Chinese J-10 v/s. LCA Tejas MK-2:-Breaking Myth of Chinese Supremacy over IAF

The J 10 started off as a Chinese attempt at reverse engineering a Pakistan bought US F-16. However it ended up being a modification of Israel’s Lavi multi role fighter, Lavi program was cancelled in 1987 in Israel due to threatening from US. China purchased the blue print from Israel and developed J 10.

The J 10 is one of the Chinese backbone Fighter jet to perform defensive mission inside Chinese Air-space. The Chinese Air force operates more than 250 J 10 variants which comprises more than twelve squadron of Fighter’s with 70% of service availability at any given time. The J 10 is one of the Chinese designed Fighter jets based on the cancelled Israeli Lavi program. J 10 is a single engine multi role, which can be modified in future with newer Radar and power plants.

The J 10 is almost identical to the American F 16, Who is also a light multi role all weather Fighter jets and J10-B it possesses advantages as compared with the third-generation fighters of China’s neighboring countries and the 3.5-generation fighters deployed in the Asia Pacific Region by the U.S., namely the J-10B fighter possesses advantages and does not lag behind.

J10-B is medium-scale 3.5-generation fighter with a maximum take-off weight of 19 tons, a bomb load between 6 and 8 tons, a combat radius of about 1,000 kilometers and a flight speed between 1 and 1.5 mach, which is a modified model of the J-10A fighter, is equipped with an active phased-array radar and capable of carrying air-to-air missiles.

The detail of J 10 is hardly available. From the available data it’s very clear that Tejas is not inferior to J 10. J 10 has advantage in weapon loads; range etc only because it is a bigger aircraft so J10 can carry more weapons.

The important feature in the J 10 B is the Divert less supersonic air intake and the larger radome to house bigger AESA or phased array radar. The Aerospace engineers claim the DSI is used to control the fighter jet in Supersonic speed and superior boundary layer air flow. The DSI have one more advantage which is the reduced number of moving parts, who lightens the aircraft’s weight. Normal air inlets has many moving parts, however the DSI has very few moving parts.

Both aircrafts are pretty much maneuverable. One noticeable aspect of Tejas is its wing loading 247 Kg/m2 is much lower than the 381 Kg/m2 of J 10, which results in better agility. This low wing loading of Tejas gives better climb of rate & also gives good cruising performance cause it need less thrust to maintain the stable flight. This better climb rate is a give Tejas advantage in Himalayan regions. Heavier loaded wing is efficient in higher speed because it causes less drag but in overall performance level low wing loading offers better performance. Another advantage is a fighter with low wing loading can maintain better sustained turn rate (maximum turn an aircraft can achieve) aircraft with higher wing loading may have better instantaneous turn rate. So it is clear that in Himalayan regions a low wing loading Tejas can outperform a higher wing loading J 10 in most criteria’s.

Thrust to weight ratio of Tejas is 1.07, which is less compared to 1.15 of J 10. But it can be improved using a better power-plant. Overall the maneuverability is almost similar.

Both aircrafts are fitted with AESA radar, the capabilities of J10 B / J10 C is not available. According to some blogs “J10C is equipped with more advanced radar. It has a greater detection range than the J10 radar to simultaneously track 12 targets and against the ability to engage six targets which pose the greatest threat whilst Tejas ELM2052 AESA radar has the capability to track 64 targets and to engage 8 of them however such claims are for high variant of the radar being used in RÁAM, in LCA it would be far less due to low poweroutput limiting to 3.6kW against 10kW in RÁAM.

J 10C has better stealth features than J 10B. Chinese media is calling it as a semi stealth fighter, but whatever it is, J10 not going to be stealthier than Tejas, even though Chinese media claims it has a new technique to achieve stealth, and some of those claimed J10C is a threat to even F22. Whatever it is their comparison of J 10C with F 22 is laughable. Tejas is the only aircraft which uses BMI (Bismaleimide ) other than F 35 & Typhoon which provides better stealth and strength.
RCS of J10 = 1m2, RCS of Tejas =0.5m2. (Armed)

And the weapons used in both aircrafts are very crucial. J10 using air to air missiles such as PL-8 (a version of Israel’s Python 3),PL-9, PL-11, PL-12 ( comparable R-77 )
The LCA Tejas Mark 2 will be powered by the more powerful GE-F414-INS6 engine. ADA is procuring 99 GE-F414-INS6 engines to power the Tejas Mk-2 and LCA Navy.Tejas using Astra,Derby,Python-5, R-77,R-73 Missile’s.

The Tejas Mark 2 may feature an indigenously developed active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar named Uttam.Uttam AESA radar is made for Air-to-air sub-modes but development has started for air-to-ground mode radar as it is crucial for aircraft to carry out high-resolution mapping,multiple grounds moving target detection and track,combat identification,electronic warfare and ultra high bandwidth communications .

The mark 2 is also equipped with new glass cockpit having Touch based two 6×8 main display with Smart MFDs and one 5×5 smart MFD which will have Day and Night mode.The aircraft also features Digital fly by wire system ,fuel dump system,Tailless compound delta wing and composite structure which improve performance,maintainability and survivability and make it supersonic at all altitudes.

Next up for testing is a sophisticated on-board oxygen generating system, developed by the DRDOs Defence Bioengineering and Electro-medical Laboratory (DEBEL), which continuously collects atmospheric oxygen and supplies it to the pilot.
ther main upgrades includes Higher thrust engine,Structural weight reduction.Upgraded Flight Control computer,In flight refuelling retractable probe,on board oxygen generation system and increased fuel capacity of Mark 2.

India’s first Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) Astra missile developed by the DRDO will be integrated with the first batch of Production variant of Tejas MK-2 to be delivered to the Indian air force.

Enough to give a vital blow to J10 . However China may include its new Pl 15 (Comparable to Meteor) and India already included software packages to include the original meteor in tejas weapons store and India’s own desi meteor Astra2 under development can also use in future

Overall Tejas can give tough competition to J 10B and is slightly inferior to J10C, Tejas Mk2 with better aerodynamics and more stealth features, can catch up with J10C.

 

 

 

 

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This article has been written by Veerendra Pratap Singh and  Varun Karthikeyan with some modification we have republished it

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