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J-10. Ken Silverstein had a good post on the over-hyping of the J-10 a couple of weeks ago. The J-10 is China's newest fighter aircraft, and while it has some impressive specifications, Ken notes that
the J-10 -- which, according to China, entered service last December -- was in development for decades; and the plane is reported to have serious problems with its engine and other major systems; finally, the electronics systems on the J-10 are downright primitive compared to those of American warplanes.Ken goes on to argue that a recent article in the International Herald Tribune hyping the capabilities of the J-10 has a simple purpose; to justify the purchase of the F-22 Raptor. The F-22 is an air superiority fighter with relatively limited ground attack capabilities, a profile that seems anachronistic in an era in which no ones expects anyone to dispute U.S. air superiority. It's a good point, and I think he's right about the purpose of the article and the non-scariness of the J-10.However, I'm still of two minds about the F-22. I appreciate that it's not especially useful in the current world environment, and that defense dollars could go to much better targets. However, advanced fighter development around the world hasn't stopped; the Russians, Chinese, Indians, and Europeans are all working on the next generation of fighter aircraft. It's true that the U.S. is substantially ahead of its competitors, but there is, after all, some advantage to having a lead. So, I wouldn't quite agree that the F-22 is a boondoggle; it's a misplaced priority, but some attention needs to be paid to advancing fighter aircraft technology...
--Robert Farley
