By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
(Washington D.C.) The Chinese J-10 4th-generation fighter aircraft flies with a massive arsenal hanging from more than 11 hardpoints or pylons under the fuselage and wings, drops laser, satellite-guided and glide bombs and fires a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.
US Air Force F-15 vs. Chinese J-10 Fighter
The aircraft, in existence since 2005, forms a key foundation for the People Liberation Army – Air Force, can also hit extensive ranges of 1,400 miles and take off with a full load of extra fuel tanks and 42,000 pounds or ordnance. The PLA Air Force operates more than 540 J-10s, according to a citation from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a number which presents a clear ability to “mass” in air formations against an adversary.
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While a 4th-generation aircraft, the J-10 Chengdu was engineered with a series of modern technologies, perhaps with a mind to overmatch 1980s-era US Air Force F-15s and F-16s. Some of the systems built into the J-10 are listed in an interesting write up from SinoDefence in 2010. The essay describes the J-10 as operating a multi-mode fire control radar and a mechanically-scanned planar array antenna capable of tracking up to 10 targets. The essay says up to 2 targets can be engaged simultaneously with “semi-active radar homing” missiles or four can be engaged with “active radar homing” missiles.
While an ability to track multiple targets is indeed quite significant as it is something likely intended to match the AN/APG-63 V1 radar upgrade on the US Air Force F-15, according to an essay from Globalsecurity.org. As an upgrade to the APG-63, the “v1” version enables the radar to simultaneously attack 6 targets and track as many as 14. The AN/APG-63 (v1) radars armed many F-15s in the early 2000s, yet in 2000 Boeing and the US Air Force took a huge step in adding AESA radar to the F-15 with the AN/APG-62 (v2), perhaps in an effort to overmatch the at the time emerging J-10. An AESA radar, variants of which are not arming F-15EXs and even F-35s, massively increase precision to detect track and destroy multiple targets at once, with much greater effectiveness than traditional radar.
“In an AESA system, the traditional mechanically scanning radar dish is replaced by a stationary panel covered with an array of hundreds of small transmitter-receiver modules. Unlike a radar dish, these modules have more combined power and can perform different detection, tracking, communication and jamming functions in multiple directions simultaneously,” the Globalsecurity.org essay states.
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China’s early applications of radar, fire control and targeting on the J-10 have doubtless been upgraded as well, one reason the US Air Force has continued rapid computing and radar upgrades for its F-15s and plan to fly the jet well into the 2040s. It would indeed be interesting and significant to determine the extent of PLA Air Force upgrades to the J-10 in terms of what technologies they may consist of for purposes of comparing it to today’s F-15. Some of the enhancements to the J-10 include the incorporation of the WS-10B domestically produced engine. Like a US Air Force F-16, the J-10 is built with a “bubble canopy” to ensure a 360-degree surrounding viewing angle for the crew.
The pressing question with the J-10, it seems, is the question about the extent of the upgrades. For instance, should the aircraft have received high-speed computing, high-fidelity, longer-range sensors and targeting and new generations of weapons, then perhaps it too could fly into the 2040s as a credible rival to the US F-15. Also, the extent of weapons upgrades would be critical as the J-10 can carry a large payload of weaponry as if it were a bomb truck to a degree. Given that that aircraft is large and not as fast as other fighters, it’s unlikely the J-10 would present a huge dogfighting threat, the potential extent and effectiveness of its upgrades would likely determine the extent of the threat it presents to the West.
F-15 Upgrades
For the last several years, the service has been in the process of testing, engineering and integrating a new Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) into its fleet of F-15s to, quite simply, keep pace with fast-changing threats. By operating in passive or active mode, the EPAWSS can perform both offensive and defensive missions, such as finding and jamming enemy radio communications, detecting the electronic signature of incoming weapons or simply sustaining an EW-enabled operational presence.
Passive mode allows the EW system to in effect “listen” for enemy signatures while not giving off a signal itself. This can be of great significance given that once any kind of electromagnetic signal is emitted, there is naturally a risk that it could be found or detected by an enemy. At the same time, having an ability to operate in active mode is also critical as it can enable the aircraft to disable ground-firing systems, air attacks or even enemy drones. The EW war-footing draws upon various key techniques, such as finding what’s called a “line of bearing” or signal origin toward which to intercept or direct an attack.
These updated EW capabilities replace the Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite, which has been used since the 1980s, not long after the F-15 first deployed. The service plans to operate its F-15 fleet until the mid-2040’s, so an overhaul of the Eagle’s electronic systems helps maintain U.S. air supremacy. Boeing won the initial contract for the EPAWSS project several years ago and has since hired BAE Systems as the primary subcontractor.
As a fourth-generation fighter, an F-15 might run the risk of being more detectable to certain kinds of advanced modern enemy air defenses. However, if it is upgraded with advanced sensors, weapons and EW, it would certainly be much better able to operate combat missions in extremely high-threat scenarios.
An interesting report from the Air Force Test Center describes the current system as one using outdated analog technology suited for threats expected years ago. “EPAWSS takes advantage of today’s computing, receiver and transmitter technologies to provide quicker, smarter response to threats, getting better actionable information to the pilot,” Ed Sabat, Project Development Lead and Civilian Director of Operations, 772nd Test Squadron, said in an Air Force report as far ba
ck as several years ago.
The service report further specifies that EPAWSS can succeed in detecting RF and IR (infrared) threats by “acquiring accurate targeting information prior to threat engagement.”
Overall, the U.S. Air Force is vigorously upgrading the 1980s-era F-15 fighter by giving it new weapons and sensors in the hope of maintaining air-to-air superiority over its Chinese J-10 equivalent.
The multi-pronged effort not only includes the addition of electronic warfare technology but also extends to super-fast high-speed computers, infrared search and track enemy targeting systems, the addition of Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, increased networking ability and upgraded weapons-firing capability, Air Force and Boeing officials said.
Among the upgrades is an ongoing effort to equip the F-15 with the fastest jet-computer processer in the world, called the Advanced Display Core Processor, or ADCPII. The computer, Boeing officials have told TNI, is capable of processing 87 billion instructions per second.
High tech targeting and tracking technology is also being integrated onto the F-15, Boeing engineers added. This includes the addition of a passive long-range sensor called Infrared Search and Track, or IRST.
Fly-by-wire flight controls naturally increase the degree of onboard computer processing and autonomy-enabling technologies, and the aircraft is reported to contain massive avionics upgrades to include an integrated 10in X 19in digital touch screen display. Much of this is made possible through the integration of a new onboard computer system reported by Boeing experts to be capable of performing 87-billion functions per second. This emerging computer technology is also being leveraged to support a Mission Data Files system, a threat library of information incorporating threat-specific data. The system, described by Boeing experts as of particular relevance to electronic warfare, can draw upon incoming sensor information, bounce it off a database of known threats and identify particular enemy targets such as a Russian enemy fighter jet.
Other attributes or performance enhancements built into the F-15EX include more thrust and an increased weapons-carrying capability which places two new weapons stations further out on the wings. The F-15EX can now carry 12 missiles as well as elements of its standard arsenal to include the AIM-120D, AIM-9x missiles and typical JDAMs, Boeing developers said.
Kris Osborn is the Military Affairs Editor of 19 FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
