As the first supersonic fighter-bomber of the People's Liberation Army with all-weather combat capabilities, in recent years, with the large-scale installation of the J-16 fighter-bomber, the status of the J-7A has declined, but in the long-range strike system of the People's Liberation Army, the J-7A is still a sharp weapon, so the People's Liberation Army has no plan to retire the J-7A.
According to military experts, it is precisely because of the birth of the J-7A that the People's Liberation Army has a real fighter-bomber, and it also fills the gap in the lack of long-range strike capabilities of the People's Liberation Army. According to public information, the maximum range of the J-7A is 3650 kilometers, the combat radius is about 1600 kilometers, and the maximum flight speed can reach Mach 1.7.
In terms of firepower configuration, the J-7A has 10 weapon mount-up points, and the maximum bomb load is as high as 9 tons, which is called "bomb truck" by military fans. It can launch a variety of precision-guided missiles, including KD-88 air-to-ground missiles and the "Eagle Strike" series of anti-ship missiles, whether it is a ground attack or an anti-ship, the J-7A is a good hand.
In addition, compared with the J-16 fighter-bomber, the J-7A is relatively simple in structure, convenient to maintain, and the procurement cost is low, which is very suitable for large-scale installation. Before the birth of the J-16 fighter, the J-7A was one of the most trusted long-range strike equipment of the People's Liberation Army, and the Canadian media "Hanhe Defense Review" once commented that the J-7A was deeply liked by the People's Liberation Army.
It is worth noting that the J-7A did not reduce the attendance rate due to the lengthening of the service time. In recent years, the J-7A has carried out important tasks many times. In June this year, the J-7A appeared in the airspace of the Taiwan Strait and conducted a long-term combat readiness cruise. Foreign media reported that the People's Liberation Army has deployed hundreds of J-7As along the southeast coast, which has greatly deterred the "Taiwan Army."
In addition to performing missions at home, the J-7A has also flown out of the country many times to participate in international military exercises and military exchanges. On August 14, local time, the Sino-Thai Air Force "Eagle Strike-2022" joint training at the Thai Air Force Udon Thani Base, the People's Liberation Army sent three military aircraft J-10C, J-7A and Air Police -500 to participate in the joint training. It is reported that the J-7A is the first time to participate in Sino-Thai joint training.
According to military experts, the People's Liberation Army plans to make the J-7A service until at least 2030, and in order to achieve this goal, Xifei Group has upgraded it. In early October last year, the latest improved version of the J-7A, the J-7A2, was publicly unveiled during the Zhuhai Air Show. Compared with the J-7A, the upgraded J-7A2 has significantly improved in terms of avionics equipment and weapon performance.
In terms of avionics equipment, the J-7A2 is equipped with a new type of photoelectric aiming pod and an electronic jamming pod, which improves the aircraft's data processing capabilities, battlefield perception capabilities and electronic warfare capabilities, so that it has the ability to continue to perform tasks in a complex electromagnetic interference environment.
In terms of airborne weapons, the J-7A2 is equipped with new laser-guided bombs and other new precision-guided weapons, which further enhances the J-7A2's ground precision strike and defense zone strike capabilities. Military experts said that the J-7A sword is not old, and the upgraded J-7A2 will continue to write the legend that belongs to the aircraft.