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- J-8II (Finback-B)
- First flew on 12 June 1984. Improved J-8I
prototype with redesigned nose/front section and
fuselage. Replaced nose air inlet with solid nose
and lateral air intakes, similar to those of the
MiG-23 China indeed received several MiG-23s in
the late 1970s from Egypt and the hinged ventral fin
and lateral intakes shown reversed engineering of
these MiG-23 features into the J-8II, in fact China
followed a very similar development process to the
Su-15 when from the Sukhoi T-5, the large T-58
(Su-15) was spawned, the MiG-23PD also has some
similarities with the J-8II however the MiG-23PD is
a single engined experimental fighter with direct
lift engines, but the transformation of the MiG-21
into the MiG-23PD was mirrored in the J-8II.
Equipped with Type 208 (SL-4A) monopulse radar (40
km range).
- J-8II Batch 02 (J-8IIB)
- First flew in November 1989, improved J-8II with
SL-8A (Type 208?) PD radar (70 km range). Powered by
2 x WP-13AII turbojet engines. Armed with
twin-barrel 23mm Type 23-III cannon (copy of
GSh-23L) and up to 4 PL-5 or PL-8 AAMs (or
rockets/bombs). No BVR capability.
- Peace Pearl J-8 (J-8II)
- During the Sino-US cooperation era, up to 50
J-8IIs were to be delivered to the US for upgrades
and installation of AN/APG-66(v) radar and fire
control system for US$500 million, under the Peace
Pearl program. However, the project was canceled and
only about 24 J-8II was produced.
- J-8IIACT (J-8II-BW2)
- First flew in 1988, fly-by-wire testbed and
technology demonstrator.
- J-8IID (J-8D)
- First flew on 21 November 1990, modified J-8B
with fixed refuelling probe and updated avionics
such as TACAN navigation system.
- F-8IIM
- Unveiled in Zhuhai Air Show 1996, export version
of J-8B with Russian Phazotron Zhuk-8II PD radar (75
km range, and able to track up to ten airborne
targets and attack two of them simultaneously),
R-27R1 (AA-10) AAM and Kh-31P anti-radiation missile.
The F-88IIM was to be powered by two, more powerful
WP-13B turbojet engines. This aircraft is often
mistakenly referred to as the "J-8IIM" with Kh-31A
anti-ship missile (ASM) capability, but its radar
lacked sea search mode for anti-shipping role. The
F-8IIM Failed to attract any export customers and no
domestic orders.
Conversion from older airframe was reportedly much
fewer than the 100 units of Zhuk-8II radar delivered,
and the conversion might have only been an
experimental program with none entering service. The
F-8IIM is superior compared to the F-16A/C, F/A-18,
and Mirage 2000-5 in terms of capabilities.
- J-8III (J-8C)
- Upgraded J-8II with FBW system and 2 x WP-14
powerplants. Compared to the J-8II, the J-8C had a
number of improvements including a new multi-mode
pulse Doppler radar which was reportedly based on
the Israeli Elta EL/M 2035 radar technology. The
aircraft was also equipped with a digital
fire-control system and a new ‘glass’ cockpit with
multifunctional displays (MFD). The J-8C programme
entered full scale development around 1991 and the
aircraft first flew successfully in 1993.
Development halted in favor of other version
described below, but was used to test new radars
such as Type 1471 (KLJ-1) and other avionics
associated with FBW system. From this version on,
electronic warfare pods such as
BM/KG300G and
KZ900, as well as navigational / targeting pods
including
Blue Sky navigation pod and
FILAT become operational on J-8II.
- J-8IIH (J-8H)
- First flew in December 1998, upgraded J-8II with
new glass cockpit, WP-13B power plant, Type 1471
(KLJ-1) PD radar (75 km range) with look-down,
shoot-down capability. Can use medium-range R-27
(AA-10), PL-11 AAMs, and YJ-91 anti-radiation ASMs.
- J-8IIF (J-8F)
- First flew in 2000, J-8H with WP-13BII
powerplant, in-flight refueling probe, and Type 1492
PD radar. Successfully test-fired PL-12/SD-10 AAM in
2004.
- J-8G
- An advanced modified variant of the J-8II tasked
with the suppression of enemy air defence (SEAD)
mission was said to have been developed by the SAC
in 2000s. The aircraft, reportedly designated J-8G,
was said to be capable of carrying two indigenous YJ-91
anti-radiation missile and electronic warfare suite
to attack enemy radar stations.
- J-8IIM (2006)
- At Zhuhai Air Show 2006, a new variant "J-8IIM"
was put on display with upgraded systems similar to
the J-8H. The most significant improvement is the
radar upgrade with a new Type 1471 domestic radar
used by the J-8H. In comparison to F-8IIM's Russian
Zhuk-8II radar, the Type 1471 radar has a number of
performance enhancements:
- Type 1471 radar has 75 km maximum range for
targets with 3 square meters RCS, in comparison
to Zhuk-8II's 70 km maximum range against target
of 5 square meters RCS.
- Additional ability to handle sea-borne
target that Zhuk-8II does not have. For sea
targets with 50 square meters RCS, the max range
is greater than 100/80 km for sea state 1/2.
- Simultaneously tracking 10 targets and
display 8 most threatening ones out of the 10 on
displays, engaging 2 out the 8.
- Air-to-Air modes: VS (Velocity Search), RWS
(Recon./Search while Scan), TWS (Track While
Scan), STT (Single Target Tracking), Air Combat
Mode (ACM). AMTI, (aerial
moving target indication) mode which is used
to discover hovering helicopters can be added
upon customer request, though this does not come
as standard feature.
- Air-to-Ground modes: Mapping (Real Beam
Mapping RBM), Mapping Expansion/Freezing
(EXP/FRZ), Doppler Beam Sharpening (DBS), Ground
Moving Target Indication (GMTI), Sea Single
Target Tracking (SSTT), Air-to-Ground Ranging
(AGR).
- An improved beacon navigation (BCN) and
weather (WX) capability.
- J-8T
- Future advanced variant, under development
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