Aiite guys, let's not be hatin' on Pakistani's military purchase. The article only confirms what we've known for a long time: that the Pakistani Air Force is interested in the J-10B instead of the standard J-10 variant currently in service with the PLAAF.
If the October 30th article on
Flight Global is any indication, negotiations for the purchase of 36 J-10's began
"several years ago". The article also suggests a 2014-15 delivery timeframe, to
begin deliveries.
To assess what this means for us: a focus on the distinctions between the J-10A (their initial, proposed purchase) and J-10B (their now, proposed purchase) is prudent: enhancements include a modified vertical stabiliser and ventral fins, redesigned engine inlets, an enlarged dorsal spine and single-piece bubble canopy, a new radar [Aktiv/Passiv spekulated], DSI 'stealth' intakes and an infrared search and track sensor. Some other rumours such as conformal fuel tanks for longer range and internal weapons bay have been dispelled as bogeys. I propose a 'conservative' assessment (from our point of view) and will assume that DSI intakes (because it is both within the technological inventory of the PLAAF and the 'pictures' of the J-10B displayed so far reveal visible bumps, notwithstanding that these could very likely also be photoshopped, in keeping with frequent practice) and AESA radar (because of the back-leaning angle of the radome attachment bulkhead, visible in this picture below-although the structural feature could imply either an active or passive electronically scanned array) is plausible.
What is of immediate significance to us however, is the news that the J-10B will be equipped with "PL-9C within-visual-range and PL-12 beyond-visual-range air combat missiles built by the Luoyang Opto-Electro Technology Development Centre" [During the Zuhai Air Show 1996, the China Leihua Electronic Technology Research Institute/No 607 Research Institute exhibited a newly-developed active radar seeker, the AMR-1. This seeker was, in turn, believed to have been mated with a new air- to-air missile design, derived from the LY-60 surface-to-air missile, and dubbed the 'PL-12'. This active radar missile, and the earlier semi-active radar homing PL-11, seemed to have a common design heritage with the Italian 'Aspide' missile, supplied to China in the late 1980s. The status of the PL-11 and 'LY-60/PL-12' development programmes is unclear, but sources within CATIC say these earlier programmes have all been abandoned in favor of the PL-12]. If this is true, then it would give the PLA, and the PAF, a potent airborne weapon on par with mainstream Western Airforces around the world, with a range of 80 km, and erode into our mammoth BVR advantage in 2015.
P.S.: I'd like someone with the skills to investigate whether these pictures are PS'ed or not. They are from "Chinese web pages", supposedly panned onto Asian Defence. I certainly don't have the skillz. But I know some of you do.
I'd also like opinions on these categorical postulates, particularly from the MP's.