For a long time, in the military fan group, the sound that the J-7 may be eliminated has basically not stopped, especially after the classic J-16 fighter hanging a bunch of iron bombs cosplaying into a bomb truck appeared, and the news of the imminent retirement of the J-7 is endless. But now, with the debut of the J-7 A2 at the Zhuhai Air Show, and the successful repair and upgrading of the improved version of the J-7A by AVIC, the news that the J-7 series fighters are about to be retired in the People's Liberation Army has been confirmed to be non-existent. The upgraded version of the fighter-bomber of the new J-7A, which the outside world has been concerned about, has already made its first successful flight, and it has finally been determined that the flight performance of the upgraded J-7 is very completely in line with the standards for use by the troops, and can be officially added to the combat sequence of our army.
The J-7 is a light fighter-bomber developed by China itself, which is mainly used to carry out ground attack missions. Since its entry into service in 1988, this aircraft has been one of the important equipment of the Chinese Air Force and naval aviation, and has participated in many actual combat exercises and military operations, showing good combat capability and reliability. However, as the modernization of the Chinese Air Force has accelerated, the status of the J-7 seems to have wavered, with some arguing that it is obsolete and will be replaced by more advanced fighters such as the J-16. So, will the J-7 really be eliminated? Is it still necessary to exist? This article will analyze the value and prospects of the J-7 from three aspects.
First of all, the number and age of the J-7 determine that it is impossible for it to be completely eliminated in a short period of time. It is reported that China currently has more than 200 J-7 series aircraft, including J-7, J-7A, and J-7B, which are larger than the air forces of most countries in the world. Some of these planes have only been put into service in recent years, and they are very new, and they have all been modernized, upgraded, and refitted, and have a relatively strong ground attack capability, and can carry a variety of precision-guided weapons, such as anti-ship missiles, air-to-ground missiles, laser-guided bombs, and so on, and have a very good strike effect on the enemy's surface ships, ports, air defense systems, and other targets.
These aircraft play an important role in both the Chinese Air Force and Naval Aviation, and are the main force in carrying out tactical bombing and anti-ship strike missions. In order to completely replace these aircraft, there need to be enough follow-up models to take over, and at present, the main fighters of the Chinese Air Force, J-16, J-10C and J-20, although they all have strong ground attack capabilities, but the number is far from enough, especially J-16 and J-20, their own work is to carry out air supremacy and ultra-long-range air interception missions, the status is irreplaceable, can not be easily distracted to deal with ground attack missions. Therefore, at least in the short term, there is still a great need for the existence of the J-7.
Secondly, the design features of the J-7 give it an advantage over fighters such as the J-16 in some aspects. The J-7 is a light fighter-bomber with a relatively small weight and size, which makes it more convenient in terms of modification and more suitable as a naval aviation model. The J-7 is designed with the needs of the Navy in mind, especially the needs of anti-ship strikes, this aircraft is endowed with a powerful ability to strike surface ships, and the anti-ship missiles it carries can deliver highly accurate strikes against single targets, which makes the J-7 an efficient tool capable of performing tasks in a complex maritime combat environment, ensuring that the Navy has strong capabilities in both defense and offense. The anti-ship strike mission of naval aviation includes strikes not only against enemy surface ships, but also at enemy ports, coastal installations, and coastal defense systems.
The multi-purpose nature of the J-7 makes it equally important in these missions, providing the Navy with a variety of tactical options to ensure victory in operations at sea. In contrast, although fighters such as the J-16 can also perform anti-ship strike missions, due to their weight and size, they are more suitable for other types of tasks, such as air superiority and tactical bombing. Therefore, the J-7 has an irreplaceable position in naval aviation.
Finally, the export potential of the J-7 is also an important factor. In addition to China's own demand for the J-7, the aircraft has also attracted a number of potential overseas buyers, the most typical of which is Pakistan. Pakistan has superiority over India in the army and air force, but it is inferior to India in the naval domain. Because of the high price of warships, it is difficult for Pakistan to assemble a naval force of the same size as India. India has already acquired one and plans to build a third aircraft carrier. This has increased the pressure on Pakistan on maritime defense. In this case, it is a wise choice to use the J-7 to dominate the sea in the air. China has launched a special export model, the FBC1, which can slightly upgrade the retired J-7 and convert it into an export version and sell it at a discounted price. As you can imagine, countries such as Pakistan may be very interested in this aircraft. The export of the J-7 can not only bring economic benefits to China, but also enhance China's influence and friendly relations in the international community.
To sum up, although the role of the J-7 is gradually decreasing and may be phased out in the future, it still has significant value, at least for now. The number and age of the J-7, design features and export potential are the three main reasons why it remains useful. The Jian-7 is one of the important equipment of China's air force and naval aviation, and it is also a business card of China's aviation industry, and we should be proud of it and should also bless its future.