A Chinese language J-10C ‘4+ technology’ fighter has been credited with reaching a simulated shootdown of a J-20 fifth technology fighter throughout air-to-air fight workouts, in accordance with reviews from a number of Chinese language state media shops. J-10C pilot Xiao Nan was working with assist from a KJ-500 Airborne Early Warning and Management System (AEW&C), which carries one of many largest and strongest airborne radars on the earth, to offer higher situational consciousness towards stealth targets, thereby night the chances towards the J-20 which has superior radar evading capabilities. The J-10C pilot simulated an air-to-air missile launch towards the J-20, however afterwards may now not detect the goal, main him to request assist from the KJ-500 which allowed the missiles to achieve its goal. A J-16D digital assault plane additionally participated within the train, and will have performed a key position in jamming the J-20’s sensors to stop it from taking pictures down the J-10C earlier than it was itself focused.
The engagement in query is the primary within the historical past of the Chinese language Individuals’s Liberation Army Air Drive to see a fourth technology fighter obtain a victory towards a fifth technology fighter, though Chinese language specialists have broadly acknowledged that this may not have been potential had supporting plane not been deployed to strengthen the J-10C’s place. The J-20 fleet has for years been assigned to assist Chinese language fighter items practice in counter-stealth ways. Main knowledgeable on the J-20 program, writer of the e book China’s Stealth Fighter: The J-20 ‘Mighty Dragon’ and the Rising Problem to Western Air Dominance, Abraham Abrams, observing that “geographically distributing fifth technology items broadly ensured there have been alternatives for fighter items throughout all theatre instructions to coach… towards stealth fighters.” Abrams elaborated in his e book that the J-20 has engaged the Air Drive’s most succesful fourth technology fighter the J-16 in a number of workouts.
Even when its stealth options had been nullified, reminiscent of with using Luneberg reflective lenses, the J-20 has persistently confirmed able to popping out on high towards fourth technology fighters. Beneath such circumstances, nonetheless, engagements with J-16s have at occasions been extremely protracted. The J-10C and J-16 had been each developed in parallel to the J-20, and use lots of the identical applied sciences, with the J-16 being the biggest of the three and carrying a considerably heavier and extra highly effective radar, whereas the J-10C is by far the lightest, and is restricted by a shorter vary and smaller sensor suite. Whereas the J-20 retains distinct superiority over each, the J-10C has achieved spectacular leads to a number of workouts previously. The fighter was reported in 2020 to have persistently outperformed Russian-supplied Su-35 fighters throughout mock fight engagements in China, and has repeatedly confirmed able to going face to face with the J-16, main it to be thought of one of many two most succesful single engine fighter courses on the earth alongside the American F-35.
The J-10C’s capabilities gained vital publicity following its first ever fight engagement in early Could 2025, with the fighter credited with the shootdown of a minimum of one French-supplied Rafale operated by the Indian Air Drive, and probably with as much as 4 of the extremely pricey French plane. Though European fighters weren’t thought of able to working on a comparable stage to their trendy Chinese language and American counterparts, the appreciable public relations efforts made by France to advertise the Rafale over twenty years made its overwhelming defeat by a a lot lighter plane in its first ever air-to-air engagements notably dangerous to its aviation sector’s repute. There stays a risk that amid renewed efforts to market the J-10C for export, together with to Colombia, Indonesia, Egypt and Iran amongst others, a simulated engagement between the fighter and the J-20 could have been arrange beneath circumstances that will favour the J-10C.
Supporting the J-10C with the KJ-500 and J-16D, and probably inserting some handicap on the J-20, may have allowed the lighter fighter to achieve a victory that will additional draw consideration to its leading edge capabilities. With the J-20 broadly thought of the world’s most succesful air superiority fighter at the moment in service, the shootdown by a J-10C, even when beneath extremely beneficial circumstances, is predicted to burnish the lighter fighter’s repute. There stays little query, nonetheless, that with out such assist, an engagement can be extremely one-sided in favour of the J-20. It stays in query how lifelike the situation could have been, with plane like KJ-500s anticipated to be made precedence targets for J-20 items, and being susceptible at notably lengthy ranges as a result of their massive sizes and lack of manoeuvrability. This raises the likelihood that the scripted engagement could not have allowed the J-20 to neutralise the KJ-500 earlier than participating its goal. A lot will possible by no means be revealed concerning the circumstances of the engagement, however its timing coinciding with a gross sales push for the J-10C stays trigger for suspicion, notably when contemplating the great superiority that the J-20 has persistently demonstrated previously.
