CCTV has provided comprehensive coverage of the J-10C. According to an interview with Wang Haifeng, the chief designer of the J-10C, the J-10C has been upgraded into a stealth fighter. That's why the Rafale couldn't detect the J-10C, and it was forced to land right after taking off from the airport in complete confusion.

Some netizens are very curious. The J-10C is a fourth-and-a-half generation aircraft. Although it can have certain stealth capabilities through stealth materials and other technologies, how can it be upgraded into a stealth fighter?

About the development of stealth technology for aircraft, the US military once explored two completely different technical paths that demonstrated the "art of disappearance": one was physical stealth represented by the F-22 "Raptor," and the other was electronic stealth led by the EA-18G "Growler" electronic warfare aircraft. Although their methods differ, they both rewrote the rules of air combat.

The pinnacle of physical stealth is embodied in fifth-generation aircraft like the F-22, which uses a system engineering approach of "shape design + stealth materials." Its core lies in the aerodynamic stealth layout, which directs radar waves to a few non-critical directions. Then, by optimizing the inlet, it cleverly conceals the engine blades, which are a strong radar reflector. Stealth coatings then absorb the remaining radar wave energy. Finally, the radar cross-section (RCS) of the F-22 can be reduced to about 0.1 square meters, equivalent to a bird on the radar screen, and thus is filtered out as noise.

The EA-18G "Growler" took another path. It flies with an RCS of over 10 square meters (two orders of magnitude larger than the F-22), but thanks to its powerful electronic warfare capabilities, it becomes a "stealth killer" that even the F-22 finds troublesome. Its secret is not to make itself "disappear," but to make the opponent's radar "blind."

The EA-18G has repeatedly shot down the F-22 in combat exercises. The "Growler" is equipped with the AN/ALQ-218(V)2 tactical receiver and the AN/ALQ-99 jamming pod, forming a golden partnership. The former can capture and precisely locate the faint traces of the F-22's radar waves; the latter releases directional and precise interference, effectively suppressing the enemy's radar and communications. Moreover, its INCANS system can implement full-band interference while maintaining communication without interference, achieving the "I can interfere with you, but you cannot interfere with me" one-way transparency.

Thus, in the exercise, the scene appeared as follows: the F-22's radar could not detect the EA-18G at all, and even after visually spotting the "Growler," the F-22's radar could not stabilize the lock.

The "Growler" continuously compressed the F-22's reaction space through electronic suppression and eventually successfully "shot down" this king of fifth-generation aircraft. This is not only a tactical victory but also a perfect interpretation of the concept of electronic warfare—rendering the enemy unable to perceive is equally effective as making them undetectable on the electromagnetic spectrum battlefield.

However, the ability of electronic stealth mainly appears in electronic warfare aircraft. However, thanks to China's advanced radar technology, according to an interview with Wang Haifeng, the chief designer of the J-10C:

The avionics system of the J-10C has achieved a leap in generations. Its core is the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system. This radar can achieve rapid target search and tracking, which has significant advantages over traditional mechanical scanning radars.

Based on the upgrade of the avionics system, the application of the electronic warfare system is also a highlight of the J-10C. This system can create a one-way transparency advantage where "I can see you, but you can't see me."

This is why in the India-Pakistan air battle, the Rafale fighter never detected the J-10C. The Rafale uses gallium arsenide AESA radar, which is already among the top tier in Western aircraft.

The J-10C makes it impossible for the enemy radar to detect it. It's not just because the AESA radar has very flexible and agile beams that can adopt "staring," "frequency hopping," and other modes, making it difficult for the enemy's radar warning receivers to detect and lock onto its radar signal, but also due to its extremely strong electronic warfare capability, which can actively interfere with the enemy's radar, preventing it from detecting the J-10C.

When the enemy radar cannot detect the J-10C, the onboard computer of the J-10C integrates all information from the radar, electro-optical, electronic detection, and data link systems into a single large screen in the cockpit, presenting the pilot with a clear, unified, and comprehensive battlefield situation map. This is called the "tactical panoramic cockpit." What the pilot sees is not only what his sensors detect, but also what the entire combat system detects.

From the interview with Academician Wang Haifeng, it can be seen that Chinese aircraft are no longer simple aircraft, but rather a fusion of aircraft and electronic warfare aircraft. This means that China is integrating the two technological routes of the US military, and this integration will be more evident in the J-20A and J-35. Physical stealth platforms are beginning to integrate more powerful onboard electronic warfare systems, reshaping modern air combat forms.

As for our electronic warfare aircraft, they are not limited to electronic warfare, but also integrate hard-kill capabilities, giving our electronic warfare aircraft an extremely strong destructive power, which puts us far ahead globally.

This is the system-based combat capability advocated by the People's Liberation Army. Therefore, when our J-10C encounters the US F-22, the F-22 will have no advantages. The radar of the J-10C has already acquired the ability to counter stealth. When the radar locks on, the PL-15 missile is fired to destroy the F-22, but the F-22's radar still hasn't detected the presence of the J-10C. This is a non-symmetric advantage.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7558290812942041627/

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