【Military Subplane】Author: Sky Wolf
On October 10, the official account of the "People's Air Force" published a propaganda article, detailing the details of the pilots of the "Du Fengrui Squadron" who had the courage to challenge themselves and achieved remarkable results in simulated air battles.
▲ Details mentioned in the article
The article mentions that this heroic unit that has been equipped with J-16 fighters has successfully "shot down" the fighter of the imaginary enemy "There is a generation gap and it is extremely difficult to win", although the article does not directly name it, but there are many indications that the object that was "shot down" may only be the only fifth-generation aircraft in service with the People's Liberation Army - J-20. The exposure not only marks a potential tactical breakthrough for the PLA's fourth-generation aircraft against fifth-generation aircraft, but also heralds new advances in modern air combat by the Chinese Air Force.
The J-16 is widely regarded as the representative of the fourth and a half generation fighters of the Chinese Air Force, although it cannot be compared with the stealth capabilities of the fifth-generation aircraft, but its electronic warfare capabilities, advanced avionics systems, excellent weapon loading capabilities and powerful multi-purpose combat capabilities still make it a leading position among similar fighters in the world. After equipping the "Du Fengrui Squadron", the J-16 has demonstrated strong combat effectiveness in many air combat exercises with its excellent performance.
▲J-16 fighter
But even so, in the face of fifth-generation stealth fighters such as the J-20, the J-16 still faces huge challenges. The fifth-generation aircraft, with its stealth performance, supersonic cruise capability and powerful situational awareness system, theoretically has an absolute intergenerational advantage over the fourth-generation aircraft. However, the successful "shooting down" of the fifth-generation aircraft in the simulated air battle by the "Du Fengrui Squadron" J-16 proves that the Chinese Air Force has explored an effective strategy of four-and-a-half-generation fighters against fifth-generation aircraft.
Judging from the experience of previous international air combat exercises, fourth-generation aircraft are able to gain the upper hand in confrontation with fifth-generation aircraft, often relying on electronic warfare superiority. One of the most famous examples is the United States Navy's EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, which "shot down" the supposedly invincible F-22 Raptor fighter during military exercises. This success was facilitated by the Growler's powerful electronic jamming capabilities, which severely suppressed the F-22's radar and communications systems, making it impossible to maintain normal situational awareness and information sharing.
▲J-16D electronic warfare aircraft
Similarly, China's J-16D electronic warfare aircraft are equipped with advanced electronic countermeasures systems, including an active electronically scanned array radar and the RKL-700A electronic countermeasures pod, which is comparable to the capabilities of the U.S. military's Growler. If the J-16D electronically jams the fifth-generation aircraft during the exercise, disabling its radar and communication systems, thus forcing the opponent to be exposed and enter a passive defense state, this may be the key to the J-16's success in "shooting down" the J-20.
In addition, China's Air Police-500 AWACS aircraft and Y-9LG electronic warfare aircraft may also play an important role in the exercise. These early warning and electronic warfare platforms can provide wide-area situational awareness and support, help the J-16 form an "information network" in electronic countermeasures, and effectively suppress the combat effectiveness of the opponent's fifth-generation aircraft.
▲J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighter
The power of the fifth-generation stealth fighter stems from its stealth performance, datalink fusion, over-the-horizon strike capability and supersonic cruise. However, these advantages are not without impeccables. As demonstrated by the United States Air Force in the Red Flag exercise, the stealth and situational awareness advantages of fifth-generation aircraft in the face of a powerful electronic warfare adversary can be greatly reduced if radar, communications or datalink systems are disrupted. Especially when the fifth-generation aircraft must turn on the radar for active search in a jammed environment, it will reveal its position and become the target of the fourth-generation aircraft.
Therefore, the victory of the J-16 in this simulated air battle is likely to interfere with the J-20's perception system by means of electronic warfare, making it unable to effectively use stealth performance, thus forcing it to enter a passive state. This tactic of "making the enemy deaf and blind" is precisely the core idea of modern electronic warfare. The J-16's advanced electronic warfare system allows it to weaken the advantages of fifth-generation aircraft in a complex electromagnetic environment, providing a favorable combat opportunity for fourth-generation and half-generation fighters.
▲ "Everyone is Du Fengrui"
The victory of the "Du Fengrui squadron" in the simulated air battle not only demonstrated the tactical innovation of the Chinese Air Force, but also highlighted the importance of electronic warfare in modern air combat. As the electromagnetic environment of the future battlefield becomes more and more complex, the confrontation between fighters is no longer limited to speed, maneuverability, and firepower, but is more of a test of information warfare, electronic warfare, and cooperative combat capabilities.
For the Chinese Air Force, the J-16, as a powerful fourth-generation and a half-generation fighter, will play an increasingly important role in information warfare in the future. Although fifth-generation aircraft such as the J-20 represent the main force of future air warfare, through reasonable tactical design and electronic warfare means, fourth-generation and a half-generation fighters can still maintain strong combat effectiveness in modern air combat, and even counter more advanced fifth-generation aircraft under certain conditions. The victory in this simulated air battle proves that the PLA is constantly exploring and mastering diversified air combat confrontation techniques, and is fully prepared for future battlefields.
