J-13 (Jianjiji-13 Fighter aircraft 13) / F-13
The genesis of the original J-13 was in 1971, when the 601 Institute began researching a new fighter aircraft for the 1980s to replace the J-6. The new aircraft used cantilever wings and fuselage side mounted air intakes - it resembled the French Mirage-F1. By the late 1980s the project continued, although the operational requirements had increased to match the Russian MiG-29 and American F-16 light fighters. In the early 1990s the project was finally abandoned because of the success of the Chengdu J-10 project.
Some sources suggest that the J-13 designation will be applied to the Su-30.
By late 2002 the Shenyang Aircraft Company had been selected to head research and development of a new heavyweight fighter for China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Development of the engines and weapon subsystems for the fourth-generation fighter had been under way for some time, with a number of design concepts having been created. These include a twin-engine aircraft sharing some design traits with Lockheed Martin's stealthy F/A-22 multirole fighter, such as the internal carriage of its weapon systems. The Chinese designs retain a more conventional wing, however, and use a single vertical tail fin.
The new aircraft - tentatively dubbed the J-X and possibly to receive the service designation J-13A - could use the WS10A turbofan engine designed by the Shenyang Liming Motor Company during its development and trials process. In development for more than a decade, the WS10-series power plant completed air trials earlier this year with an Su-27SK (NATO reporting name: 'Flanker-B') fighter. The WS10A is scheduled for introduction with the PLAAF's new J-10A fighter. Continuing research into advanced control techniques is expected to in time allow the air force to field WS10A-powered J-10A and J-X fighters equipped with thrust-vectoring nozzles offering improved aircraft manoeuvrability.