Zhejiang/Jiangsu Aircraft (Updated Specifications)
Name: Shenyang J-31a (Custom Twin Seat - 'A' Variant)
Introduction: 2025 (Specifically for Zhejiang and Jiangsu)
Quantity Onboard: 40
Top Speed: 3000 km/h (Mach 2+)
Service Ceiling: 20,000 m (66,000 ft)
Role: Stealth Multirole Fighter
Armament:
Note: 16 hardpoints - (8 internal × 8 external)
> 1 × 30 mm autocannon
> Air to Air Missiles (HyperSonic)
> Air to Surface Missiles (SuperSonic)
> Anti-ship Missiles (SuperSonic)
> Anti-Radiation Missiles (HyperSonic)
> Guided Bombs
Avionics:
> KLJ-7A AESA radar
> Distributed Aperture System (DAS) optical early-warning system
> Electro-optical Targeting System (EOTS)
> EORD-31 Infrared Search and Track
Name: Sukhoi Su-57e (Single Seat - 'Special E' Variant)
Introduction: 2024 (Specifically for Zhejiang and her sister)
Quantity Onboard: 40
Top Speed: 3100 km/h (Mach 2+)
Service Ceiling: 20,000 m (66,000 ft)
Role: Stealth Multirole Fighter
Armament:
Note: 16 hardpoints - (8 × internal, 8 × external)
> 1 × 30 mm autocannon
> Air to Air Missiles (Hypersonic)
> Air to Surface Missiles (SuperSonic)
> Anti-ship Missiles (Supersonic)
> Anti-Radiation Missiles (Hypersonic)
> Guided Bombs
Avionics:
> Sh-121 multifunctional integrated radio-electronic system (MIRES)
Byelka radar (400 km, 60 tracks with 16 targeted)
L402 Himalayas Electronic Countermeasure Suite
> 101KS Atoll Electro-optical Targeting System
101KS-O: Laser Directional Infrared Counter Measures
101KS-V: Infra-red Search and Track
101KS-U: Ultraviolet Missile Approach Warning System
101KS-N: Advanced Stabilised Navigation and Targeting System
101KS-N: Optional External Targeting Pod
101KS-P: Thermal Imager for Low-altitude Flying and Night Landing
Name: Shenyang H-12a (Custom Twin Seat - 'A' Variant)
Introduction: 2025 (Specifically for Zhejiang and Jiangsu)
Quantity Onboard: 5
Top Speed: 5000 km/h (Mach 4)
Service Ceiling: 26,000 m (85,300 ft)
Role: Stealth High-altitude Bomber
Armament:
Note: 30 hardpoints - (all internal)
> 10 x Anti-Radiation Missiles (HyperSonic)
> 18 x SSQ Guided Bombs
> 2 x Jynx Hypersonic Missiles (Nuclear Armed)
Avionics (Optimized for H-12 capabilities):
> KLJ-7A AESA radar
> Distributed Aperture System (DAS) optical early-warning system
> Electro-optical Targeting System (EOTS)
> EORD-31 Infrared Search and Track
Note: All variants of these aircraft were built (imagined) to meet specific requirements and as such do not match their real-life counterparts. That being said, in the name of continuity, the J-31a wasn't outfitted with the same internal systems as the Su-57s because China viewed their upgraded systems as superior or on par with their Russian counterparts.
Furthermore, if you are wondering how Zhejiang has more aircraft now than she did before despite not getting remodelled it's quite simple. She was launched without her full complement of planes. Initially, she was supposed to be launched with the J-31 and the Su-57 and have a total of 75 - 90 planes (to rival her American counterparts) but as you know, nothing ever goes to plan and as such she was launched with different planes and less than the planned amount. She never magically lost the extra space for the other planes though, so it was merely a matter of transporting them on board. As for how the new planes were able to operate without pilots before she returned to the world of Azur Lane? You'll have to wait until it's revealed in the story :) No spoilers this time.
Also Note: Under normal circumstances, both variants can only travel for a maximum of 4500 (2796 miles) - 5000 km (3107 miles). However, in Azur Lane's world, both aircraft have a maximum distance (with outboard fuel tanks) of 10,000 km (6214 miles). This only applies to the J-31 and Su-57. The H-12 bombers (as they are dedicated bombers) can indeed travel much farther, clocking in just shy of 16,000 km (9942 miles) with outboard fuel tanks.
For those wondering, the Shenyang J-31 is estimated to be similar to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II in both performance and stealth capabilities. That being said, the variant above does not possess STOVL and V/STOL capabilities and I doubt any of them (IRL) ever will.
The only defence H-12 bombers have against other aircraft are their speed and anti-radiation missiles. That being said, thanks to their non-existent weapon profile on the externals of the aircraft, they can travel much faster than most of their counterparts, easily reaching speeds of up to 5,000km/h (Mach 4) and thus are capable of outrunning most attackers and even quite a large portion of the world's missiles.
The bombers themselves are slightly bigger than the Su-57s and are two-seat aircraft. They store their entire payload within their weapon bays, including the two hypersonic nuclear missiles and their guided bombs. This is possible thanks to the profiles of each being scaled down to match minimum size with maximum output, a feat of engineering made possible thanks to the military tech race sparked by the conflict with the USA at the time.
By the time Zhejiang returned to her world, her country had just completed tests on the only 10 of the aircraft ever built (H-12) but given how successful tests were, the planes were immediately modified and placed on board Zhejiang and later her sister to enable the deployment of dedicated bombing runs (including the use of nukes) without the need of ICBMs which could be tracked and possibly intercepted when fired from long ranges.
Each SSQ Guided Bomb has a blast yield of 42 tons of TNT. This is why they felt comfortable sanctioning the use of the aircraft instead of just scrapping the project. For comparison, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) or as it's better known, the Mother Of All Bombs, only has a blast yield of about 11 tons of TNT despite being over ten times larger. Imagine dropping 18 such bombs on a target, only with over 3 times the destruction...
As for the payload of the nukes...you'll have to wait to find out because (spoiler ->) they won't be used in our world and will instead be used in AL where they will have an entirely different effect.