【Military Subplane】Author: Sky Wolf
In recent years, discussions about China's fifth-generation stealth fighter, the J-20, have often sparked controversy in the Western media. In particular, some Western military experts have exaggerated the "threat theory" of the J-20 in their evaluation of its performance, as well as voices that try to belittle its actual capabilities. Recently, according to the website of "The Aviation Geek Club", Eric Viklund, a former Marine · expert in the United States, published an article on Quora about the confrontation of the J-20 against the fourth-generation fighter, which once again attracted widespread attention.
▲ Title of the article "Why the fourth-generation aircraft can also defeat the J-20"
He claimed that Japan's F-15J fighter could easily shoot down the Chinese J-20, citing the F-15J's superiority in radar detection capabilities and electronic warfare systems. This argument has been widely questioned, especially when comparing the military technology development backgrounds of the two countries, and Wacklund's analysis seems even more untenable.
First of all, the J-20 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter, while the F-15J is a fourth-generation fighter that does not have stealth capabilities. The gap between the two is obvious, both in terms of technology and fighter generation. One of the core features of the fifth-generation fighter is its stealth capability, which significantly reduces the chance of being detected by enemy radar on the battlefield. This is also the original design intention of the J-20, to minimize the radar reflection cross-sectional area (RCS) in order to preempt the attack in battle. The F-15J is a more traditional non-stealth fighter, and although it is equipped with advanced radar, it will inevitably face a huge disadvantage of "invisible enemy" when confronting stealth fighters.
▲Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15J fighter
Wacklund believes that the F-15J, with its advanced radar, is able to spot and lock on to the J-20 at a greater distance, giving it an advantage in combat. This view ignores the essence of modern air combat, which is that stealth capabilities are critical in combat. Although the F-15J may have strong radar detection capabilities, its radar detection range and accuracy will be greatly limited when facing stealth fighters. The J-20's low radar reflection allows it to go undetected at closer distances and launch missiles preemptively, and Wicklund's assertion clearly underestimates the advantages of stealth fighters in modern air combat.
In the article, Wicklund claims that the radar and electronic warfare equipment of the J-20 do not have an advantage in the confrontation with Western fighters due to the low level of Chinese electronics. This statement is not only oversimplistic, but also appears to lack awareness of China's scientific and technological progress in recent years. In particular, with the development of radar technology, China has made significant progress in the application of gallium nitride (GaN) materials. As the core technology of the new generation of active phased array radar, the use of gallium nitride T/R components greatly improves the detection range and accuracy of the radar.
▲The J-20 is a real fifth-generation aircraft
At present, the radar technology of the J-20 has reached a fairly high level, and its detection capabilities even exceed those of many fourth-generation fighters. In contrast, Japan's F-15J plans to be retrofitted with the latest APG-82(V)1 radar, but its ability to detect stealth targets is still limited. An important fact that Wicklund ignores is that radar detection range is not the only factor that determines victory or defeat in the air, and the stealth fighter's low probability of intercept (LPI) radar and datalink technology allow the J-20 to preemptively strike without exposing itself, thus gaining a greater advantage in actual combat.
Wacklund admits that to effectively counter stealth fighters like the J-20, the cooperation of other platforms is often required. However, he overlooked a key point: compared to the F-15J, the J-20 performed better in cooperative operations. The J-20 and China's Air Police-500 early warning aircraft have been recognized by the United States Air Force top brass. Kenneth Wilsbach, a former commander of the United States Pacific Air Forces, has publicly stated that the Chinese Air Force's air command and control capabilities, especially the Air Police -500, play an important role in some operational areas. This means that the J-20 can share target information with other platforms through the data link in actual combat, thereby improving its combat effectiveness.
In contrast, the F-15J is inferior in this regard. While Japan plans to upgrade its F-15J to the JMSDF Super Modification to enhance its networked combat capabilities, these upgrades are clearly not enough to bridge the generational gap in the face of stealth fighters. The J-20's cooperative combat capability allows it to not only fight alone, but also form a joint force with other combat platforms in a complex battlefield environment to further enhance combat effectiveness.
▲F-22 stealth fighter
Wacklund also claimed that the tail of the J-20 is less stealthy than the F-22 fighter and is easy to be locked by the radar of fourth-generation fighters such as the F-15J. However, this argument ignores the complexities in the design of stealth fighters. The tail section of the stealth fighter is indeed the part with a large radar reflection cross-section, but this does not mean that the J-20 will be at a disadvantage in actual combat. The key to modern air combat is who can detect and attack the enemy first, rather than simply competing for the radar reflection area at the tail.
In addition, the Wycklund analysis also failed to take into account the special handling measures of the J-20 in the tail design. The J-20 is designed not only with stealth performance in mind, but also strikes a balance between flight performance and weapon payload capability. In contrast, the F-15J, although it has added stealth coatings and other stealth measures to some improved models, still cannot be compared with the overall design philosophy of the fifth-generation stealth fighter.
It is not difficult to see from Wycklund's article that he has a deep prejudice against the development of China's military technology. This bias is not only reflected in the underestimation of the J-20, but also reflects the unease and fear of some Western media and experts about China's rise. Such biased and misleading analyses not only do not help the Western public understand the true military balance between China and the United States, but can also lead to strategic miscalculations.
▲The large amount of equipment of the J-20 is the best proof
In fact, it is precisely because of these biases that Western military analysis is often one-sided, ignoring China's rapid progress in military technology and equipment in recent years. China has reached the world's leading level in many fields, especially in electronic technology and radar technology. Wicklund's analysis does not truly reflect the gap between China and the United States in military technology, but instead shows the stereotype of China by some Western experts.
Today, when the global strategic landscape is becoming increasingly complex, an accurate and objective assessment of the adversary's military capabilities is of vital importance to maintaining regional peace and stability. Wacklund's analysis of the J-20 clearly lacks a comprehensive understanding of the facts, and its views are more likely to appeal to the stereotypes of certain Western audiences than to rigorous military science. However, as China's military technology continues to advance, the disadvantages of fourth-generation fighters like the F-15J in the face of the J-20 will become more and more obvious. In such a situation, blindly belittling the capabilities of an adversary will not only not help Western countries develop an effective defense strategy, but may put them at a disadvantage in strategic competition.