j20blackdragon
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There was a report on 100 additional AL-31 of unspecific sort during Zhuhai ... quite interesting, it was only mentioned briefly and kept very low. Concerning the AL-31FN for the J-10B/C, the number of aircraft fits quite nicely to the number of FN series 3 delivered. It will however be interesting to notice, what happens to batch 03 ... and concerning the engines for the J-20; I'm sure that these are covered - similar to once the very first FN-contract - under a separate , still secret deal. But that's just my opinion.
Deino
There are 499 verifiable AL-31FN engines. Final purchase was in 2011.
I'm revising my J-10 numbers using AL-31FN.
huitong can confirm around 100 J-10 produced in batch 01-03.
"Around 100 may have been produced by 2006 (01-03 batch, S/N 50x5x, 10x4x, 10x3x, 10x2x, 20x0x, 73x5x)."
http://chinese-military-aviation.blogspot.com/p/fighters-ii.html
J-10 Batch 01: 24
J-10 Batch 02: 40
J-10 Batch 03: 40
J-10A Batch 04: 40
J-10A Batch 05: 40
J-10A Batch 06: 40
J-10A Batch 07: 40
J-10S Batch 01: ??
J-10S Batch 02: 40
J-10S Batch 03: 40
J-10B Batch 01: 53
J-10C Batch 02: 49
446+ J-10 total.
I'll include photographic evidence that J-10A and J-10S batches are always 40 aircraft each. The first batch is sometimes smaller.
Next, we need to consider how unreliable Russian engines are. India can confirm (for AL-31FP) 69 engines failures in four years.
"In all, there are 69 instances of engine failure in the last four years, the minister said."
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/ar...ued-by-engine-troubles,-low-availability.html
If we throw in a dozen J-20, that's another 24 engines used up.
I don't believe the AL-31FM2 even exists. Why has there been no reports of the Su-34 receiving this engine?
The J-10 produced over a decade ago will require replacement engines by now. The service life of the early AL-31FN is how many hours?
This whole thing is a mystery.