Overview

China has built the world's most ambitious fighter aviation program in history - and this is the book that explains how. In three decades, China went from flying Soviet-era copies to fielding the J-20 stealth fighter and the J-35 carrier jet. This comprehensive guide covers every major Chinese combat aircraft from the Cold War to the fifth generation, with full specifications, combat analysis, and the industrial story behind the rise of PLAAF air power. Each chapter combines technical depth with strategic context: the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, the lessons China drew from watching Desert Storm on television in 1991, and the design institutes - Chengdu and Shenyang - that turned those lessons into steel and code. Whether you are a military aviation enthusiast, a defense analyst, or simply fascinated by the aircraft reshaping the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, this book has everything you need. Inside this book, you'll discover: J-7 and J-8 - China's MiG copies: how thirty years of licensed Soviet designs laid the foundation for everything that followed, and the moment China realized copying was no longer enough J-10 Vigorous Dragon - The aircraft that proved China could design a world-class fighter from scratch: the Lavi connection, the delta-canard configuration, and the export to Pakistan J-11 and the Flanker Dilemma - Licensed to build 200 Su-27s, China built 105 then continued without permission: the most consequential technology-transfer dispute in post-Cold War aviation J-15 Flying Shark - China's carrier fighter built from a Ukrainian prototype: from zero carrier aviation to operational squadrons in fifteen years J-16 Strike Fighter - China's most widely deployed modern multirole jet, and the J-16D electronic warfare variant that changes everything over the Taiwan Strait J-20 Mighty Dragon - China's stealth fighter: first flight timed to embarrass Robert Gates, the AWACS-killer mission concept, and what it means for every air force in the region J-35 - China's second stealth fighter: carrier-based, fifth-generation, and the aircraft that gives the PLAN genuine power-projection capability for the first time PLAAF Doctrine - Anti-access, informatized warfare, and the single strategic imperative that drives every Chinese aviation procurement decision Chinese Pilot Culture - Golden Helmet competitions, the shift from Soviet scripted training to free-play combat, and the rapid modernization of PLAAF human capital The Taiwan Scenario - J-20 penetration, J-16D jamming, the opening missile barrage, and the window before American carriers can arrive Every major aircraft chapter includes a Fast Facts panel with full specifications, production numbers, operators, and combat analysis. Each opens with a first-person vignette placing the reader in the cockpit at a decisive moment. Thoroughly researched from open-source technical literature, declassified assessments, and defense reporting. All information is presented for educational and historical purposes.

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