Disagree, China’s flankers is not the most capable in service, the Su-30SM which developed from MKI variants and the Su-35 are the most capable flankers in service, if not then why PLA still purchase them
There aren’t really any Shinhoto Chi-Has left for taking in the Southern Pacific, only those in the Russian-owned Kuril Islands.
PLA hasn’t purchased them in a decade. The final Su-35S were received in 2019, from an order placed in 2015. J-11, J-15, J-16 are currently produced in China and are more capable in the variants being produced still.
J-11BG has an AESA radar and can use the PL-10 IR AAM and the PL-15 ARH AAM. The J-11 has been replaced in production by the J-16 except for new production twin seat trainer J-11BS aircraft.
J-15 is structurally based on the Su-33, but unlike the Su-33 which never gained the capability of using ARH missiles and is essentially obsolete now, J-15T again can use PL-10/15 combo, with an AESA radar.
There’s also an EA-18G Growler equivalent of this aircraft, the J-15D. There are both ski jump and CATOBAR variants of these aircraft.
J-16 is a land based equivalent to the J-15, again with an AESA radar and the ability to use PL-10/15/17. It too has an EW variant in the J-16D.
These late Chinese Flankers are extremely high in capability, and the J-16 in particular uses a bunch of composite materials developed for the J-20. The AAMs are more advanced, the radars are more advanced, the naval variant will be able to use a catapult and actually got ARH AAMs, there are EW variants. Tons of stuff you don’t see in Russian AF service Flankers, or even Russian manufactured Flankers.
These domestically made aircraft dwarf the import orders. Import orders were generally made when Chinese industry was not yet up to task, or had insufficient capacity, or when there was still some new Russian technology to get their hands on. None of that is the case anymore.
1 Like
Not to mention the Su-35 was evaluated extensively by the Chinese in DACT exercises, a pilot that flies both the Su-35 and the J-16 unquestionably stated that the avionics of the J-16 were notably better, and so was the missile kit. The one area where he said that Su-35 was still better was engines, mainly the TVC capability. He said his “dream” aircraft would be J-16 with AL-41F1S.
Then again TVC is situationally useful, when the Su-35 faced off against the J-10C, the J-10C was still able to win most of its WVR engagements because it had HMD + PL-10, a superior IR missile compared to R-VV-MD (Export R-73).
If you ask an American AF pilot which one they would consider to be a greater threat, I think most of them would answer J-16 instead of Su-35.
4 Likes
Does anyone know if Japan uses or at least has access to DM11 or similiar VT or proximity rounds? While taking down helis from 5km range with darts is fun, it certainly isn’t too effective, and most other nations have access to some sort of anti-heli shell.
1 Like