Foreign media "Military Watch" website reported: The leapfrog development of the Chinese Air Force is indeed eye-catching. In particular, the J-7E unit was reequipped with the J-16, and its combat effectiveness was increased dozens of times. So, what's going on here?
J-7E strength situation
The J-7E fighter is a light fighter used by the Chinese Air Force in the early days, and the fighter was mainly used to carry out daytime combat missions in the 90s of the last century.
The main technical performance is 14.88 meters long, 4.1 meters high, maximum range of 2,000 kilometers, total fuel volume of 4,165 liters, etc. From these parameters alone, the performance of the J-7E at that time can be demonstrated.
At the same time, the fighter also has good maneuvering combat performance and air-to-ground firepower, and the fuselage design is relatively reasonable, with a certain air mobility capability, suitable for close combat and ground attack missions.
At the same time, the J-7E also has certain advantages in terms of maintainability, reliability and survivability, providing a relatively safe and reliable operating environment for pilots.
However, with the development of the times and the advancement of technology, the combat performance of the J-7E is gradually unable to meet the needs of modern operations.
In the modern high-tech war environment, the J-7E's airborne equipment and weapon system have to be said to be relatively backward and unable to adapt to complex and changeable combat needs. and the design and flight performance of the airframe, which are relatively outdated and difficult to match with today's advanced fighters.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for more advanced fighters to replace them in order to improve the overall combat capability and comprehensive strength of the Chinese Air Force.
Although the J-7E used to be one of the main fighters of the Chinese Air Force and played a role to a certain extent, it has gradually become obsolete and cannot adapt to the needs of modern operations.
The strength of the J-16
The J-16 is a heavy fighter introduced by the Chinese Air Force.
With excellent comprehensive combat capability and advanced technology and equipment, it has made important contributions to the improvement of the modern combat effectiveness of the Chinese Air Force.
The J-16 has a length of 21.19 meters, a wingspan of 14.7 meters, and a height of between 5.6-5.9 meters. However, this is not the end of the story, there is also a maximum flight speed of 1438-2817.68 kilometers per hour, and a maximum range of more than 4000 kilometers.
In addition to powerful airframe parameters, the J-16 is also equipped with a wealth of weapon systems, including: cannons, missiles and bombs, which can perform a variety of combat missions.
Its airborne missiles are also diverse, such as: Thunderbolt-10 anti-radiation missile, YJ-62, Thunderbolt-12 and so on.
In addition, the fighter is also equipped with Thunder 2 laser homing bombs, Thunder Stone 6 gliding bombs, 200A anti-airport bombs and other bombs. It is no exaggeration to say that the equipment of these weapons does make them have relatively powerful firepower and diversified combat capabilities, so as to effectively cope with various complex combat environments.
Compared with the J-7E, the J-16 does have a significant improvement in combat radius, maneuverability, and firepower attack. Its longer fuselage and larger wingspan provide it with better flight stability and maneuverability, giving it a stronger advantage when fighting in the air.
At the same time, its longer range and more diversified weapons and equipment have also made it excellent in long-range operations and diversified combat missions, and have become an important weapon in the equipment of the Chinese Air Force.
All in all, the strength of the J-16 not only provides important support for the modernization of the Chinese Air Force, but also provides a strong guarantee for safeguarding national security and achieving national strategic goals.
When we understand the above basic performance and benefits. At this time, the problem before the return - the leapfrog development of the Chinese Air Force: the J-7E unit was reequipped with the J-16, and the combat effectiveness was increased dozens of times. Why?
As an early light fighter, although the J-7E played a certain role in the past, with the development of the times and the progress of technology, its combat performance has gradually been unable to meet the needs of modern operations. Therefore, the Chinese Air Force has reequipped it and introduced more advanced J-16 fighters.
As a 3.5-generation heavy fighter introduced by the Chinese Air Force in recent years, the J-16 does have excellent comprehensive combat capabilities and advanced technical equipment.
In contrast, the J-16 has to admit that it is far superior to the J-7E in terms of maneuverability, combat radius, and so on. It is also equipped with a wealth of weapon systems, including not only cannons, missiles and bombs, but also a variety of combat missions, such as air combat, ground attack, anti-ship warfare, etc.
In addition, the advanced performance and powerful firepower of the J-16 also enable the mainland air force to have greater advantages and combat effectiveness when carrying out combat missions, thereby providing strong support for the modernization of the mainland air force and promoting the leapfrog development of the Chinese air force.
Therefore, the Chinese Air Force has achieved a tenfold increase in combat effectiveness by replacing the J-7E unit with the J-16.
This move not only reflects the tremendous progress of the Chinese Air Force in equipment renewal and modernization, but also provides strong support for the Chinese Air Force in safeguarding national security and achieving national strategic goals.