It's safe to say that China has also entered the fascinating process of measuring whether modern aircraft are fifth or not fifth generation.
Why this is needed is understandable without equivocations. The cooler the plane (this applies not only to fighters), the easier and more profitable it can be sold.
After all, it is not without reason that many of our mass media bloom from time to time with headlines like "****** is considering buying a Su-57", "**** is thinking of buying a Su-57" and so on. There is no further thought, but this is still the main administrative resource is not involved. Let's see in general how it comes out in the end.
Therefore, the “generation meter” is an important tool in this process.
The whole problem is that our devices are different. And their scales are not graduated in the same way as we would like. That's why oddities arise.
For example, the Americans classify their F-15, F-16 and carrier-based F / A-18 aircraft as third generation fighters. Initially, they were created within the framework of one strategy, so everything is fine here. It is clear that during such a long service, the same F-16 has undergone upgrades so many times since 1979 that today it is, to put it mildly, a different aircraft.
These modernizations in the United States are referred to as the intermediate generation. A sort of "generation 3, 5".
Well, the sweet couple F-22 and F-35 are the fourth generation.
In general, everything is pretty clear. This is how all NATO countries classify their aircraft; there, except for the United States, there is someone to produce them.
And by the way, China went the same way. Its J-10 in the PRC belongs to the third generation, and the modifications of the J-10B, in which they played a lot with visibility, plus they installed radar with AFAR, and the J-10C, in which the radar signature was greatly reduced and an optical-location observation station was installed, to the same generation 3, 5.
In principle, it is logical. To make it easier to figure out and compare your planes and those against which you may have to work.
China's policy is that anything can happen. At least, the Celestial Empire defends its interests in full and quite adequately.
But its stealthy multi-role fighter J-20 in China belongs to the fourth generation. The next on all counts.
Why everything is not so in Russia is difficult to say.
But we have always had our own path of development, often there, beyond the borders, incomprehensible. So, according to Russian feng shui, all the aforementioned fighters of the third and a half generation belong to the fourth, and the fourth to the fifth.
And so our Su-30 is the fourth generation, and the Su-57 becomes a fifth generation fighter.
How many keyboards have already been broken on the theme of the superiority of the Su-57 over the F-35, or vice versa, it's scary to imagine. In fact, the planes are of the same class, but according to this confusing and indistinct rating system, Russia is ahead of the United States by a whole generation. Pulling by the ears "their" fourth generation to "our" fifth.
Okay, but what about the Chinese J-16?
The J-16 is a new multi-role fighter that has recently entered service and is little known to the general public. Bye. Now, if you take and disassemble it "by cogs", then it is neither here nor there. That is, definitely not 3, 5 according to "their" terminology and not 4+, if according to ours.
And why?
But because the Chinese have returned to the old principle of multi-purpose. Agree, recently the planes have been divided very clearly: attack aircraft, fighter-bombers, bombers, air superiority fighters, interceptors, and so on.
However, the J-16, which is just outrageously similar to the Su-30 (and they are similar, the Ukrainians donated), but modernized and modernized fairly.
In fact, the J-16 is a multi-role fighter with a wide range of applications. The Chinese themselves claim that, yes, the Su-30MKK was taken as the basis for the J-16, but the avionics in China have been altered so much that the J-16 is ahead of the Russian counterpart by a whole generation.
Yes, there is a radar with AFAR, this is a fact that greatly saddens the Indian military, who have Su-30MKI, which are without AFAR. But the Indian Air Force, due to the number, can confuse anyone. Quality is a difficult question, but …
But nevertheless: where will the J-16 be taken?
And most importantly - is it necessary?
All these generations are not exactly from the crafty, but nothing more than a marketing ploy, if you think about it well. Well, what's the difference how to call the Su-30 with letters, 4+ or 4 ++, will it fly better from this?
No, he won't fly better. And it will not be worse if you translate it into category 3 or 3, 5. Simply because it is a Su-30. MKI, MKK, MK2 …
Professionals are well aware of this, and they simply do not need these numeric classes.
There are some good planes such as the Su-57 and F-35.
These are really advanced machines with great potential. They can be called the fourth generation, they can be called the fifth, it can be the sixth. This is not the point.
The essence in the aggregate of the flight characteristics of these aircraft, their combat and (especially) operational capabilities and (important!) Prices.
The fact that no queue was lined up behind the plane of the supposedly "fifth" generation of the Su-57 is clear. The plane, as it were, is not produced in such quantities, it is not used (well, except for the demonstration flight in Syria and with Putin), it is also in no hurry to enter service with the Russian army.
Output?
The conclusion is simple. So-so plane, call it the fifth generation, do not call it names … And the people take not the fifth in our way, not the fourth in the western way, but the reliable and well-known Su-30 and Su-35.
And everything is pretty logical.
It is understandable that the Americans have staged a luxurious PR campaign for their F-35 and have already released more than four hundred of them. We must sell. But they are selling! It is clear that someone (like the Danes) can refuse, but pre-orders and intentions for more than 3 thousand cars!
And why? But because the plane actually flies.
And here, in the place of the Yankees, I would simply pour gold into Israel, whose F-35s actually fly and carry out combat missions to settle scores with Hezbollah and Iraq.
What's the difference with whom, the main thing is that they fly and perform. And the whole world sees it and votes with a wallet.
But no one is in a hurry for the Su-57 and J-20. No matter how much they are praised by ours or by the Chinese, planes do not fly and do not fight.
And as much as one can say about the fact that "they do not understand their happiness", after all, the best advertisement for a weapon is a battle.
And you can say a lot of things.
To summarize, I want to say the following: all these divisions into generations, attempts to give aircraft some kind of classification 4, 4+, 4 ++, 5 are all just marketing and nothing more.
There are good planes, there are medium ones, and there are so-so. The first ones are produced in thousands and for many years serve the countries in whose armament they are (we take the entire line of MiG-29, Su-27, F-15, F-16, "Mirages", some were very even and so on), and there are some that will be forgotten after a very short amount of time.
And you don't have to go far for an example. Here it is - the F-22. In ten years, experts and Wikipedia will remember him.
In reality, all this puzzling division of aircraft into generations is nothing more than attempts to fill their price. So far, only the Americans have succeeded. And on the flight and combat characteristics of the generation tsiferka, well, in no way is reflected.
We don't need numbers. We need good planes. Modern and high quality. Which will operate with modern weapons and combat systems. And let marketers and couches fight with numbers.
