According to the news released by the Ministry of National Defense, the "Eagle-10" air force joint training jointly held by China and Pakistan recently began, and the training lasted for half a month, and will be carried out successively in the mainland Jiuquan and Yinchuan areas. This is the 10th joint exercise held by the Chinese and Pakistani air forces, aiming to strengthen the coordinated combat capability of the two air forces and improve the actual combat level of the two sides.
There are all Chinese fighters, and there are none Western fighters
Different from previous joint trainings, this joint training is all Chinese fighters. The Chinese Air Force dispatched military aircraft such as the J-16, J-10C, and Air Police-500 to participate, while the Pakistan Air Force dispatched the J-10CE fighters and JF-17 "Thunder Dragon" fighters just purchased, and the F-16 and Mirage 2000 were not dispatched.
The F-16 and Mirage 2000 have been the main fighters of the Pakistan Air Force for decades. With their superior performance and outstanding combat capabilities, they have become an important pillar of Pakistan's national defense.
As an advanced fighter made in the United States, the F-16 not only has excellent air superiority combat capabilities, but also can perform a variety of missions. Due to its high flexibility and advanced radar system, the F-16 excels in detecting, tracking and striking enemy targets. In addition, its powerful weapon load and long-range strike capabilities allow it to always maintain a certain advantage in air combat.
As an advanced French-made fighter, the Mirage 2000 also plays an important role in the Pakistan Air Force. With its excellent speed and maneuverability, the fighter is capable of achieving rapid assault in the air and long-range strikes against enemy targets. Its advanced radar system and electronic countermeasures capabilities make the Mirage 2000 have excellent aerial reconnaissance and target tracking capabilities. Moreover, the Mirage 2000 can also carry many types of missiles and bombs, providing the Pakistan Air Force with flexible tactical options.
Although the JF-17 "Thunder Dragon" fighter jointly developed by China and Pakistan has long been installed in the Pakistan Air Force, it has not been able to replace the F-16 in the past few years. Today, with the increase in the service life of the F-16 and Mirage 2000, the condition of the airframe has gradually declined, and the JF-17 "Thunder Dragon" fighter has undergone many upgrades and can finally replace them.
Therefore, in this China-Pakistan joint training, the JF-17 "Thunder Dragon" became the main fighter. In addition, the J-10CE, which Pakistan has just introduced, has great potential. It is improved from the mainland's first third-generation aircraft J-10, after technical iteration, the level of flight control and informatization has increased significantly, especially after being equipped with the same radar as the J-20, the performance has been on par with the world's first-class fighters.
Comprehensively replacing Chinese fighters, the gap between the Indian and Pakistani air forces is not far away
The Indian and Pakistani air forces are old rivals, and Pakistan has been at a disadvantage in most confrontations in the past few years because the Indian Air Force is equipped with a large number of Su-30MKI fighters. It is an improved version of the Su-27 fighter, with higher performance and advanced technology. The aircraft showed itself well in terms of tactics and combat capabilities. It can perform a variety of missions, including air superiority combat, ground attack, and maritime patrols. Its excellent mobility and over-the-horizon combat capabilities make it a reliable option in situations of regional conflicts and international tensions.
The fighter is equipped with advanced radar and navigation systems, as well as powerful weapon systems. It can carry different types of missiles and bombs, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles and anti-ship missiles. This allows the Su-30MKI to play an important role in a variety of combat scenarios and perform missions effectively.
Due to its superior performance and reliability, the Su-30MKI has become one of the main fighters of the Indian Air Force. Its combat capabilities have been widely recognized and have demonstrated outstanding performance in many exercises and real combat. At the same time, India is gradually upgrading and improving this fighter to meet its own defense needs. It is understood that the Indian Air Force is currently equipped with more than 200 fighters of this type, which is the absolute backbone of the Indian Air Force.
In addition, in recent years, India has invested heavily in the introduction of 36 Rafale fighters from France, which are currently being delivered. The Indian Air Force will deploy it on the Sino-Indian border, on the one hand, to form air superiority over China, on the other hand, it is also carrying out technological running-in to form combat effectiveness as soon as possible. In the future, these 36 Rafale fighters will be the toughest opponents of the Chinese and Pakistani air forces.
However, after Pakistan installed the J-10CE fighter, the advantage of the Rafale fighter was greatly weakened. Military experts said that although the J-10CE is inferior to the Rafale in overall performance, it is equipped with Thunderbolt-15 missiles, coupled with the most advanced active phased array radar, it can be the first to detect enemy aircraft and launch attacks from 300 kilometers away, and its situational awareness and strike capabilities are superior to Rafale fighters.
In addition, the Pakistan Air Force is superior to the Indian Air Force in terms of chain of command and informatization, which has been confirmed in the India-Pakistan air battle in 2019, and the Indian Air Force was defeated. Although it is not as numerically as the Indian Air Force, in local airspace operations, the Pakistan Air Force is fully capable of conducting an air duel with the other side.