MELBOURNE, Australia \u2014 Chengdu J-10 jets powered by indigenous engines have entered operational service with the People\u2019s Liberation Army Air Force, representing China\u2019s confidence in the local technology to equip the single-engine, multirole aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Images posted by China National Radio of a PLAAF live-firing exercise at an unspecified location show J-10C Vigorous Dragons with the distinctive exhaust nozzles of the WS-10B Taihang turbofan engine, marking the first time the WS-10 has been officially seen on an operational J-10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The serial numbers on the tails of the J-10Cs were removed from the images by Chinese censors<\/a>, making it impossible to identify the PLAAF unit operating the jets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The confirmation of J-10s powered by an indigenous engine represents a key milestone for China\u2019s aviation industry, and it suggests China is now satisfied by the performance and reliability of the WS-10. China has been testing the engine on the J-10 since at least 2011, with the engine seen on J-10B and J-10C test bed aircraft belonging to the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, although the engines were not seen on production aircraft until the fourth production batch of J-10Cs in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s unknown when these initial aircraft with WS-10 engines were delivered to the PLAAF. China does not routinely publicize such milestones, although Andreas Rupprecht, who has authored several books on Chinese military aviation, believes a Shantou-based PLAAF brigade was the first to receive the aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China has had troubles with the design and manufacture of fighter engines over the past decade or so. Despite having used the WS-10 to power the twin-engine Shenyang J-11 and J-16 jets since around 2010, the country has continued to use imported Russian AL-31 engines to power the Shenyang J-15 carrier-borne fighter and earlier batches of J-10s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China is also continuing work on indigenous engines, with a J-10B test bed version fitted with a stealthy<\/a>, thrust-vectoring WS-10B performing at the 2018 Zhuhai Airshow<\/a>. It is also developing the WS-15 engine for its stealthy Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon and the WS-10 high-bypass turbofan for its Xi\u2019an Y-20 airlifter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n