The Indian defense publication "Wings of India" published a commentary article, claiming that the Chinese J-35A fighter jet is inferior in every aspect.

The article's views include that it is only suitable for flying over the sea, performs poorly at high altitudes, and is unsuitable for the environment in South Asia, among others. It even asserts that against the "perfect combination" of Rafale and Tejas, it would have no chance of victory.

It can only be said that at this moment, the sentiment of sour grapes has been concretized.

The J-35A is a fifth-generation fighter jet that has already been deployed in combat. The Indian Air Force still does not have a single fifth-generation aircraft with true stealth capabilities. Not only can they not produce their own, but buying from others is also unsatisfactory. It is unclear where they get the confidence to criticize China's fifth-generation aircraft.

The first point of criticism by Indian media regarding the J-35A is the so-called engine issue, claiming that in environments such as high altitudes and dust, thrust will significantly decrease.

Currently, there is no official confirmation on which type of engine the J-35A uses. Mainstream analysis generally believes that it currently uses the WS-21 medium-thrust engine, an upgraded version of the WS-13 series, with a thrust of about 93 kilonewtons.

However, according to the latest information disclosed by CCTV, the new engine may be a more advanced WS-19.

Even if it uses the WS-21, its thrust-to-weight ratio, turbofan efficiency, and thermal stability are at an advanced level among medium-thrust engines.

Moreover, Indian media treats the decline in high-altitude thrust as a unique flaw of Chinese engines. In fact, this is a universal physical law for all turbofan engines in low-pressure environments. Performance will always be discounted under extreme conditions.

Attacking the J-35A specifically based on a factor that affects all aircraft is completely selective blindness.

Additionally, Pakistan is not naive. If the J-35A is deployed in the future, it may not necessarily be forced to take off vertically from a 7,500-foot airport with full fuel and ammunition. It can be deployed through other means.

From performance parameters to usage scenarios, the assumptions made by Indian media are almost entirely models of the worst-case scenario with maximum losses. One might think that the J-35A cannot even fly.

J-35

The second "problem" mentioned by Indian media is that the J-35A originates from a carrier-based aircraft, making it unsuitable for high-altitude land-based operations.

The article claims that the design of carrier-based aircraft is only suitable for taking off near the sea, and the adjustment on aircraft carriers is incompatible with high altitudes. This is essentially a confusion of concepts.

The J-35A indeed originates from the carrier-based J-35, but it is itself a land-based version, having removed the arresting hook and optimized the landing gear.

Furthermore, it seems that Indian media has forgotten that the Chinese Air Force has already deployed heavy fighters like the J-11B and J-16 in Tibet, and even the J-20 has been stationed at high-altitude airports.

As a successor platform, the J-35A will naturally inherit these practical experiences and adapt accordingly.

In addition, high-altitude operations are not about who has a larger takeoff weight, but rather about who has more reasonable tactical use.

Fifth-generation aircraft emphasize system warfare, beyond-visual-range strikes, and low observability penetration. They do not need to fly close to the terrain and drop iron bombs like the Su-30.

A stealth platform just needs to take off, penetrate, strike, and withdraw successfully, completing its mission. Whether it comes from the sea or whether the landing gear is heavy is not a decisive factor in winning.

J-35

Indian media also stated that due to the large amount of dust and humidity in South Asia, the J-35A is not durable and the maintenance cost is too high, which Pakistan cannot afford.

This implies that Chinese aircraft have poor environmental adaptability. The question arises: can there be no fighter jets if there is a lot of dust? What are the Indian forces using to take off from the bases in Punjab and Rajasthan desert?

For example, Middle Eastern countries have deployed fourth-and-a-half generation aircraft or even F-35s. Do they not have sand entering the engines?

In fact, modern jet engines have certain anti-sand designs, and the maintenance manuals also specify procedures such as cleaning, filtering, and cooling in areas with high sand content.

If the J-35A is exported, it will certainly come with an optimized version tailored to the Pakistani environment. China's long-term experience in exporting weapons includes adaptability support.

As for whether Pakistan can afford it, this is even more baseless. Pakistan has already established a full-life cycle support system for the FC-1 Xiaolong (JF-17), and its aviation industry complex itself has the capability to modify and maintain locally. How could they not be able to maintain the J-35A?

Indian Aircraft

The most ridiculous of all is the final conclusion by Indian media: the J-35A cannot beat the combination of Rafale and Tejas.

This statement has moved from technical evaluation into strategic fantasy.

In any equal combat situation, the advantage of fifth-generation stealth aircraft over fourth-generation aircraft is a generational碾压, which cannot be reversed by combining two fourth-and-a-half generation aircraft.

The J-35A can launch and withdraw from the battlefield before the enemy radar detects it. Making the Tejas accompany the Rafale to attack the J-35A is not tactical coordination, but rather a battlefield suicide.

Not to mention that the Tejas has never been used in actual combat by India, and the Rafale has even failed to defeat the J-10CE. Who gave you the courage to say that you can defeat a fifth-generation aircraft?

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7557596997071487522/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking the [Up/Down] button below.