Image via Wikipedia
Military technology of China's air force has taken another step as online rumor suggest a test flight by the J-18 Red Eagle vertical short takeoff and landing (VSTOL) fighter, writes Wendell Minnick in Defense News.China's defense industry is largely opaque and it is difficult to substantiate Internet chatter. However, Chinese-language military blogs reported the first test flight of the stealthy J-20 Black Eagle fighter in January, much to the surprise of the Western media.More in Defense News
Now there are reports emerging of a test flight of the J-18. Tests were supposedly conducted earlier this month and the fighter is similar to the Sukhoi Su-33 carrier-based fighter.
"In 2005, a Chinese aviation industry source told me the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation was considering a F-35B-like program," said Richard Fisher, vice president of the Washington-based International Assessment and Strategy Center. "Given the PLA's naval power projection ambitions, it is probable there is VSTOL or STOVL [short takeoff and vertical landing] fighter program."
Image by Fantake via Flickr |
Wendell Minnick |
No comments:
Post a Comment