After the J-16 debuted at the Zhuhai Air Show and performed air shows and ground demonstrations, the J-16's radar was also debuted in the paper. As you can see from the picture, the J-16's active phased array radar is not only very thin, but also has a large antenna size and a terrifying number of TR components. Some netizens have estimated that the number of TR components is as high as 2680, creating a world record for the number of active phased array radar TR formations for fighters in the world. More TR components mean higher transmit power and longer detection and tracking ranges, as well as greater anti-jamming and electronic warfare capabilities. It can be said that this radar makes it possible for the non-stealth fighter J-16 to suppress the J-35 in over-the-horizon air combat.
The J-16's radar can have such a large number of TR components, first of all, thanks to the backward electronics industry of the former Soviet Union. In order to ensure that the detection and tracking performance of the radar is not lower than that of similar Western products, the former Soviet Union had to enlarge the size of its nose when developing the Su-27, so that the antenna array surface size of the N001 radar used reached a staggering 1050 mm, second only to the MiG-31 at 1400 mm in the world.
In addition, the mainland has surpassed Europe and the United States in the field of phased array radar, so it has the glory of the J-16 radar with up to 2680 components. Don't underestimate this number, the same four-generation semi-heavy fighter, the number of TR components of the AN/APG63 (V3) active phased array radar of the US F-15C fighter is only more than 1500.
The two main stealth fighters of the US Air Force, the F-22 and F-35, have only 1956 and 1676 TR components for the AN/APG77 and AN/APG81 active phased array radars, respectively.
AN/APG77 on the left, AN/APG81 on the right
And according to our military's consistent practice, what can be disclosed is no longer the most advanced, the radar unveiled this time should be an early batch of radar, and the AN/APG81 active phased array radar currently used by the F-35 is still gallium arsenide devices.
However, the performance of this radar is still very good. According to public information, the maximum detection range of the J-16's radar to typical air targets (RCS=5㎡) is not less than 300 kilometers. The forward RCS of the F-35 is about 0.0651 square meters, and the relevant formula can be calculated that the maximum detection distance of the J-16 to the F-35 will be reduced by about 67%, that is, the J-16 can detect the F-35A at a distance of 100 kilometers.
By increasing the proportion of composite materials, spraying radar absorbing materials on key parts of the fuselage, coating the cockpit and using inlet radar shields, the forward RCS of the J-16 should be able to be controlled at 1㎡. As a result, the F-35's radar will reduce the maximum detection range of the J-16 by about 32%, and the F-35 will be able to detect the J-16 at a distance of up to 114 kilometers. The F-35 was able to detect the J-16 as a prior enemy.
However, in order to achieve victory in over-the-horizon air combat, the first enemy's discovery is only a sufficient condition, and in order to achieve final victory, excellent performance medium-range projectiles are also indispensable. The J-16 is equipped with the mainland's most advanced PL-15 medium- and long-range air-to-air missile, and is currently the only dual-pulse medium-range missile with a maximum range of up to 200 kilometers. The F-35 is equipped with the AIM-120D medium-range projectile with a range of 160 kilometers, which is a generation inferior in technical standard to our PL-15.
The effective range of medium-range projectiles against medium- and high-maneuvering targets is only half the maximum range, so the J-16 can fire at the F-35 from 100 kilometers away. Although the F-35 can detect the J-16 at a greater distance, it is still limited by the disadvantages of missiles, so it cannot fire until 80 kilometers away. With the advantage of missiles, the J-16 can fire before the enemy.
In addition, the PL-15 uses a gallium nitride active phased array radar seeker, even the locking distance of stealth targets such as the F-35 can reach 20 kilometers, while the AIM-120D using the traditional PD radar seeker has a locking distance of only 13.6 kilometers for the J-16, which means that the J-16 can not only launch missiles before the F-35, but also be able to complete the mid-course guidance turn and evacuate the battle first. And these two points are enough to determine the victory of the two.
Of course, this victory can only be regarded as a narrow victory, because the J-16 has not been able to achieve the "first enemy discovery" of the F-35, but only relies on the missile's range advantage to win the battle through the "first enemy launch". Once the AIM-260 missile with a range comparable to the PL-15 is successfully developed, the outcome of the entire battle will be completely reversed. However, the J-16 has been upgraded again, and at this year's Zhuhai Air Show, J-16 pilot Zhang Yang revealed in acceptance that the J-16's avionics have been upgraded to the latest version, and the performance has increased exponentially compared with when it first left the factory.
The J-16 was already a fourth-and-a-half-generation fighter when it first left the factory, and it can be called an exponentially growing update, in addition to the technical decentralization of the J-20, the radar upgrade to gallium nitride devices is also necessary. In this way, the J-16 will be able to detect the other side first in the confrontation with the F-35, so as to truly achieve "first enemy discovery" and "first enemy occurrence", and then obtain a real crushing advantage.