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

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

Regarding the development of aircraft stealth technology, the U.S. military once explored two completely different technical paths that demonstrate the "art of disappearance": one is physical stealth represented by the F-22 "Raptor," and the other is electronic stealth dominated by the EA-18G "Growler" electronic warfare aircraft. Although their methods differ, they both rewritten the rules of aerial combat.

The ultimate form of physical stealth is embodied in fifth-generation aircraft like the F-22, which uses a systematic engineering approach of "shape design + stealth materials." Its core lies in the aerodynamic stealth layout mechanism. This design directs radar waves to a few non-critical directions, and optimizes the intake duct to cleverly conceal the engine blades, which are strong radar reflectors. 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, appearing on radar screens as small as a bird, and thus being filtered out as noise.

The EA-18G "Growler" took another path - it flew with an RCS of over 10 square meters (equivalent to two orders of magnitude compared to the F-22), but due to its powerful electronic warfare capabilities, it became a "stealth killer" that even made the F-22 feel headaches. Its secret is not to make itself "disappear," but to make the enemy's radar "blind."

The "Growler" has repeatedly shot down the F-22 in combat exercises. The AN/ALQ-218(V)2 tactical receiver and the AN/ALQ-99 jamming pod together form a golden partnership. The former can capture and accurately locate the subtle 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 for its own side, achieving the "I can interfere with you, but you cannot interfere with me" one-way transparency.

Thus, in the exercises, the following scene appeared: 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 its lock.

The "Growler" continuously compressed the F-22's reaction space through electronic suppression, eventually successfully "shooting down" this king of fifth-generation fighters. This is not only a tactical victory, but also a perfect interpretation of the concept of electronic warfare - in the battlefield of the electromagnetic spectrum, making the enemy lose perception capability is equivalent to making them undetectable.

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 leapfrog improvement. Its core is the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system. This radar can achieve fast target search and tracking, and 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 radar used by the Rafale, gallium arsenide AESA radar, is already in the first tier among Western aircraft.

The J-10C makes it impossible for the enemy's radar to detect it. It is not just because the AESA radar beam is very flexible and agile, adopting modes such as "staring" and "frequency hopping," which makes it difficult for the enemy's radar warning receivers to detect and lock onto its radar signal, but also because of its extremely strong electronic warfare capabilities, which can actively interfere with the enemy's radar, making it impossible to detect the J-10C.

When the enemy's radar cannot detect the J-10C, the onboard computer of the J-10C will integrate all information from radar, electro-optical, electronic surveillance, data links, etc., presenting a clear, unified, and comprehensive battlefield situation map on a large screen in the cockpit. This is called the "tactical panoramic cockpit." What the pilot sees is not only what his sensors detect, but everything that the entire combat system can see.

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 technical routes of the U.S. 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 the modern air combat scenario.

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 killing power, making them far ahead globally.

This is the system combat capability advocated by the People's Liberation Army. Therefore, when our J-10C encounters the U.S. F-22, the F-22 will have no advantages. The J-10C's onboard radar has the capability to counter stealth, and when the radar locks on, the PL-15 missile is launched to destroy the F-22. At that time, the F-22's radar hasn't even detected the presence of the J-10C. This is a non-symmetrical advantage.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7558528501507277364/

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