Changes have made the FC-21 more agile and with a langer operational range. It has upgraded electronic devices for communication or satellite links.
The upgraded FC-31 has a pair of new engines. The engine nozzles on the FC-31 model displayed in Paris are very different in structure and shape than the ones previously used suggesting more powerful engines.
China Tested an Anti Ship Missile in the South China Sea
Cinese military had anti-ship missile tests in hotly contested South China Sea.
China has 20 outposts in the Paracel Islands and 7 in the Spratlys. CSIS has an island tracker site which tracks the island build up of all countries in the South China Sea. Since 2013, China has engaged in unprecedented dredging and artificial island-building in the Spratlys, creating 3,200 acres of new land, along with a substantial expansion of its presence in the Paracels.
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Actually, you are incorrect. The FC-31 does not have this option. Those hardpoints are permanent.
⊕1 … for the joke
Diego Garcia is over 15,000 km from the nearest point on the US mainland, but they still have a base there. It comes in handy for bombing places like Afghanistan and Iraq.
But these islands are just for harassing local fisherman, they are over 1000km from Chinese mainland. It’s a giant flag waving distraction excercise for the unhappy workers, toiling away.
https://www.freemaptools.com/how-far-is-it-between-spratly-islands-and-sanya_-china.htm?units=KM
Uncanny Chinese have advanced targeting capable of hitting the South China Sea. A frightening prospect!
Sure, you are correct due to the semantics you used. Fuel tanks may be the ONLY time they are used but they were designed to also carry 2 missiles per pylon if necessary. Apparently the Pylons can also be jettisoned mid mission to restore stealth characteristics.
It is called “Beast Mode”. Option to carry more missiles/bombs when stealth is not needed.
It looks like a screen capture from a game. I guess the Chinese are actually learning things from the Russians.
Exactly what I thought.
The ONLY time external stores are used on an F-22 is for fuel tanks for ferry missions. You’ll never see external weapons on an F-22. The F-35 uses them as necessary, but not the F-22.
External hard points are optional just like the F22
If that’s a picture of their “stealthy” jet—it ain’t stealthy with all those external stores.