As of 2025, both the A-5C and the J-7D are placed at BR 10.7 in Air RB. However, their overall performance and intended roles are quite different, and I wonder if the A-5C really fits this BR.
The J-7D is a lightweight fighter with strong agility, radar capability, and competitive missile options. It performs well in dogfights, has great acceleration, and maintains energy efficiently even when uptiered.
The A-5C, in contrast, is more of a strike aircraft. While it retains energy very well, it turns poorly, lacks radar, and has only 18 countermeasures, making it vulnerable in missile-heavy matches. It carries Magic 1 and AIM-9P missiles, but those are short-range IR missiles that don’t match the capability of radar-guided missiles carried by most aircraft at BR 10.7.
At this BR, the A-5C often faces jets equipped with R-24R or AIM-7F/M missiles. Although no aircraft at a full 10.7 uptier carries R-27R, the A-5C still struggles due to its lack of radar, limited maneuverability, and subpar top speed (barely reaching Mach 1).
Given that both the Q-5A and Q-5L sit at BR 10.0 and have comparable or even better strike capabilities, is the A-5C really justified at 10.7? Wouldn’t a BR reduction to 10.3 or even 10.0 make more sense so it could compete fairly without being overshadowed?
3 Likes
A-5C is primarily a strike craft to bomb bases, in 10.7 it is suffering in it’s main objective, since the F4E at 11.0 greatly outspeeds the A5C to bases, not to mention the Tornados in 11.3.
in 10.7 uptiers are more than 2/3 of the matches, and because of the long base respawn time, it makes the A-5C be forced into it’s second role: a fighter, the two magic 1 are decent, however as states, it has few countermeasures, the competition usually has radar missiles already, such as the AIM 7, and in full uptiers you face Mig23ML with the R24R… while in a MIG19 frame with few countermeasures…
A-5C needs to go back to 10.3 as it is underperforming in the 10.7 are, or we need more decompression around the 10.0 to 12.0 area
6 Likes
10.3 maybe, but even then that is pushing it.
Hu? What aircraft at 10.7 has any SARH missiles that are worth mentioning, especially those that cant be defeated by just turning slightly or flying in ground clutter? I barely even run chaff on my 10.7 aircraft because its just a non issue.
You speak of it facing R-24Rs on the Mig-23 (though it cannot see anything with Aim-7F/M i believe as those are all 12.0)
but what about aircraft that have to face the A-5C?
They are pain to fight in the Hunter, with no CMs, a lower top speed. SRAAM buffs have helped, but I dont want to be trying to deal with an A-5C with only Aim-9Es.
As a base bomber though, its fine.
10.0 is just insane.
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Did you try comparing the missile loads of the Q-5s and the A-5? It could go to 10.3, it can’t go to 10.0
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Yes
And the J7D should be higher
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10.0 is to low okay bu 10,7 is to high 10.3 is in my opinion best for everyone
10.7 is fine. It would be oppressive otherwise. It’s a counterpart to the F-111A, and you are balancing off what it faces in an uptier and not what is at the same BR and with a total lack of regard for things lower than it
It would most likely be way too good for 10.3, so it has to be 10.7.
The J-7D should be 11.0.
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No. Just compare to other 10.3s.
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It’s fine at 10.7 compared to other 10.7 strike aircraft
Strike aircraft is a distinction that only exists to gaijin because they don’t like when vehicles can bomb effectively. As far as air to air (the actual reason to raise or lower a vehicles’ BR that makes sense), the A-5C fits in at 10.3
Then the 111A could be 10.3 or lower since it only gets 9B while A-5C gets missiles that are way better
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I need to go against the Aim-7E and R-24R, F-111A has many countermeasures and at high altitude it has good speed, while I can barely break through the sound barrier.
F-111 has a far better FM but I’m not sure where it fits, 10.3 would maybe be fine
Don’t go at high altitude like an AI sabre. You don’t need many countermeasures at 10.7. you only see those missiles in uptier too
It dumps every bit of speed you have as soon as you try to turn. It’s also a giant target and very hot
And the A-5C can’t turn unless you airbrake into an energy state that is counter intuitive to what it actually wants to be doing, and energy trapping at 10.7 is a funny prospect
Jets have downsides, F-111’s FM is still pretty good for 10.3
The A-5C has a much better flight model than the F-111A by a lot. I’ve played the Q-5s and the flight model is one of the best things about them, because you never run out of energy.
I don’t want to be facing a Mig-19 side grade with Magic-1s in a 9.3 or even 9.7.
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The only time you really need to turn in these planes is RTB from the bomb target, where energy retention matters more since if you turn back in an F-111 you are pretty much dead in the air as a huge, very hot target with burners facing the enemy’s IR seekers
It is not a MiG-19 sidegrade. It is very marginally better at accelerating/climbing/top speed while being far worse in actual dogfights/turning.