Daesŭngri DS-5

Daesŭngri DS-5
Role	Fighter aircraft (G var.) Attack aircraft (N var.) Multirole aircraft (D var.)
National origin	DPRM
Manufacturer	Daesŭngri Aircraft Design Bureau
First flight	1974
Introduction	1977
Primary user	Menghean Army
Produced	1977-1999
Number built	865

The Daesŭngri DS-5 (Formal designation: 대승리 5호 전투기 / 大勝利五號戰鬪機, Daesŭngri O-ho Jŏntugi, "Daesŭngri No.5 Fighter;" Short designation 대승-5 Daesŭng-o "Daesŭng-5") is a single-seat, third-generation jet fighter developed in the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe by the Daesŭngri Aircraft Design Bureau. It was the first Menghean jet aircraft of entirely domestic design. Key features included variable-sweep wings and a radar capable of guiding radar-guided air-to-air missiles.

Over the course of its 22-year production span, the DS-5 was built in twelve major variants, including an air superiority fighter (DS-5G), a dedicated ground-attack aircraft (DS-5N), a reconnaissance platform (DS-5JCh), a carrier-based fighter (DS-5HM), two multiroles (DS-5D and DS-5R), and twin-seat trainer variants for most of these. Nearly 1,700 were produced in total between 1977 and 1999. The DS-5R remains in active service with several mid-readiness squadrons in the Menghean Army.

Development

Origins

The DPRM's first two jet fighters, the DS-1 and DS-2, were highly agile and easy to produce, but suffered from a number of shortcomings related to the age of their designs. Both lacked the ability to use radar-guided AAMs, and while the DS-2N did incorporate a ranging radar in the nose, this was only good out to 12 kilometers and could not distinguish between aerial targets and ground clutter. Later DS-2 variants could carry heat-seeking AAMs like the YGG-1 and YGG-2, but their lack of long-range missiles severely limited their usefulness against rival Dayashinese and Tyrannian aircraft, especially in BVR engagements.

At the end of the 1960s, the Menghean Ministry of Defense reached out to Letnia to inquire about a production license for the MiG-23, which was just beginning to enter service. Letnian representatives initially considered the state-of-the-art MiG-23 too advanced to license freely, but made the counter-offer to export knocked-down MiG-23 assembly kits starting in 1974. The MPA considered this deadline far too distant, and also worried that shipment by sea would leave the planes vulnerable to interception by foreign naval powers, who controlled the key straits and coastlines between Menghe and Letnia.

As negotiations remained at an impasse, some officials in the Menghean People's Communist Party proposed that the DPRM's aircraft industry was sufficiently advanced to attempt a fully domestic design project, adapted to suit the Army's own needs and requirements. This view found support among the Party's "Productionist" faction, led by Sim Jin-hwan, who was officially sworn in as General-Secretary in January 1971. The development and production contract was handed to the Daesŭngri design bureau, which had experience producing the DS-1 and DS-2 lightweight fighters and at the time had the largest accumulation of design expertise; Songrim's SR-3G was a direct copy of the Letnian Or-7, and Yŏng'an only had experience producing heavy bombers.

Design and testing

Faced with their new state requirement, the Daesŭngri design team began work on a new fighter aircraft in late 1971. Early on, the designers opted for a variable-sweep wing, much like the Letnian MiG-23 and Sieuxerrian Menace-C. In return for its added complexity, a swing-wing design would allow the new fighter to reach high speeds at altitude while also meeting the short takeoff and landing distance requirements imposed by the DPRM's sparse airfields. A large conical nose with side intakes was also chosen in place of earlier central nose intakes, in order to leave more space for an air-search radar.

Some initial debate existed over whether to use a twin-engine or single-engine configuration. Han Do-hun, the chief designer at Daesŭngri, initially favored a single-engine layout out of the belief that it would minimize weight and thus improve maneuverability. But past experience with the single-engine DS-1, DS-2, and SR-3 had revealed relatively frequent problems with burnouts and other failures, even on regular training flights, due to the inconsistent quality of Menghean engine production. A twin-engine design offered the advantage of letting the new jet return to base under half power if one engine failed, avoiding the total loss of an expensive plane. The DPRM also lacked a single engine with the required thrust, and many designers were skeptical that an entirely new engine could be developed in the available time, given the DPRM's lack of new engine design experience. Supporters of the single-engine layout eventually relented, and the twin-engine proposal went forward. As a further move to improve reliability, the designers chose the Gokchŏn Gi-12 turbojet, itself a development of the Gi-7 (licensed Tumansky R-11 produced in the thousands for the Daesŭngri DS-2.

Work on the radar incurred more serious delays. The Ministry of Defense initially insisted that the development of the radar should be entirely domestic, with no foreign parts, a requirement that proved difficult to meet given the immaturity of Menghe's domestic electronics sector. Prototype JG-01, which flew on July 12th, 1974, had a concrete weight in the radome to maintain balance. Under pressure to push the plane into service, Daesŭngri secretly obtained an RP-22SMA radar from a Polvokian MiG-21MF and reverse-engineered it to produce the JT-77 Bŏngae ("Lightning") radar. Official announcements claimed that the radar was fully indigenous, but its physical appearance and actual origin were kept a closely guarded secret until the 1990s.

Test flights took place from 1974 through 1977, before the new radar had even been installed. The second prototype, JG-02, crashed due to pilot-induced oscillation, resulting in the death of the pilot; another suffered damage on a high-speed dive, forcing the test pilot to eject. Investigation revealed problems with the airspeed indicator dial and other instruments, particularly a low response rate. Despite claims that these were fixed, periodic instrument problems persisted into the first few batches of aircraft.

Production

In spite of lingering concerns over instrument response and the very recent integration of the JT-77 radar, Daesŭngri's final JG-15 prototype was ordered into production in 1977 as the DS-5G fighter. To speed up production, the DS-2 assembly line was shut down in 1979 and refurbished to support manufacture of the DS-5. Production records state that 129 airframes were produced in 1980 alone, and average annual production had risen to about 150 airframes by 1985, spread across all variants.

Design

Armament

The DS-5G was produced with five external hardpoints for ordnance: one under the fixed section of each wing, one on each corner of the lower fuselage, and one along the centerline. Swiveling hardpoints under the swinging wings were considered during development, but the design team chose to omit them in order to save weight, reduce complexity, and avoid damage from hardpoints becoming stuck at a given angle. The centerline hardpoint could only be used to carry an external fuel tank, and the under-wing hardpoints were also adaptable for this purpose, though as this configuration halved the number of air-to-air missiles, it was only used in long-distance ferry flights.

Ironically, even though beyond-visual-range combat had been a major selling point of the project, the JT-77 radar used on early-production DS-5Gs lacked the ability to support radar-guided missiles. It also struggled to distinguish aerial targets from ground clutter, and thus lacked look-down/shoot-down capability. To deceive foreign intelligence agencies, the DPRM obtained a license to produce the R-23 missile as the YGG-3, and even mounted this weapon on DS-5s during parade flights. In actual service, however, the DS-5G was entirely limited to the heat-seeking YGG-2, the same missile used by late-production DS-2 variants.

Gun armament consisted of two NR-23 autocannons, one in each bottom corner of the nose. Each carried 120 rounds of ammunition. This was the same gun armament used on the DS-2, and it reflected both the Menghean People's Army Air Force's doctrine of pursuing close-range dogfights, and an effort to balance the failure of the JT-77 radar.

Powerplant

Thrust was provided by a pair of Gi-12 turbojets, improvements of the Gi-7 (license-built Tumansky R11 used on the DS-2. The early-production versions of these engines, used on the DS-5G through DS-5D, developed 42 kN of thrust dry and 64.6 kN with afterburner.

The first four prototypes of the DS-5 had variable-angle splitter plates to control airflow to the engines at different speeds and altitudes. This feature was omitted on the production model of the DS-5G, with the splitter plates kept fixed at an angle optimal for low-altitude flight. This decision was apparently intended to save weight and reduce maintenance costs, but it also hampered the plane's performance at higher altitudes. Some sources speculate that the omission of variable splitter plates was the result of political lobbying by the Songrim bureau, which was then working on the SR-7 high-level interceptor and didn't want the DS-5 to emerge as a rival aircraft. The DS-5N restored the variable-angle intake plates, and all subsequent variants carried them.

Two large airbrakes were mounted on the upper fuselage above the engine, as on the MiG-23. On the lower fuselage, the rear landing gear cover plates doubled as airbrakes, and could be deployed midair to help slow the aircraft. They also helped reduce speed while landing. For further reduction in landing distance, a parachute could be deployed from a tube at the base of the upper fin. Despite an innovative folding arrangement, the rear wheels were still only 2.8 meters apart at their center points, and landing the DS-5 on rough ground was not easy.

The central new feature of the DS-5 lay in its folding wings. These could be set to angles of 25, 45, and 68.4 degrees, depending on altitude and speed. Wing angle adjustments were controlled manually on the DS-5G, but on the DS-5R they were automatically coupled to airspeed unless a manual override was activated.

Variants

DPRM variants: 1974-1988

JG-01:

First prototype produced by Daesŭngri in 1974.

JG-15:

Final prototype on which the production-model DS-5G was based.

DS-5G:

The initial production variant of the DS-5, introduced in 1978. It suffered from a number of shortcomings, including an outdated JT-77 radar based on a reverse-engineered RP-22SMA. This was incapable of targeting radar-guided missiles, so the DS-5G only carried the YGG-1 and -2 heat-seeking missiles in service. A total of 126 were produced.

DS-5GSs:

A two-seat training version of the DS-5G. To make room for the rear extension of the cockpit, one of the forward fuel tanks was removed, shortening range. It suffered from the same problems as the DS-5G, and its rear (instructor) cockpit had poor visibility forward.

DS-5N:

Introduced in 1980, the DS-5N was a major upgrade that corrected a number of serious problems with the DS-5G. It was fitted with a license-produced version of the targeting suite from the Letnian MiG-23MF, the main MiG-23 export variant. This included a Sapfir-23D radar, a TP-23 IRST sensor under the nose, and an improved head-up display. The variable-angle splitter plates were also restored, improving high-altitude performance, and more reliable avionics and airspeed sensors were installed.

The new radar had a claimed 45km range against a fighter-sized target, and it could support guidance for the R-23 missile, providing BVR capability for the first time. It had some look-down/shoot-down capability, but this relied on envelope limitation rather than the Doppler effect, so ground reflections could still interfere in targeting at low altitudes. The DS-5N was the most numerous air-superiority variant of the DS-5, with close to 600 airframes produced in total.

DS-5NSs:

Tandem-seat trainer variant of the DS-5N. The layout of the rear cockpit was somewhat modified in comparison to the DS-5GSs, improving the instructor's visibility and reducing the obstruction to fuel tank space; a new fuel tank was also added in the fuselage rear, restoring range to something close to the DS-5N's envelope.

DS-5D:

A specialized ground-attack variant introduced in 1981. It had a rebuilt, downward-sloping nose modeled on that of the Letnian MiG-27, and it carried the same Kayra-23 laser and television targeting suite for guided munitions. To broaden the range of armament options, a swiveling hardpoint was added to the underside of each swinging wing section, though overall payload remained limited to 2,500 kg. The DS-5D lacked any kind of radar, including a terrain-following radar, though it could still use heat-seeking missiles for self-defense. Given the focus on low-level flying, the fixed splitter plates of the DS-5G were restored. Armored plating was added around the cockpit.

The DS-5D was produced simultaneously with Songrim's SR-3D, which had essentially the same capabilities. Of the two, the DS-5D was faster and more maneuverable, but also had a lighter payload. Political maneuvering kept both in production at the same time, as neither Songrim nor Daesŭngri was willing to give up its foothold in strike aircraft production.

DS-5DSs:

This was a twin-seat lead-in trainer version of the DS-5D. In addition to duplicated flight controls, the rear cockpit also had a wider range of ground-attack instruments, including the ability to operate TV-guided munitions. Owing to these increased capabilities, it was produced in a 1:2 ratio to the baseline DS-5D, and after 1988 it accounted for all DS-5 production.

DS-5JCh:

A dedicated reconnaissance variant introduced in 1983. It featured an elongated fuselage with a twin-seat cockpit and an additional fuel tank to extend range. The nose guns were deleted to make room for two side-facing reconnaissance cameras, and the IRST sensor was removed as well. The Sapfir-23D radar was retained, giving the plane some air-to-air capability, though these aircraft typically carried three fuel tanks and two YGG-2 AAMs and their added weight limited their dogfighting ability.

SRM variants: 1988-1997

DS-5JCh2:

Most DS-5JCh variants were retrofitted to this standard in the mid-1990s, though no new airframes were built. An ECM suite modeled after the type used on the DS-5M was added, and the Sapfir-23D radar was replaced by a dedicated ground-search radar with a secondary jamming capability. The inboard wing hardpoints could be used to launch anti-radiation missiles, giving the DS-5JCh2 a secondary SEAD capability at the cost of reducing space for external fuel. The centerline hardpoint could also be fitted with a reconnaissance pod carrying improved camera equipment or a heavier jamming or SIGINT pod.

DS-5HM

While the DS-5 project was still underway, Menghe was also working on its first aircraft carrier, the IMS Shinbeigang. This led to the diversion of resources to a new variant which could serve as Menghe’s new shipborne jet fighter. The resulting DS-5HM (항공모함, hanggongmuham, "aircraft carrier") resembled the DS-5A, but was treated with corrosion-resistant materials and had a tail hook for barrier-arrested recovery. It did not have upward-folding wings, instead placing the wings in their swept position to reduce its deck footprint.

In the mid-1980s, work was underway on a new carrier variant which applied the same changes as the DS-5D (see below), but testing stopped in 1987 due to the disturbance of the Decembrist Revolution. Testing was resumed in early 1989, with the resulting DS-5HMD entering service in 1992. Seven years later in 1999, a series of upgrades from the DS-5E project were applied to these aircraft, producing the DS-5HME.

DS-5D

The DS-5D arose as a response to concerns that the DS-5A was becoming outdated in the air-to-air role. It incorporated the more powerful MBR-400 radar set, which extended the effective detection range and allowed more targets to be tracked at once. This made DS-5D the first variant to have true look-down, shoot-down capability, and the first capable of beyond-visual-range engagements, albeit at the lower bound of the definition. It was also rewired for compatibility with more recent air-to-air missiles, and given a somewhat more effective electronic warfare suite. To make room for the larger radome, and to remove redundant weight, it eliminated the right-side 30mm autocannon, leaving only the one on the left.

Due to the extensiveness of the changes, the -D upgrade could not be retrofitted onto existing aircraft, and was instead filled through new production. The first deliveries of DS-5Ds began in 1985, and production continued into the 1990s.

DS-5E

A further upgrade commissioned by the Menghean government, the DS-5E first entered service in 1997. It originated as an interim project to fill the Menghean People's Air Force’s air superiority role until more advanced aircraft like the DS-12 and SL-8 could enter service in sufficient numbers. It was also designed to maximize the modularity of changes, allowing the upgrade to be applied to the existing DS-5D fleet.

As such, most of the changes concerned minor improvements to electronics and instruments, including compatibility with new air-to-air missiles and a slightly more sophisticated electronic warfare suite. The design team also added integration with a wider variety of air-to-ground munitions, forming the first DS-5 with true multirole capability. Many of these require the DZM-900 electro-optical support pod and DZM-800 laser designator, which are carried on new hardpoints underneath the intakes. Nevertheless, the plane’s short range and poor payload limited its usefulness.

Service

Menghe

Between the late 1970s and the early 2000s, the DS-5 in its various forms was the main combat aircraft of the Menghean People’s Air Force. Over 2,500 were produced in all, about half of them in the D and E variants. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the Menghean People's Air Force began replacing some DS-5s with the more advanced DS-12, but this proceeded at a relatively slow pace.

Since the 2005 military reforms, which merged the Menghean People's Air Force into Menghean Army Aviation, new production of DS-5s stopped and a serious effort was made to replace the fleet. As of 2014, only a few active units still operate the DS-5, most notably the 6th Frontal Army Aviation Corps (which replaced these with DS-12s in 2016). Some 1,200 DS-5s remain in service with reservist units, most of them in the D and E variants.

The DS-5HM was the standard carrier aircraft of the Menghe People’s Navy, and the Sinbukgang-class aircraft carriers were designed with the type in mind. After the ISS Chikai was decommissioned in 2015, the last DS-5HHEs were withdrawn from service, though some are still on display at the Haeju National Naval Museum where the Chikai now resides.

The last DS-5Ch was retired from active service in 2012; the “tactical reconnaissance” role has largely been taken up by unmanned platforms instead, although the reconnaissance variant of the Daesŭngri DS-8 still remains in use for certain reconnaissance roles.

Other Users

• Dzhungestan: 60 DS-5As purchased in 1981. In the 1990s, the government purchased an additional 60 DS-5Bs and 60 DS-5Ds.
• Qusayn: 70 DS-5As and 40 FD-5Bs purchased in 1983; as of 2014, they are still in active service.
• Template:Country data Ummayah: About 200 DS-5s in service prior to the Ummayan Civil War, split roughly evenly between DS-5As and DS-5Bs.

Specifications (DS-5E)

General Characteristics

File:Feidou FD-5.png

Three-view diagram of the DS-5D.

• Crew: 1
• Length: 16.32 meters overall
• Wingspan, extended: 13.33 meters
• Wingspan, swept: 7.14 meters
• Height: 4.36 meters (on the ground, gear out)
• Wing Area: 29.46 square meters spread
• Empty Weight: 9,220 kg (20,330 lbs)
• Loaded Weight: 13,800 kg (29,760 lbs)
• Maximum Takeoff Weight: 16,950 kg (37,370 lbs)
• Powerplant: 2x DFS-5K90 turbojet
• Dry Thrust: 36 kN (8090 lbs-force) each
• Thrust with Afterburner: 57 kN (12810 lbs-force) each
• Fuel Capacity: 3,860 kg (8,578 lbs)

Performance

• Maximum Speed at Sea Level: Mach 1.10 (1348 km/h)
• Maximum Speed at High Altitude: Mach 2.23 (2812 km/h)
• Combat Radius: 780 km with 4 AAMs and no external tanks
• Service Ceiling: 16,500 meters
• Rate of Climb: 220 meters per second
• Wing Loading: 468 kg/m2
• Thrust-to-Weight Ratio: 0.82 (afterburner at loaded weight)

Armament

• Guns: 1x BGP-30-1 autocannon (2x BGP-30-1 on -A and -B)
• Payload: 3,500 kg on 5 external hardpoints
  

- 1x 1,000-kg hardpoint (fuselage centerline)
- 2x 1,000-kg hardpoint (fixed wing inner section)
- 2x 250-kg hardpoint (variable wing outer hardpoint)