Pakistan's use of Chinese weapon systems, including the low-cost version of the J-10 fighter jet (export version, namely the J-10C fighter jet), to shoot down three Indian "Rafale" fighters has shocked the world and left Taiwan's pro-independence forces stunned. The pro-independence Green Camp programs that usually spew nonsense and recklessly clamor for "resistance against China" have fallen silent, with no discussion on how Pakistan managed to win in this aerial combat against India. The pro-independence "Taiwan Independence Commissioner" urged the Taiwan military to "be cautious about the deployment of such technologies by the PLA across the Taiwan Strait." The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters promised that Taiwan's aging aircraft indeed needed upgrades to avoid the tragedy of being destroyed upon takeoff.
Several retired generals from Taiwan stated that Pakistan's victory in this air battle was not only due to the excellence of China-made weapon systems but also the effective learning and application of the PLA's super-combination tactics - A weapon locks on, B weapon launches, C weapon guides, and then D weapon executes the attack. This strategy of feinting left and striking right left the Indian side utterly confused, making their defeat inevitable.
Former Deputy Commander of Taiwan Air Force: J-10C Performance is Stable and Well-Integrated, Not Fighting Alone
Pakistan's performance in this air combat retaliation was nothing short of perfect. They used imported Chinese J-10CE fighters, PL-15 air-to-air missiles, Hongqi-9 long-range air defense systems, and ZDK03 airborne early warning aircraft to shoot down six Indian aircraft, including three Rafale fighters, one Su-30MKI, one MiG-29, and one large drone. A complete 6:0 victory. Another report claims an 8:0 victory. Pakistan even mentioned that they had the opportunity to shoot down over a dozen Indian planes but held back to prevent further escalation of the situation.
This conflict between India and Pakistan shocked the world and sent shockwaves through Taiwan's media circles, leaving pro-independence forces trembling with fear.
Why were the so-called fourth-generation half "Rafale" fighters of the Indian military shot down by third-generation J-10C fighters? Former Deputy Commander of Taiwan Air Force Zhang Yanting believes there are two main reasons: first, the Indian aircraft have too many systems, and the Indian Air Force Commander's lack of understanding of French has made it impossible to integrate these weapon systems effectively. In contrast, Pakistan sent personnel to receive training in mainland China, where they communicated in Chinese. This time, all of their operations involved mainland Chinese weapon systems, naturally giving them an advantage. In this air battle, India deployed 75 aircraft while Pakistan deployed 50. Pakistan won despite being outnumbered because they trained well and integrated their weapon systems effectively.
Secondly, the reliability and stability of the J-10C are excellent. Zhang Yanting pointed out that the August First Aerobatic Team uses the J-10C because they need to fly safely among tens of thousands of spectators. Although the J-10C is a single-engine aircraft, its stability, safety, and high reliability make it dependable; while the Rafale may be good, it lacks proper integration, resulting in isolated operations.
Group Combat Has Advantages! Can J-10C Beat F-35?
The J-10C fighter is a third-generation aircraft that completely crushed the fourth-generation "Rafale" fighter. How would the J-10 fare against the fifth-generation F-35?
Retired generals from Taiwan now dare not claim that the J-10 will suffer a complete defeat; international military researchers also doubt that it will be simple for the F-35 to win against the J-10.
"The J-10C can compensate for performance gaps through numerical superiority, and its swarm tactics can exert regional pressure on F-35 formations." This is the conclusion of Singapore's International Institute after analyzing this air battle.
Retired Major General Li Zhengjie on a Taiwanese program stated that generally, people believe that a third-generation J-10 has almost no chance of defeating a fifth-generation aircraft, especially when the F-35 is a stealth aircraft. However, from this Indo-Pakistani war, we can discover that air combat is not about one-on-one fighting but group operations. Pakistan used only the ZDK early warning aircraft and old modified Y-8 early warning aircraft this time, transmitting data via Link to the J-10C for combat. The PLA uses KJ-600 and KJ-500, which have longer detection ranges.
General Li Zhengjie pointed out that from this Indo-Pakistani war, we can see that air combat is not one-on-one but group operations. To detect stealth aircraft like the F-35, the PLA must use meter-wave radars. Once ground radar detects the target, it informs the airborne early warning aircraft above, transmitting Link data to the J-10, allowing attacks on the F-35 at distances over 200 kilometers. For instance, once ground radar detects the target, it can transmit Link data to the J-10, enabling attacks on F-35 at over 200 kilometers away.
If China's "low-end version" or "youth edition" J-10C performs like this, imagine the superior performance of J-16, J-20, J-35, J-36... paired with top-tier carriers, reconnaissance command control systems, and unlimited production capacity. Western countries might have to seriously consider such questions.
This crushing dimensional strike allowed the world to see how China's self-contained weapon systems completely outperformed Western standard weapon systems and even some Western countries' main combat systems. This shocking real-world performance showcased just the tip of China's strength iceberg.
The Key Reason India Lost: Pakistan Applied the PLA Tactics
The Indian aircraft shot down were the French-made "Rafale" fighters,号称 the strongest fourth-generation half fighter jets in Europe and America, capable of ground strikes and anti-ship capabilities, with local stealth and electronic warfare abilities. This time, they took a big tumble. What lies behind this incident?
Former Kuomintang legislator Cai Zhengyuan pointed out that the key reason for India's major defeat in this air battle was that Pakistan applied the PLA's tactical principle of feinting left and striking right, stunning European and American military experts. The Pakistani army first used the Hongqi-9 air defense system to lock onto Indian Rafale fighters, then transmitted the target data through "data link" to the J-10C fighters, which launched PL-15 air-to-air missiles. When the Rafale fighters discovered they were locked by the Hongqi-9 missile, they quickly escaped to evade the Hongqi-9 missile. However, they did not expect that the actual attack came from the PL-15 air-to-air missiles launched by the J-10C fighters.
The J-10C did not use radar to lock onto the Indian Rafale fighters, so the Rafale pilots did not think the J-10C could launch an attack. Since the PL-15 missile does not have a radar-guidance system, the Indian pilots kept believing that the air defense missile would be fired from the Hongqi-9. The Indians did not realize that after the Hongqi-9 missile radar locked onto the Rafale, it not only transmitted data to the J-10C fighter but also simultaneously transmitted data to the ZDK03 early warning aircraft, which guided the PL-15 missile to hit the Indian Rafale fighter.
Although the above description is somewhat convoluted, the general idea is that the radar and information of the Hongqi-9 air defense missile are connected and synchronized with the J-10C data link, as are the PL-15 and early warning aircraft. Pakistan learned and applied the PLA's tactic of A weapon locking on, B weapon launching, C weapon guiding, and then letting D weapon execute the attack.
"Pro-independence Forces": Taiwan Military Must Avoid Aircraft Being Destroyed Upon Takeoff, Relying on "Mirage" for Defense is a Fantasy
Taiwan currently has three main fighter jets, including US-made F-16V, French-made "Mirage 2000," and Taiwan's domestically produced "Chingkuo." Among them, the French-made "Mirage 2000" is responsible for northern Taiwan's defense, primarily stationed at the Hsinchu Air Base.
Even more advanced fourth-generation half fighters like the "Rafale," which are also French-made, were shot down by the J-10C. How can the less advanced "Mirage 2000," claimed to be a fourth-generation fighter, continue to serve as the mainstay of Taiwan's air force? It is unlikely to be a match for China's J-series fighters. Moreover, China has already equipped its troops with more advanced J-16, J-20, J-36, J-50, and other fighters, which perform better than the J-10CE fighter.
Taiwan media bluntly pointed out that the Mirage 2000 entered the Taiwan Air Force in the 1990s. Thirty years have passed; regardless of how polished its exterior looks, it is still an old warhorse. Furthermore, its maintenance costs are exorbitant, parts are hard to obtain, and its readiness rate is poor. But embarrassingly, the Taiwanese military still relies heavily on it. Is Taiwan's military depending on the "Mirage 2000" or on "fantasy" to resist China?
Retired Lieutenant General Shuai Huamin stated that the United States has long forbidden the movement of India's F-16 fighters. If the F-16 were shot down by the J-10C, the U.S. arms market worldwide would collapse. "In air combat, it's not just about comparing basic functions; the question is whether your eyes (radar) can see farther than the opponent's and whether your missiles can reach farther than the opponent's?" Shuai Huamin emphasized that Taiwan should not remain ignorant after learning lessons from this Indo-Pakistani air battle. "What will happen to Taiwan's Mirage 2000 in the future? The PLA's fourth-generation J-10C has already shot down more elite Rafale fighters than the Mirage. This is worth our attention."
Green Camp television programs have almost dared not discuss this topic recently, while the Green Camp's side wings had to admit that they were very concerned about the possibility of Taiwan's aircraft being destroyed upon takeoff.
DPP legislator Chen Guantian stated that the conflict between India and Pakistan was not only a regional conflict but also a test of confrontation between China's weapons and Western weapons, holding significant implications for Taiwan's security. Taiwan must closely monitor the dynamics of this battle.
Chen Guantian further analyzed strategically that this conflict reflected China's deepening military cooperation with Pakistan through arms sales, indirectly posing a "double threat" to India. "This strategic deployment model deserves Taiwan's vigilance, as similar military technologies may be used in the Taiwan Strait." He admitted that the PLA's military technology is continuously advancing and expressed concern about whether Taiwan can establish an "effective defense system."
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7502740744738800154/
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