Care to elaborate on how much stealth technoloy did the chinese mastered? And as for the H-8, there is no such thing as an H-8 bomber. Its just a wet dream of some internet kid. China is still pursuing this technology and is still years behind from finally acquiring it. You see even the russians who have a much superior aviation industry then the chinese are still behind in this field, to expect that the chinese have mastered it is like living in a fools paradise.
And as for us, we are still waiting for the IAF to go forward with their MRCA deal. Once that deal is materialized, we will know exactly what will we be facing in the coming future and will plan accordingly.
lets add some professional opinion to the debate....
Value of stealth: debate continues
While some question whether the cost of stealthy aircraft can be justified, others argue that these assets will determine who has the edge in future air combat. Caitlin Harrington reports
Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter and F-22 Raptor air superiority aircraft are the most recent incarnations of the drive towards stealth and therefore at the forefront of the debate over the value of such a capability.
While the benefits cannot be denied - reduced detection on the first day of combat and the safety of aircrew - the debate is over the cost of such a capability weighed against this value.
A pilot uniquely placed to evaluate the two aircraft is Jon Beesley: the only test pilot to have flown both the Lightning II and the Raptor as well as the previous generation of stealth aircraft in the form of the Lockheed Martin F-117 Nighthawk.
Beesley, who has served as chief test pilot for the F-35 since June 2002 and also flew the F-22 in its test stages, said he believes that the qualities of so-called 'fifth-generation fighters' - highly manoeuvrable, stealthy aircraft - will determine who has the edge in future air combat.
Beesley said he envisages both aircraft playing complementary roles in future air operations. The F-22 would fly top-cover, playing an air-to-air role, while the F-35 would fly below, playing an air-to-ground role.
"The Raptor carries more air-to-air weapons than the F-35 and has a stealthier role than the F-35, but the F-35 can carry larger bombs," Beesley told Jane's. "It's the mix of the two that really gives you the overall effectiveness."
However, it remains to be seen whether Beesley is correct in assuming that stealth aircraft will play a central role in future US Air Force ( USAF) combat operations.
The affordability of stealth aircraft has become a significant obstacle to fielding a large number of stealth forces. There are only 21 B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and some industry executives predict the USAF will field no more than 200 or so next-generation long-range stealth bombers in 2018 because of the high costs. In a similar vein, production of the F-22 stealth fighter has been cut back to less than one quarter of what was projected in 1991.
Questions also remain about the value added by the stealth capability of the F-22 and the F-35. F-35 stealth technology mirrors that of the F-22, which is just one generation ahead of the F-117 Nighthawk. Stealth in the F-35 also comes at the price of a weapons load restricted in weight, numbers and variety of weapons.
Beesley, however, insists that the stealth in the F-22 and the F-35 is a significant improvement over the F-117, which he flew when it was still a black programme. He also says that stealth offers the USAF a significant benefit over its adversaries.
"It's kind of a terror weapon. You start out with a big advantage because you see [the enemy] before he sees you. The first kill is always yours," he said.
Secretary of the USAF Michael Wynne echoed Beesley's view during a 19 September speech in which he said that stealth would become an absolute necessity in future conflicts.
Wynne took credit for inventing the term 'fifth-generation fighter', which he defined as an aircraft with "stealth, speed and precision".
Wynne went on to say that the USAF needs large forces of these fifth-generation aircraft because potential adversaries have recognised a major US weakness: the trouble it has in procuring stealth in large numbers and thus the continued heavy United States reliance on 'fourth-generation' fighters.
During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, for example, the only stealth assets available to "kick down the door" in downtown Baghdad on the first day came in the form of 21 B-2 Spirit bombers and about 56 Nighthawks.
Wynne warned that potential adversaries such as Venezuela and Iran recognise US reliance on fourth-generation fighters. In response they are moving toward investments in large forces of their own fourth-generation fighters, such as Russia's Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30, he said.
"Our enemies have learned from us ... fourth-generation fighters wouldn't be allowed in Tehran, or Caracas for that matter, once they buy [the fighter aircraft that] the Russians are selling," Wynne said.
The stealth characteristics of the F-22 and the F-35 will ensure the US maintains the edge in airpower, Wynne said. Both aircraft carry their weapons internally and have special laminates on their skins to reduce their radar signature. They also have datalinks that can potentially eliminate the need to break radio silence.
Beesley said the F-22 has better stealth technology than the F-35, including a super cruise capability. Super cruise allows the F-22 to break the speed of sound without using an afterburner, which has a large heat signature that could be identified by enemy radar.
Beesley said the stealth technology on the F-22 and the F-35 are complemented by favourable flying qualities that would allow the fighters to outperform fourth-generation fighters in a visual engagement.
The F-22 additionally has thrust vectoring: a capability that allows the engine nozzles to move to facilitate sharp, quick turns. The F-35 does not have thrust vectoring, but Beesley said the fighter has flight control systems that allow high manoeuvrability.
F-35 pilots also have the advantage of the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, which allows pilots to slave weapons and sensors toward a target by turning their head. Even if the F-35 cannot turn as fast as his enemy in a dogfight, the pilot can still slew his weapons to fire the first shot.
Beesley has served as the test pilot for 13 of the first 19 test flights of the first F-35 test aircraft (AA-1). The 20th flight test will not take place until the F-35's primary engine, the F135, undergoes a thorough review, according to Lockheed Martin spokesman John Smith. An anomaly in one of the F135 engines for the short take-off/vertical landing variant of the F-35 recently became evident on the test stand in Florida and now all F135 engines have to be checked before the AA-1 aircraft can fly again, Smith added.
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