One of the unique and unexpected aspects of the J-36 is its reliance on three turbofan engines. Currently, these engines may be WS-10Cs, but this may be a transitional or temporary solution until more advanced powerplants become available.
Chengdu may be waiting for the WS-15 to become available, which reportedly offers both supercruise performance and more thrust to improve thrust-to-weight ratio. However, it is worth noting that the choice of three engines may not be due only to the size of the aircraft, but to achieving certain capabilities set in the future.
Essentially, the J-36 has three engines that allow it to carry advanced avionics, a variety of sensors, high-power electronic warfare systems, and potentially large quantities, which are key needs to support DEWs such as HEL and HPM. can generate electricity.
In other words, the choice of three engines has nothing to do with maintaining the size or weight of the J-36 (as envisioned in traditional design approaches), but with the J-36 in China’s next-generation air warfare vision. This is to enable 36 roles. In this context, the J-36 will serve not only as a central node managing formations of UCAVs, smart weapons, and other assets, but also as a long-range, high-performance standalone fighter aircraft.
Indeed, even if the J-36 were restricted to use only as a central node for the management or command of MUM-T formations, its effective use could still depend on electronic equipment. Fundamentally, managing drones at scale requires massive computing power onboard, and running that in parallel with strong data links for two-way communication requires large amounts of energy. You will need it. This electronics stack includes processing, sensors or radio arrays as well as the necessary cooling system.
The way fighter jets generate electricity is through engines. In theory, if the platform’s role is limited to a specific mission, such as MUM-T-only or DEW-only deployments, one or two engines would probably be sufficient. However, China can make each J-36 an individually versatile system that can play multiple critical and, frankly, power-intensive roles to support UCAVs and small manned assets. It looks like they are working on making it a system.
To support this mission, the J-36 (or future variants) may employ a variable cycle engine (VCE). VCE allows individual turbines to rotate at different speeds, rather than all turbines rotating at one fixed speed. This can lead to increased fuel efficiency and support for other power needs such as electronic subsystems.
