Sino-Flankers Challenge US Air Power

Best and Only Book on China's Sukhoi 'Flanker' Aircraft

COVER: J-16D Electronic Warfare Aircraft (JD-16). According to the author, this variant has already begun training flights in the Taiwan Strait. It is equipped with Electronic Support Measures (ESM) or Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) pods. There are several electronic warfare (EW) aerials, dielectric panels and multiple antennas mounted around the fuselage, on the sides of the engine intakes, and behind and below the cockpit. There is also a rectangular dielectric panel behind the radome. The radome houses an AESA radar. Due to the EW configurations, the 30mm gun was removed and the aircraft can only carry the short-range PL-10 and long-range PL-15 air-to-air missiles.

China In Arms BOOKSTORE and GIFT SHOP!

Follow on Twitter

YouTube Page

Subscribe: $5 Month/$50 Annual (unable to secure a subscription contact the bank for permission for Stripe deposits).

30 January 2023

Sino-Flankers Challenge US Air Power

Best and Only Book on China's Sukhoi 'Flanker' Aircraft

By Wendell Minnick (Whiskey Mike) 顏文德

TAIPEI - A single individual, perhaps not even human, Andreas Rupprecht, has demonstrated to the U.S. intelligence community that they have competition. Rupprecht writes for Jane’s, but the legendary publication, now a shrinking violet, does not deserve his name gracing their pages. They should simply rename “Jane’s” to “Rupprecht’s” and execute their entire editorial staff and anoint the German defense journalist as senior badass.

Rupprecht’s new book on China’s “Flanker” multi-role/strike fighters has just been released by Harpia Publishing (Austria). Red Dragon ‘Flankers’: China’s Prolific ‘Flanker’ Family is not a book, but a tome.

And if you are a U.S. fighter pilot in the Asia-Pacific, this book should be by your bedside, because in a war over Taiwan the variants you will face mano a mano are in this 250-page book. One of these variants could very well be on your tombstone if you do not pay attention to the intricate details Rupprecht provides.

Of interest are his chapters on each variant, various engine developments, weapons, targeting and reconnaissance pods, order of battle/units/bases for both the air force and navy, an elaborate family tree that includes personality profiles of the men who were key developers, and rare miscellaneous systems (APK-9E, Khibiny pod, UPAZ-A/IFR-pod, etc.).

I have made a feeble attempt to match such research, with some success, with Chinese Aircraft Engines (2016) and Chinese Air-Launched Weapons and Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting Pods (2019). There is also the now redundant Chinese Fighter Aircraft (2016), though it still has some jewels.

But…

Despite my attendance of two dozen airshows in Asia and the Middle East, including five Airshow China (Zhuhai) over 25 years, I have to confess that Rupprecht is a god-king amongst defense journalists.

The below Contents and Index will give you a glimpse at the epic amount of research conducted (Click to Enlarge):

RECOMMENDED READING:

1. Chinese Air-Launched Weapons & Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting Pods (2019)

2. Chinese Aircraft Engines (2016)

3. Chinese C4I/EW (Vol. 1) (2022) Volume 1.

4. Chinese C4I/EW (Vol. 2) (2022) Volume 2.

5. Chinese Fighter Aircraft (2016)

6. Chinese Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (2016) Note this is Volume 1.

7. Chinese Helicopters (2016)

8. Chinese Land-based Air Defense Systems (2019)

9. Chinese Radars (2017)

10. Chinese Rotary/VTOL Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (2016) Volume 1.

11. Chinese Seaplanes, Amphibious Aircraft and Aerostats/Airships (2016)

12. Chinese Space Vehicles and Programs (2016)

13. More Chinese Fixed Wing UAVs (2019) Volume 2.

14. More Chinese Rotary & VTOL UAVs (2019) Volume 2.

15. Taiwan Space Vehicles (2018)

16. Taiwan Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (2019)