Argentina-China prepare for possible J-10/JF17 jet purchase.

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.janes.com/article/48726/arge ... king-group

05 February 2015

Argentina and China are to form a working group to look at the possible introduction into Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina - FAA) service of a new Chinese fighter type,
it was disclosed on 5 February.

The working group, which was discussed during a visit by between Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to Beijing from 2 to 5 February,
will look at the possible transfer of a range of military equipment to Buenos Aries.

Chief among this equipment is either the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) FC-1/JF-17 or the CAC J-10 fighter aircraft.

Ahead of any transfer of aircraft,
the working group will examine means by which the FAA might integrate such aircraft into its inventory, and support them once in service.

Argentina stands to receive 14 fighter aircraft should the proposed transfer go ahead, though no timelines have been revealed.

ANALYSIS

For some years now, Argentina has been trying to replace its antiquated and increasingly unserviceable Dassault Mirage IIIEA, IAI Dagger,
and McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk fighter fleets with a newer and more capable type.

Other, more realistic, options that have been touted over recent months include surplus Spanish Mirage F1s,
Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) Kfirs,
and Saab Gripen E/Fs.

All of these appear to have stalled for either economic or political reasons (the proposed buy of the Gripen E/F was effectively vetoed by the UK,
which manufactures many of the aircraft's systems).

The Chinese FC-1/JF-17 has also been previously touted as a possible option for the FAA,
so it is interesting to see it once again mentioned with this latest Argentine-Chinese agreement.
The J-10, however, has not been mentioned in relation to the FAA before.

First unveiled in 2006,
the J-10 bears more than a passing resemblance
to the 'Euro-canard' Gripen, Dassault Rafale, and Eurofighter Typhoon fighters (it has been claimed that the J-10 was actually developed from the Israeli Aerospace Industries Lavi, which was itself modelled from the Lockheed Martin F-16).

The single-seat, single-engined, fighter has a top speed of Mach 1.8 at altitude,
a service ceiling of 55,000 ft, is cleared to +9/-3 g ,
has a radius-of-operation of 300 n miles (555 km; 345 miles), and a payload of 6,600 kg (14,550 lb) on 11 hardpoints.

Weapons options include PL-8 (Python 3) or later air-to-air missiles (AAMs) such as PL-11 or PL-12;
Vympel R-73 and R-77 AAMs;
C-801 or C-802 air-to-surface missiles;
YJ-8K (anti-ship) or YJ-9 (anti-radiation) missiles;
and up to six 1,000 lb laser-guided or free-fall bombs.

There is also an internally-mounted 23 mm cannon, and the provision for a Chinese-developed infrared/laser navigation and targeting pod.

The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is believed to have a requirement for up to 300 J-10s,
and its inclusion in the FAA's inventory would represent a significant capability boost for Argentina.

[ehusmann]

Until president Kirchner made a fool out of the Chinese....

Haven't we seen just about every type mentioned in these press reports you posted? Maybe time to call it a day on 'new Argentinean fighters', as nothing comes to fruition anyway.

Erwin

[CJ van der Ende]

: Other, more realistic, options that have been touted over recent months include surplus Spanish Mirage F1s,
Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) Kfirs,
and Saab Gripen E/Fs.

I just wonder if the editor of this piece has any value how things in Argentina come around! Most in the Latin American nation don't even have a clue of themselves. Argentina is on the brink of a collapse and doesn't have any hard cash other then lots of beef and wine to trade. In my humble opinion; one only knows for sure when a presentation of any combat aircraft type to the President is done in Buenos Aires.

CJ.

www.cjvanderende.com

[SquAdmin]

The only way the Argentines are gonna get 'new' fighter jets is by way of donation. So either the Chinese donate some J-10's and sell it as an export success or the US get anxious and donate some boneyard F-16C's to keep the Chinese out of South America.

[Stratofreighter]

...well, the story is not dead yet...

http://www.aereo.jor.br/2015/02/10/arge ... r-o-j-10a/
/
https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text=

February 10, 2015

Argentines go to the Chinese border with Vietnam test the J-10A

The understandings between the Argentine Air Force (FAA) and China's Defense Ministry are moving fast in the sense that the South Americans to know the latest models manufactured combat aircraft currently the Chinese industry.

According to a source of the Radical Civic Union party (opposition to President Cristina Kirchner) heard by air power,
two important events began to circulate in the last hours in Buenos Aires,
among observers of the negotiations taking place between the FAA and the Chinese :

(1) the high unit price - $ 22 million - that would have been asked by the Chinese industry to provide the Argentine Sino-Pakistani lightweight fighter Thunder ("Thunder") JF-17 Block III, and

(2) the trip of South American military to the border of China to the Republic of Vietnam to get to know the supersonic jet multifunction J-10A.

The requested by JF-17 raised eyebrows because two years ago, when they were sought for the first time by representatives of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex - China partner in JF-17 project -
Argentine heard that the aircraft in its Block II version , come to the international market for a maximum of 14.8 million dollars.

Pakistani marketing executives announced that the Block III model will have AESA radar,
HMD, improvements in on-board electronics, eventually any change in aerodynamics and, if necessary, a new engine.

But not all of these improvements would be within reach of the Argentines,
because of its hostile policy to the British - a result of litigation relating to the Falkland Islands - face a severe boycott of European arms industries.

The Air Force of Saudi Arabia, for example, consulted the Pakistanis about the possibility of the JF-17 is equipped with an engine Rolls Royce - alternative to the Argentines,
would be out of the question ...

Tianyang - Another relevant news concerns the travel Argentine military,
already next month,
for the Military Region of Guangzhou, in southwest China, to get to know and fly the multipurpose Chengdu J-10A fighter.

The tests will be performed by aircraft of the 124th Aviation Brigade, the Tianyang Base, the unit that is subject to the command of Nanning Base, just over 326 km (by road) from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital.

By the end of 2013 the 124th Brigade was equipped with only the most sophisticated versions of the game Chengdu J-7 (Chinese copy of the MiG-21F)
but today the unit has the J-10 and J-10S models, two-seaters.

The J-10 is a fighter plane capable of operating at any time, for comparable loans to more advanced versions of the US F-16 and MIG-29 Russian fighter jets.
The price per unit is estimated at the level of $ 35 million.

The J-10 design incorporated the design conceived by Israeli aircraft industry for the IAI Lavi fighter, which first flew in December 1986 but had canceled its program in August 1987.

The Chinese fighter moves at a speed of Mach 1.2 at sea level, and Mach 2.2 at high altitude.

J-10S - To the Argentine will be given possibly the opportunity to experience the J-10S, which had its elongated nose to accommodate one second crew member.
This procedure was adopted with Pakistani fighter pilots, which in 2013 tested (and approved) the aircraft.

The curious thing is that in an emergency the aircraft can be used as ground attack jet, running the aviator the back seat as bombing officer (operator of the different weapon systems).

J-10 charges up to 7 tonnes pumps at 11 points (6 under the wings 5 ​​and ventral), and is provided with a 23 mm cannon and a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-ground.
In fire support missions can equip you with 90 mm unguided rockets.

The aircraft is driven by a motor Russian Lyulka Saturn-AL-31FN, but the Chinese are already testing Chinese turbine Shenyang WS-10A.

However, according to Western sources, the engine developed in China provides no more than 90% of the power discharged by the US F-16 propellant.