, thanks to the FBW systems, airframe designs and two powerful AL-31F engine that gives almost average T/W ratio at 1.0, most earlier jets from lower BR will have major problem handling the J-11. When players expect to see an stall-out Flanker, what they might see is that: their own jet will be the first one to stall out before the Flanker eventually stalls out, sometimes even performing the iconic Pugachev's Cobra - where the jet can achieve up to 110° AoA at such speed while pulling the control stick and level out at the same altitude, therefore players might want to think twice before engaging the J-11.
  
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But just like what the introduction mentioned, the problem is also its sheer size. Considering for its 21x14 m size, it is also easy to land shots or missiles upon J-11 if players make an error during aerial dogfights; any damaged part of the airframe will significantly increase drag of Flanker and thus higher risk of being shot down. Be sure to utilize its manoeuvrability in solo fights, not gang fights with very little reaction time and room for errors - one wrong move can be its demise. As for the Pugachev's Cobra,  it is more of aerobatics than a tactic to reverse the battle, it is never a good idea to show the largest possible surface area to enemy guns.
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But just like what the introduction mentioned, the problem is also its sheer size. Considering for its 21x14 m size, it is also easy to land shots or missiles upon the J-11 if players make an error during aerial dogfights; any damaged part of the airframe will significantly increase drag of Flanker and thus higher risk of being shot down. Be sure to utilize its manoeuvrability in solo fights, not gang fights with very little reaction time and room for errors - one wrong move can be its demise. As for the Pugachev's Cobra,  it is more of aerobatics than a tactic to reverse the battle, it is never a good idea to show the largest possible surface area to enemy guns.
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
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|-
 
|-
 
! Stock
 
! Stock
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| ___ || ___ || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | ___
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| ___ || ___ || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | 750
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Upgraded
 
! Upgraded
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! 13m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 44m fuel || MGW
 
! 13m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 44m fuel || MGW
 
|-
 
|-
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| ''Stationary'' || 7,450 kgf || 12,028 kgf
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| ''Stationary'' || 7,220 kgf || 11,660 kgf
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| 1.21 || 1.14 || 1.03 || 0.91 || 0.70
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| 1.18 || 1.10 || 1.00 || 0.88 || 0.68
 
|-
 
|-
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| ''Optimal'' || 7,450 kgf<br>(0 km/h) || 15,640 kgf<br>(1,540 km/h)
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| ''Optimal'' || 7,220 kgf<br>(0 km/h) || 15,640 kgf<br>(1,540 km/h)
 
| 1.58 || 1.48 || 1.34 || 1.19 || 0.91
 
| 1.58 || 1.48 || 1.34 || 1.19 || 0.91
 
|-
 
|-
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== Usage in battles ==
 
== 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).'' -->
 
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''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).''
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Although PLAAF deemed Su-27SK, aka J-11 as the main composition of PLAAF in 1990s and early 2000s, they did have plans to introduce the more advanced domestic avionics to replace the OEM equipment. As for J-11, although it has flawed avionics with inferior RWR and unreliable radar, the sheer payload and maneuverability can make it a great alternative to [[F-16A MLU (China)|ROCAF's F-16A]] in air battles while retaining sufficient but less advanced means for ground attack operations.
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; Air Battle - The Far East Flanker
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The concept of Flanker series are solely for air-interception missions; just looking to the overall payload of J-11, it still leave the trace of Soviet air-defense doctrine of intercepting enemy bombers with SARH missiles. But before players can unleash missile hell against enemy jets, R-27T1 and R-73E will be the only options for the J-11 at early stages; while R-73E is known for their maneuverability even at close distance and sufficient tracking radius against enemy targets, players will need to get used to a major rule of top-tier battles: always aim for those who didn't launch flares to interfere with the missile seeker. In most cases, jets within the 4 km radius of J-11 can be potential prey of R-73E as they are likely be concentrated on taking out friendly jets; thanks to the HMD on J-11 and great overload of R-73E, players can employ some of the most impressive maneuvers to make sure the missile is within the firing range. In most cases, unless enemy jets launched flares in very short interval, they will become easy prey for the missile. As for the R-27 series, both the E and R series with IR/radar seeker are the the best friends of J-11 thanks to their impressive thrust and overload at long distance; as long as the missile can keep on the track with enemy targets, both high and low-altitude targets will become an easy prey for players while earning more experiences for other usages.
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But when players have the need to gun down enemy jets in dogfights, while the powerplants and design of J-11 can make sure it can sustain long enough dogfight before it took out enemies or the arrival of friendly jets, as mentioned in previous paragraph, it is better leave the J-11 as an interceptor to take out any high-altitude targets who also planned to take out the friendly targets with SARH or ARH missiles (i.e. F-14B), thus players have to keep a keen eye on any radar signals on the SPO-15LM RWR or from its N001E radar. Make sure to pick the best possible target to dealt with as this can also help friendlies to secure the victory of battle, as well as evading enemy tracking radar as much as possible which gives them as little reaction time as possible - it is always better to take out enemy targets before they even have the chance to fire upon friendly targets, which can in turn affect the morality of enemy team as well.
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; Ground Battle - The Long-time Tradition
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Among the Chinese community, there were a saying that ''"Anything in PLAAF must come with ground-attack capabilities using unguided rockets"''. This is in fact true for J-11 in this case as there are many images from PLAAF showing Su-27SK or future J-11B series carrying Russian/domestic rocket pods for ground attacks. The Flanker family is known for their interception capabilities but the rather abundant payload is also a good platform for ground-attack operations albeit lacking any precision munitions; pylons on J-11 is totally identical to Su-27S with multiple payload point, when players think a Flanker is nowhere an attacker, it does in fact have even more bombs in quantity to Chinese domestic JH-7A (30 x 250 kg bombs vs. 22 x 250 kg bombs) in case players want to cause extensive damage to enemy armored column. Players can also go for even more bombs with 100 kg bombs or better kill radius with 500 kg bombs, depending on the playstyle and the composition of enemy vehicles, it is always a good idea to carry varieties of bombs for heavy targets while leaving the rocket pods (twin pods) to handle light vehicles; for example, the FAB-500 series is a good idea to take out heavy targets in stationary or armored columns, while leaving B-8 or B-13 rocket pods against light vehicles or SPAAs. But as a thumb of rule of Flanker family in-game: always plan for your assault when entering the battlefield as enemy SPAAs or fighters would want to hunt down enemy jets as well. Thanks to the CCIP and CCRP onboard, the J-11 can employ both high-altitude or low-altitude approach against enemy targets, either by bombing a certain area filled with enemy vehicles or evading SPAAs before unleashing hell against enemy players. If the skies are full of enemy jets which SPAA systems could not handle, it will also be a good time to utilize the great missiles on J-11 ranging from R-73E up to the devastating R-27ER1; it is always a good idea to pick careless players that are too concentrated on ground-attacks.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->'''Pros:'''
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''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''
 
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'''Pros:'''
 
  
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*
+
* Impressive maneuverability
 +
** Powerful AL-31F engine for maximum thrust and acceleration
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** FBW control with great maneuverability even at low speeds
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* Up to 10 missiles at once with flexibility for both long and short range combats
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* IRST for concealed detection of enemies
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* Large fuel tanks without the need for drop tanks
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* Devastating 30 mm autocannon to tear down enemy targets
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* Large pool of air-to-ground ordnance with up to bombs or rocket pods
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
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*
+
* Huge target
 +
* Inferior electronics especially the RWR and radar
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* Relative low ammo pool for the autocannon
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* Lacks precision weapons for safer ground attacks appoaches
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
 
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<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
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==== The Dire Situation ====
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By late 1980s, both the J-8II series has already finalize the design and JH-7 were in development process; it was still the time of Sino-Vietnamese War which can be said as a war without air forces, PLAAF concerned about the fleet of Su-22 of VPAF while the latter concerned for the extensive air defense network of PLAAF. Although the need for new interceptor can be fulfilled by future J-8II, the Johnson South Reef skirmish rose the question to Chinese military commands: the lack of advanced interceptors to intercept enemy jets with AShM ''(namely, Su-22UM3K/M4)''; although the skirmish saw the total victory of PLAN with only one soldier injured and four VPAN vessels sunk, AShM was still the major concern for the PLAN fleet. This eventually led to a debate for whether introducing the production line of foreign jet fighters were viable - for PLAAF general staffs, this can improve the air force rapidly; while this also meant death sentence for any further domestic designs by domestic aircraft designers. The PLAAF at the time were threaten by USAF and JASDF's [[F-15 (Family)|F-15]] series, the future ROCAF domestic F-CK-1 IDF,  imported Mirage 2000-5Ei and [[F-16A MLU (China)|F-16A Blk. 20]], as well as [[MiG-29 (Family)|Fulcrum]] and namely, [[Su-27|Su-27 Flanker]] from Soviet Union.
 +
 
==== The Komsomolets from Far East ====
 
==== The Komsomolets from Far East ====
−
The [[Su-27]] (NATO: Flanker) series were one of the top secrets of the Soviet Union since its introduction in 1985 with the PVO (Su-27P interceptor), which was deemed not-for-sale during the early days of its service as the USSR promotes their [[MiG-29_(Family)|MiG-29 series]] to their allies and potential customers. By May 1989, Mikhail Gobachev made his historical visit to Mainland China amid Chinese's nationwide protests for reform; however, the protests soon escalated to riots and resulted with the sanctions from NATO countries for any further military projects. Yevgeny Shaposhnikov, the last Minister of Defense in future, saw the possibilities to sell fighter jets to Mainland China. After the halt of [[J-8B|J-8II]] Project 8-2 and the commence of Project 8-3, PLAAF has dire need for new interceptors to fill in the gap as ROCAF would soon acquire [[Mirage_2000-5F|Mirage 2000-5]] and [[F-16A_MLU_(China)|F-16A Block 20]]; a team of general staff led by Liu Huaqing (刘华清) went to USSR in May 1990 and for the purchase of Soviet fighter jets as the Project 90-6 (906工程). During the talks, Chinese knew the existence of PVO and VVS' Flankers and changed their mind as soon as the general staffs saw the Flanker in Kubinka Airbase; soon after the crash of a [[MiG-29]] during demonstration flight later in September, Flanker became the obvious choice for PLAAF general staffs.
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The [[Su-27]] (NATO: Flanker) series were one of the top secrets of the Soviet Union since its introduction in 1985 with the PVO (Su-27P interceptor), although plans to export Su-27 has been in development since 1987, due to the dire need for funding to further develop the Flanker family, Soviet Government revoked the 1988 certification with downgraded electronics and ECM equipment after listening to the suggestions from Sukhoi engineers, instead, the new revision with only the removal of R-27E started on November 1989 and passed for export certifications on 12 February 1990. Just a few months earlier on May 1989, Mikhail Gobachev made his historical visit to Mainland China amid Chinese's nationwide protests for reform; however, the protests soon escalated to riots and resulted with the sanctions from NATO countries for any further military projects. After the halt of [[J-8B|J-8II]] Project 8-2 and the commence of Project 8-3, PLAAF has dire need for new interceptors to fill in the gap; a team of general staff led by Liu Huaqing (刘华清) went to USSR in May 1990 for the purchase of Soviet fighter jets, the two countries held a conference on 31 May where the general staffs eventually knew the existence of Su-27 from the mouth of Yevgeny Shaposhnikov, the last Minister of Defense in future, the approval of negotiations and import of Soviet jet fighters was then codednamed the Project 906 (906工程). During the talks, Soviet general staffs originally only opted MiG-29 as the export product and deemed PLAAF not able to reverse-engineer the aircraft in short time, while PLAAF officials saw the inferior range and electronics of MiG-29 as the deal-breaker; however, Shaposhnikov saw the possibilities to sell their most advanced fighter jets to Mainland China despite the pressure from Soviet officials. By the time Chinese general staffs departed for Mainland China, Soviet government has approved the sales in principle.
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 +
Soon after the negotiations and the impressive demonstration for PLA general staffs on August and September of 1990 at the Kubinka Airbase performed by Viktor Pugachev himself ''(the namesake of Pugachev's Cobra)'', USSR general staffs authorized the export of Flankers to Mainland China by October 1990; however Soviet officials originally decided to export the 1st revision with downgraded electronics, this of course cause outrages to PLA officials. Soviet officials arrived in Beijing on December 1990 for the final negotiations and eventually, Soviet Union officially approved for the sale of 18 Su-27SK and 6 of its twin-seater variant, Su-27UBK at US $1 billion as the 38th batch of Su-27 produced by KnAAPO ''(Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant)'' and Irkut at Irkutsk on 28 December. To pay these 24+2 ''<small>(Note: 2 more used Su-27UBKs and engine parts were acquired at discounted rates straight from Sukhoi, purchased solely with goods trading)</small>'' jets from Soviet Union, both country agreed for partial payment at 35% ''(5% from State Council, 30% from arms trades approved by CMC)'' with USD while the remaining would be industrial products from China, namely water kettles, blankets and hide coats; which rose fights for this deal between Chinese factories. The first two Su-27UBKs from Sukhoi arrived on 30th May way before the official delivery of the first 12 jets (eight SK and four UBK) delivered from Dzhida Airbase in Buryatia, to Wuhu Wanli Airbase, Anhui on the morning of 27th June, 1991; the remaining jets were all delivered in 25th November 1992 straight from Komosomolsk-on-Amur, where they were manufactured. <ref>https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1wi4y1k7pq/
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 +
A video on the purchase of Flankers</ref>
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<small>''Trivia 1: Just before the intended delivery of the first 10 Flankers in 1992, due to the collapse of Soviet Union, Rostec has to pay extra '''USD $200K''' for crossing the airspace of Mongolia.<ref name=":0">https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1SY411B75K/
  
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<small>''There was a very interesting story behind the negotiations: according to the memories from Lin Hu (林虎), the vice-commander of PLAAF at the time, to defeat the "Ustinov's Rule", named after Dmitriy Feodorovich Ustinov (ex-Minister of Defense of USSR) where Soviet general staffs would use vodka as a way to negotiate for military aids/sales, PLAAF general staff found an officer who is "immune to alcohol" and eventually "took down" all Soviet general staffs in Beijing, earning a discounted price for the Flankers.''</small>
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A video on the trivia of the delivery of Flankers</ref>''</small>
  
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Soon after the negotiations, USSR general staffs said there were possibilities to export Flankers to Mainland China; before the collapse of the Red Giant, Soviet Union agreed for the sales of 18 Su-27SK and 6 of its twin-seater variant, Su-27UBK at US $1 billion as the 38th batch of Su-27 produced by KnAAPO (Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant); these jets were all delivered in November 1992. Soon after the introduction of Flankers in PLAAF service, PLAAF went for the production license of Su-27S and threatened the Russians with no further orders after the 39th batch (22 jets); this later led to a long negotiation since August 1993 and eventually set the deal in December 1996, where 200 Su-27SK would be produced by SAC within 15 years. SAC would receive the CKD kits of Su-27SK from KnAAPO to be assembled locally, while future jets would be SKD kits with progressive rate on domestic parts; the Project 11 (11号工程) lead by Li Ming (李明; chief engineer of J-8II) soon received the documents in 1995 for the preparation of domestic assembly, the engineer team translated the documents for a year. With the manufacture equipment and SKD kits delivered to Shenyang in Spring of 1998, SAC assembled a complete jet with the help of Russian engineers and the first domestic assembled Su-27SK, now J-11A "Blue 39" with batch number 0001, soared into the skies on 1st September, 1998, marking one of the page of cooperation between Mainland China and Russia 4 decades after the split.
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<small>''Trivia 2: Russian pilots flew even faster than PLAAF general staffs who departed from Beijing during the June delivery, thus the jets and pilots would have to wait for the general staffs instead of opposite; all Soviet and Chinese pilots, as well as interpreters involved received USD$ 2000 bonus for their mission.''</small><ref name=":0" />
  
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The J-11A series would be produced for another 4 batches (01xx to 04xx) before SAC finalized and digitalized the Flanker for domestic improvements, which would later known as the J-11B (Flanker-L) since 2006; while some J-11A received domestic and Belarusian upgrades for upgraded FCS and avionics. The Su-27SK and J-11A have been decommissioned by 2020s, likely been replaced by Chinese Flankers; while the Su-27UBK are still in service in small quantities as lead-in trainers for units operating Flankers.
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Soon after the introduction of Flankers in PLAAF service, PLAAF went for the production license of Su-27S and threatened the Russians with no further orders after the 39th batch ''(22 jets; totaled at 48 Su-27 series)''; this later led to a long negotiation since August 1993 and eventually set the deal in December 1996, where 200 Su-27SK would be assembled or produced by SAC within 15 years with 2 batches (105; 95 jets). SAC would receive the CKD kits of Su-27SK from KnAAPO to be assembled locally, while future jets would be SKD kits with progressive replacement with domestic parts; the Project 11 (11号工程) lead by Li Ming ''(李明; chief engineer of J-8II)'' soon received the documents in 1995 for the preparation of domestic assembly, the engineer team translated the documents for a year. With the manufacture equipment and SKD kits delivered to Shenyang in Spring of 1998, SAC assembled a complete jet with the help of Russian engineers and the first domestic assembled Su-27SK, now J-11(A) "Blue 49" with batch number 0001, soared into the skies on 1st September, 1998, marking one of the page of cooperation between Mainland China and Russia 4 decades after the split.
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The J-11(A) series would be produced for another 4 batches (01xx to 04xx) before SAC finalized and digitalized the design documents of Flanker for domestic improvements, which would later known as the J-11B (Flanker-L) since 2006; while some J-11A received domestic and Belarusian upgrades for upgraded FCS with ARH missile capabilities and new avionics (most notably the original command datalink screen was replaced by a MFI-55 MFD and a few installed domestic UV MAWS). The Su-27SK and J-11A have been decommissioned by 2020s, likely been replaced by Chinese Flankers; while the Su-27UBK are still in service in small quantities as lead-in trainers for units operating Flankers.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
 
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;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=j_11 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
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{{AirManufacturer Shenyang}}
 
{{AirManufacturer Shenyang}}
 
{{China jet aircraft}}
 
{{China jet aircraft}}
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Revision as of 08:35, 22 July 2024

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
J-11
j_11.png
GarageImage J-11.jpg
J-11
China flag.png China
VIII Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
13.3 13.0 13.3
Class:
Research:410 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:1 100 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The J-11 (歼-11型歼击机; NATO Codename: Flanker-B), aka Su-27SK by Sukhoi or 苏-27 in PLAAF manuals, is one of the main composition of the PLAAF's modern interceptor fleet since the early 1990s as the overseas solution to upgrade the outdated PLAAF. By 1989, soon after the improving of Sino-Soviet relationships and the nationwide riots during the economic reform, the only viable solution to upgrade PLAAF was from USSR due to the subsequent embargo imposed by NATO countries; a group of military staffs of PLAAF soon departed for the USSR to import the latest Soviet interceptors on May 1990. Initially, the VVS promoted the MiG-29 to Chinese generals during their visit to Kubinka Airbase, but the generals soon spotted the state-of-the-art interceptor Su-27S at the airbase made the PLAAF go for the Flanker. After a series of meetings since during June to September of 1990, the deal was set to purchase the 38th batches at around USD $1 Billion for 24 jets (18 Su-27SK and 6 UBK twin-seater) by March 1991 and 39th batches of 22 Su-27S respectively. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the PLAAF saw the possibility to purchase the production license of the Su-27SK in 1993. After threats that no further jets would be ordered from KnAAPO and a long negotiation with the now-Russian Federation, the new deal was set for 200 Su-27SK assembled by SAC within 15 years since 1996. The licensed Su-27SK, now called J-11A would increase domestic production rate through the 5 batches. The design of Flanker alongside with its blueprints and punched tapes were further refined by Chinese engineers with the help of CAD that was first used on J-10 and later JH-7A, revising the redundancies of the original design and eventually set the foundation for the J-11B (Flanker-L) and future Flanker derivatives.

Introduced in Update "Air Superiority" as part of the upgrade, the J-11 shares a close to identical performance to its Soviet counterpart (while 570 kg heavier). Thanks to its well refined aerodynamic design, power engines, loads of A-A weaponries and sufficiently powerful radar/IRST, the J-11 leads the PLAAF into the current apex of air battles. While its sheer size and inferior electronics can be a problem in different occasions, the J-11 will not disappoint players with Flanker's iconic features.

General info

Flight performance

Air brakes
Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps
Drogue parachute
Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway
Max speed
at 12 000 m2 491 km/h
Turn time24 s
Max altitude16 000 m
Engine2 х Saturn AL-31F
Type
Cooling systemAir
Take-off weight46 t

In short words: the overall flight performance is close to identical to Soviet's Su-27. Thanks to the well-refined airframe which took almost a decade to design, the Su-27 series is famous for its great manoeuvrability even at its huge size. To put it in perspective: the Su-27/J-11 is almost 4 m longer than MiG-29 series at 21 m, while it is at very similar length to PLAAF's own J-8II series, the large, trapezium wing still makes it the overall largest PLAAF interceptor up to present day (including the domestic refined J-11B and later variants). In first glance, players might consider such a huge jet doesn't have as much manoeuvrability as MiG-29 series; when they eventually have the chance to fight the J-11, they will soon know that it will be a hassle to handle, thanks to the FBW systems, airframe designs and two powerful AL-31F engine that gives almost average T/W ratio at 1.0, most earlier jets from lower BR will have major problem handling the J-11. When players expect to see an stall-out Flanker, what they might see is that: their own jet will be the first one to stall out before the Flanker eventually stalls out, sometimes even performing the iconic Pugachev's Cobra - where the jet can achieve up to 110° AoA at such speed while pulling the control stick and level out at the same altitude, therefore players might want to think twice before engaging the J-11.

But just like what the introduction mentioned, the problem is also its sheer size. Considering for its 21x14 m size, it is also easy to land shots or missiles upon the J-11 if players make an error during aerial dogfights; any damaged part of the airframe will significantly increase drag of Flanker and thus higher risk of being shot down. Be sure to utilize its manoeuvrability in solo fights, not gang fights with very little reaction time and room for errors - one wrong move can be its demise. As for the Pugachev's Cobra, it is more of aerobatics than a tactic to reverse the battle, it is never a good idea to show the largest possible surface area to enemy guns.

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 __._ __._ __._ __._ 750
Upgraded ___ ___ __._ __._ __._ __._

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps Air brakes Arrestor gear Drogue chute
X ✓ ✓ ✓ X ✓
Limits
Wings (km/h) Gear (km/h) Flaps (km/h) Max Static G
Combat Take-off Landing + -
1,540 700 - 652 600 ~__ ~__
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 680 < 750 < 700 -

Engine performance

Engine Aircraft mass
Engine name Number Basic mass Wing loading (full fuel)
Saturn AL-31F 2 16,990 kg 426 kg/m2
Engine characteristics Mass with fuel (no weapons load) Max Gross
Weight
Weight (each) Type 13m fuel 20m fuel 30m fuel 44m fuel
1,520 kg Afterburning low-bypass turbofan 19,810 kg 21,184 kg 23,281 kg 26,390 kg 34,489 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
Condition 100% WEP 13m fuel 20m fuel 30m fuel 44m fuel MGW
Stationary 7,220 kgf 11,660 kgf 1.18 1.10 1.00 0.88 0.68
Optimal 7,220 kgf
(0 km/h) 		15,640 kgf
(1,540 km/h) 		1.58 1.48 1.34 1.19 0.91

Survivability and armour

Flares/Chaff
Aircraft countermeasures to distract IR and radar-guided missiles and also AA radar
Crew1 person
Speed of destruction
Structural0 km/h
Gear700 km/h

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, 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-11 can save itself from fatal structural failure in case of a fire.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB2 922 → 4 432 Sl icon.png
RB8 434 → 12 794 Sl icon.png
SB9 931 → 15 065 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications326 000 Rp icon.png
501 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost3 200 Ge icon.png
Crew training310 000 Sl icon.png
Experts1 100 000 Sl icon.png
Aces3 600 Ge icon.png
Research Aces1 350 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
90 / 320 / 500 % Sl icon.png
256 / 256 / 256 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods jet compressor.png
Compressor
Research:
9 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods booster.png
New boosters
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
18 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
530 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine.png
Engine
Research:
20 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
31 000 Sl icon.png
810 Ge icon.png
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Research:
9 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods g suit.png
G-suit
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
18 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
18 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
530 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine extinguisher.png
EFS
Research:
20 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
31 000 Sl icon.png
810 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
GSh_301_belt_pack
Research:
9 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 1.png
Mods air to air missile.png
R-73E
Research:
9 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods heli false thermal targets.png
Flares/Chaff
Research:
9 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods pilon block rocket.png
S-8KO
Research:
9 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods napalm fire bomb.png
ZB-500
Research:
9 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods air to air type c midrange missile.png
R-27T1
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
18 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods pilon rocket.png
S-25
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
18 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
OFAB-100
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
18 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods weapon.png
GSh_301_new_gun
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
530 Ge icon.png
Mods air to air type c midrange missile.png
R-27R1
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
530 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods pilon block rocket large.png
B-13L
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
530 Ge icon.png
Mods pilon block rocket large.png
B-13L
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
530 Ge icon.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
FAB-250
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
530 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods air to air type c midrange missile.png
R-27ET1
Research:
20 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
31 000 Sl icon.png
810 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow right 0.png
Mods air to air type c midrange missile.png
R-27ER1
Research:
20 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
31 000 Sl icon.png
810 Ge icon.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
FAB-500
Research:
20 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
31 000 Sl icon.png
810 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns) CCIP (Rockets) CCIP (Bombs) CCRP (Bombs) Lead indicator
Icon GreenCheckmark.png Icon GreenCheckmark.png Icon GreenCheckmark.png Icon GreenCheckmark.png Icon GreenCheckmark.png

Offensive armament

Main article: GSh-30-1 (30 mm)

The J-11 is armed with:

  • 1 x 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon, wing root-mounted (150 rpg)
  • 96 x large calibre countermeasures

Suspended armament

The J-11 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Hardpoints Su-27.png
100 kg OFAB-100 bombs 1 6 6 6 6 6 6 1
250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs 1, 2 1 1 1 1 1, 2
250 kg OFAB-250-270 bombs 1 1, 2, 6 1, 5 1, 4 1, 2 1, 5 1, 2, 6 1
250 kg OFAB-250Sh bombs 1, 2 1 1 1 1 1, 2
500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs 1, 2 1 1 1 1 1, 2
500 kg FAB-500Sh bombs 1, 2 1 1 1 1 1, 2
ZB-500 incendiary bombs 1, 2 1 1 1 1 1, 2
S-8KO rockets 20, 40 20, 40
S-13OF rockets 5, 10 5, 10
S-25O rockets 1, 2 1, 2
S-25OF rockets 1, 2 1, 2
S-25OFM rockets 1, 2 1, 2
R-27ER1 missiles 1 1 1 1 1 1
R-27ET1 missiles 1 1
R-27R1 missiles 1 1 1 1 1 1
R-27T1 missiles 1 1
R-73E missiles 1 1 1 1 1 1
Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,500 kg
Default weapon presets
  • Without load
  • 2 x R-73E missiles
  • 6 x R-73E missiles
  • 2 x R-27T1 missiles
  • 6 x R-27R1 missiles
  • 2 x R-27ET1 missiles
  • 6 x R-27ER1 missiles
  • 80 x S-8KO rockets
  • 20 x S-13OF rockets
  • 4 x S-25O rockets
  • 38 x 100 kg OFAB-100 bombs (3,800 kg total)
  • 30 x 250 kg OFAB-250-270 bombs (7,500 kg total)
  • 8 x 250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs (2,000 kg total)
  • 8 x 250 kg OFAB-250Sh bombs (2,000 kg total)
  • 8 x 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs (4,000 kg total)
  • 8 x 500 kg FAB-500Sh bombs (4,000 kg total)
  • 8 x ZB-500 incendiary bombs

The J-11's arsenal is entirely Soviet, which presents interesting new opportunities for pilots used to Chinese top-tier aircraft. It is oriented as an air superiority fighter, lacking any guided air-to-ground munitions, but it has some tricks up its sleeve when the airspace is more permissive to CAS.

Two families of air-to-air missiles are available, the R-73 and the R-27. The R-73E is a functionally identical export version of the R-73 short-range, IR-guided missile seen on later Soviet aircraft like the MiG-29SMT and the Su-25T. It has a great 40 G overload, a thrust vectoring system that helps it maintain sustained hard turns, and ECCM to help resist flares. Compared to the domestic PL-8, it's generally an all-round improvement aside from the lower top speed. R-73s can be mounted on any of the six wing hardpoints.

The R-27 comes in radar-guided (R-27R1 standard, R-27ER1 extended-range) and IR-guided (R-27T1 standard, R-27ET1 extended-range) flavors and are the J-11's main armament for medium and long range combat. The "1" suffix denotes export variants, but again they happen to perform identically. The R-27ER1 is the J-11's best weapon for BVR combat, as its extreme speed and long range allow it to win jousts against targets with slower missiles. The R-27ET1 is a great option for distant sneak attacks as it does not give any RWR warning to its target. R-27s can be mounted on any of the four fuselage pylons and also the inboard wing pylons, but the catch is that the IR-guided -T1 and -ET1 can only be mounted on the inboard wing pylons, and are thus limited to at most 2.

Three types of unguided rockets are available, all carried as double racks on the inboard wing pylons. The S-8KO HEAT rocket comes in large pods and is significantly better than its domestic Chinese equivalent (Type 90-1) with greater penetration, flight speed, and capacity. However at the J-11's battle rating, such weapons are rather questionable for jet fighters as they have issues harming MBTs from the front and have a limited effective range. The S-13OF can be considered a heavier and more powerful cousin to the Type 130-2 HE rocket with a bonus of one extra rocket per pod; it can destroy light targets through splash damage at fair distances and direct hits can still crack open MBTs with some luck. The S-25O heavy bunker-buster previously featured on the Su-25 is a unique tool lacking any equivalent in the domestic Chinese arsenal; it carries only one shot per pod and packs more explosive content than a 100 kg bomb. It may seem like a crude weapon for an elegant air-superiority fighter, but in typical Soviet ground attack fashion the S-25O can blow anything on the ground to smithereens through brute force.

The J-11 is also an impressive bomb truck, ironically outclassing or matching the JH-7A fighter-bomber. Iron bombs are available in sizes of 100, 250, and 500 kg. Incendiary and high-drag bombs are available in the 500 kg size.

Usage in battles

Although PLAAF deemed Su-27SK, aka J-11 as the main composition of PLAAF in 1990s and early 2000s, they did have plans to introduce the more advanced domestic avionics to replace the OEM equipment. As for J-11, although it has flawed avionics with inferior RWR and unreliable radar, the sheer payload and maneuverability can make it a great alternative to ROCAF's F-16A in air battles while retaining sufficient but less advanced means for ground attack operations.

Air Battle - The Far East Flanker

The concept of Flanker series are solely for air-interception missions; just looking to the overall payload of J-11, it still leave the trace of Soviet air-defense doctrine of intercepting enemy bombers with SARH missiles. But before players can unleash missile hell against enemy jets, R-27T1 and R-73E will be the only options for the J-11 at early stages; while R-73E is known for their maneuverability even at close distance and sufficient tracking radius against enemy targets, players will need to get used to a major rule of top-tier battles: always aim for those who didn't launch flares to interfere with the missile seeker. In most cases, jets within the 4 km radius of J-11 can be potential prey of R-73E as they are likely be concentrated on taking out friendly jets; thanks to the HMD on J-11 and great overload of R-73E, players can employ some of the most impressive maneuvers to make sure the missile is within the firing range. In most cases, unless enemy jets launched flares in very short interval, they will become easy prey for the missile. As for the R-27 series, both the E and R series with IR/radar seeker are the the best friends of J-11 thanks to their impressive thrust and overload at long distance; as long as the missile can keep on the track with enemy targets, both high and low-altitude targets will become an easy prey for players while earning more experiences for other usages.

But when players have the need to gun down enemy jets in dogfights, while the powerplants and design of J-11 can make sure it can sustain long enough dogfight before it took out enemies or the arrival of friendly jets, as mentioned in previous paragraph, it is better leave the J-11 as an interceptor to take out any high-altitude targets who also planned to take out the friendly targets with SARH or ARH missiles (i.e. F-14B), thus players have to keep a keen eye on any radar signals on the SPO-15LM RWR or from its N001E radar. Make sure to pick the best possible target to dealt with as this can also help friendlies to secure the victory of battle, as well as evading enemy tracking radar as much as possible which gives them as little reaction time as possible - it is always better to take out enemy targets before they even have the chance to fire upon friendly targets, which can in turn affect the morality of enemy team as well.

Ground Battle - The Long-time Tradition

Among the Chinese community, there were a saying that "Anything in PLAAF must come with ground-attack capabilities using unguided rockets". This is in fact true for J-11 in this case as there are many images from PLAAF showing Su-27SK or future J-11B series carrying Russian/domestic rocket pods for ground attacks. The Flanker family is known for their interception capabilities but the rather abundant payload is also a good platform for ground-attack operations albeit lacking any precision munitions; pylons on J-11 is totally identical to Su-27S with multiple payload point, when players think a Flanker is nowhere an attacker, it does in fact have even more bombs in quantity to Chinese domestic JH-7A (30 x 250 kg bombs vs. 22 x 250 kg bombs) in case players want to cause extensive damage to enemy armored column. Players can also go for even more bombs with 100 kg bombs or better kill radius with 500 kg bombs, depending on the playstyle and the composition of enemy vehicles, it is always a good idea to carry varieties of bombs for heavy targets while leaving the rocket pods (twin pods) to handle light vehicles; for example, the FAB-500 series is a good idea to take out heavy targets in stationary or armored columns, while leaving B-8 or B-13 rocket pods against light vehicles or SPAAs. But as a thumb of rule of Flanker family in-game: always plan for your assault when entering the battlefield as enemy SPAAs or fighters would want to hunt down enemy jets as well. Thanks to the CCIP and CCRP onboard, the J-11 can employ both high-altitude or low-altitude approach against enemy targets, either by bombing a certain area filled with enemy vehicles or evading SPAAs before unleashing hell against enemy players. If the skies are full of enemy jets which SPAA systems could not handle, it will also be a good time to utilize the great missiles on J-11 ranging from R-73E up to the devastating R-27ER1; it is always a good idea to pick careless players that are too concentrated on ground-attacks.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Impressive maneuverability
    • Powerful AL-31F engine for maximum thrust and acceleration
    • FBW control with great maneuverability even at low speeds
  • Up to 10 missiles at once with flexibility for both long and short range combats
  • IRST for concealed detection of enemies
  • Large fuel tanks without the need for drop tanks
  • Devastating 30 mm autocannon to tear down enemy targets
  • Large pool of air-to-ground ordnance with up to bombs or rocket pods

Cons:

  • Huge target
  • Inferior electronics especially the RWR and radar
  • Relative low ammo pool for the autocannon
  • Lacks precision weapons for safer ground attacks appoaches

History

The Dire Situation

By late 1980s, both the J-8II series has already finalize the design and JH-7 were in development process; it was still the time of Sino-Vietnamese War which can be said as a war without air forces, PLAAF concerned about the fleet of Su-22 of VPAF while the latter concerned for the extensive air defense network of PLAAF. Although the need for new interceptor can be fulfilled by future J-8II, the Johnson South Reef skirmish rose the question to Chinese military commands: the lack of advanced interceptors to intercept enemy jets with AShM (namely, Su-22UM3K/M4); although the skirmish saw the total victory of PLAN with only one soldier injured and four VPAN vessels sunk, AShM was still the major concern for the PLAN fleet. This eventually led to a debate for whether introducing the production line of foreign jet fighters were viable - for PLAAF general staffs, this can improve the air force rapidly; while this also meant death sentence for any further domestic designs by domestic aircraft designers. The PLAAF at the time were threaten by USAF and JASDF's F-15 series, the future ROCAF domestic F-CK-1 IDF, imported Mirage 2000-5Ei and F-16A Blk. 20, as well as Fulcrum and namely, Su-27 Flanker from Soviet Union.

The Komsomolets from Far East

The Su-27 (NATO: Flanker) series were one of the top secrets of the Soviet Union since its introduction in 1985 with the PVO (Su-27P interceptor), although plans to export Su-27 has been in development since 1987, due to the dire need for funding to further develop the Flanker family, Soviet Government revoked the 1988 certification with downgraded electronics and ECM equipment after listening to the suggestions from Sukhoi engineers, instead, the new revision with only the removal of R-27E started on November 1989 and passed for export certifications on 12 February 1990. Just a few months earlier on May 1989, Mikhail Gobachev made his historical visit to Mainland China amid Chinese's nationwide protests for reform; however, the protests soon escalated to riots and resulted with the sanctions from NATO countries for any further military projects. After the halt of J-8II Project 8-2 and the commence of Project 8-3, PLAAF has dire need for new interceptors to fill in the gap; a team of general staff led by Liu Huaqing (刘华清) went to USSR in May 1990 for the purchase of Soviet fighter jets, the two countries held a conference on 31 May where the general staffs eventually knew the existence of Su-27 from the mouth of Yevgeny Shaposhnikov, the last Minister of Defense in future, the approval of negotiations and import of Soviet jet fighters was then codednamed the Project 906 (906工程). During the talks, Soviet general staffs originally only opted MiG-29 as the export product and deemed PLAAF not able to reverse-engineer the aircraft in short time, while PLAAF officials saw the inferior range and electronics of MiG-29 as the deal-breaker; however, Shaposhnikov saw the possibilities to sell their most advanced fighter jets to Mainland China despite the pressure from Soviet officials. By the time Chinese general staffs departed for Mainland China, Soviet government has approved the sales in principle.

Soon after the negotiations and the impressive demonstration for PLA general staffs on August and September of 1990 at the Kubinka Airbase performed by Viktor Pugachev himself (the namesake of Pugachev's Cobra), USSR general staffs authorized the export of Flankers to Mainland China by October 1990; however Soviet officials originally decided to export the 1st revision with downgraded electronics, this of course cause outrages to PLA officials. Soviet officials arrived in Beijing on December 1990 for the final negotiations and eventually, Soviet Union officially approved for the sale of 18 Su-27SK and 6 of its twin-seater variant, Su-27UBK at US $1 billion as the 38th batch of Su-27 produced by KnAAPO (Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant) and Irkut at Irkutsk on 28 December. To pay these 24+2 (Note: 2 more used Su-27UBKs and engine parts were acquired at discounted rates straight from Sukhoi, purchased solely with goods trading) jets from Soviet Union, both country agreed for partial payment at 35% (5% from State Council, 30% from arms trades approved by CMC) with USD while the remaining would be industrial products from China, namely water kettles, blankets and hide coats; which rose fights for this deal between Chinese factories. The first two Su-27UBKs from Sukhoi arrived on 30th May way before the official delivery of the first 12 jets (eight SK and four UBK) delivered from Dzhida Airbase in Buryatia, to Wuhu Wanli Airbase, Anhui on the morning of 27th June, 1991; the remaining jets were all delivered in 25th November 1992 straight from Komosomolsk-on-Amur, where they were manufactured. [1]

Trivia 1: Just before the intended delivery of the first 10 Flankers in 1992, due to the collapse of Soviet Union, Rostec has to pay extra USD $200K for crossing the airspace of Mongolia.[2]

Trivia 2: Russian pilots flew even faster than PLAAF general staffs who departed from Beijing during the June delivery, thus the jets and pilots would have to wait for the general staffs instead of opposite; all Soviet and Chinese pilots, as well as interpreters involved received USD$ 2000 bonus for their mission.[2]

Soon after the introduction of Flankers in PLAAF service, PLAAF went for the production license of Su-27S and threatened the Russians with no further orders after the 39th batch (22 jets; totaled at 48 Su-27 series); this later led to a long negotiation since August 1993 and eventually set the deal in December 1996, where 200 Su-27SK would be assembled or produced by SAC within 15 years with 2 batches (105; 95 jets). SAC would receive the CKD kits of Su-27SK from KnAAPO to be assembled locally, while future jets would be SKD kits with progressive replacement with domestic parts; the Project 11 (11号工程) lead by Li Ming (李明; chief engineer of J-8II) soon received the documents in 1995 for the preparation of domestic assembly, the engineer team translated the documents for a year. With the manufacture equipment and SKD kits delivered to Shenyang in Spring of 1998, SAC assembled a complete jet with the help of Russian engineers and the first domestic assembled Su-27SK, now J-11(A) "Blue 49" with batch number 0001, soared into the skies on 1st September, 1998, marking one of the page of cooperation between Mainland China and Russia 4 decades after the split.

The J-11(A) series would be produced for another 4 batches (01xx to 04xx) before SAC finalized and digitalized the design documents of Flanker for domestic improvements, which would later known as the J-11B (Flanker-L) since 2006; while some J-11A received domestic and Belarusian upgrades for upgraded FCS with ARH missile capabilities and new avionics (most notably the original command datalink screen was replaced by a MFI-55 MFD and a few installed domestic UV MAWS). The Su-27SK and J-11A have been decommissioned by 2020s, likely been replaced by Chinese Flankers; while the Su-27UBK are still in service in small quantities as lead-in trainers for units operating Flankers.

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Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (中航工业沈阳飞机工业(集团)有限公司)
Jet Fighters 
MiG-15  J-2*
MiG-17  J-4*
MiG-19  J-6A*
J-8  J-8B · J-8F
Su-27 variants  J-11* · J-11A*
Export  Shenyang F-5*
  *Licensed
Note: "J-2" and "J-4" are not official designations
See Also  Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau

China jet aircraft
Fighters  J-2 · J-4 · J-6A · J-7II · J-7D · J-7E · J-8B · J-8F · J-10A · J-11 · J-11A
Strike aircraft  Q-5 early · Q-5A · Q-5L · JH-7A
Bombers  H-5
France  ␗Mirage 2000-5Ei
USA  ␗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
USSR  ␗MiG-9 · ␗MiG-9 (l)
North Korea  Shenyang F-5
Pakistan  A-5C · JF-17

  1. ↑ https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1wi4y1k7pq/ A video on the purchase of Flankers
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1SY411B75K/ A video on the trivia of the delivery of Flankers
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