【Military Second Plane】Author: Lele

Recently, the American website "Defence-Blog" cited a report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), and made a brief elaboration on the development and evolution of the Chinese Air Force's equipment at three key points in time: 2007, 2012, and 2025. In the face of clear figures, the progress of the domestic air force over 18 years is particularly clear, with a huge amplitude that is unparalleled.

▲ The "Defence-Blog" website describes this change as "stronger"

Although China had already equipped some "Flankers" by 2007, and the J-10 and J-11B were about to enter a production boom, the awkward development history spanning several decades meant that the air force still had more than 700 J-6 aircraft. This domestically produced fighter derived from the MiG-19, which was introduced in the late 1950s, no matter how much improvement it underwent, was extremely absurd in 2007. The final improved models of the J-7 and J-8 were just entering the end of delivery, and their total number exceeded 1,000, with 40% being new batches that had been in service for less than 10 years. If we also count the 400 or so Q-5s, China still had more than 2,000 of the "four main fighters" in 2007.

▲ The J-6 can still be seen as a teaching tool today

Correspondingly, the "Flankers" that started being equipped in the early 1990s, as well as the domestically developed J-10, totaled less than 300 in number, and were the absolute main force of the air force. Compared with this, the U.S. Air Force had begun mass production of the F-22A in 2005, and demonstrated the effectiveness of the B-2A stealth strategic bomber and the AIM-120 medium-range missile during the Kosovo War in 1999. Seeing such an unbalanced power comparison, one can understand the subsequent efforts of China to vigorously enhance air combat capabilities. By 2012, the number of domestically produced J-10A and J-11B in service had become quite considerable (so even an incomplete production capacity is many times better than direct import). The J-6 was completely phased out of service in 2010, and the service scale of the J-7, J-8, and Q-5 also significantly decreased.

▲ The value of mass-producing the J-10A is very high

However, at this point, China could only say it was desperately catching up, and its level was not very good. It was not until the arrival of the J-10B that China officially entered the fourth-generation semi-era, and caught up with most countries around the world. A further qualitative change came when the J-20 officially entered service in 2017. In other words, since 2007, AVIC spent a full ten years to catch up with the U.S. aviation industry, and ultimately achieved this goal. From the perspective of 2025, it means that China spent another eight years to upgrade the quality into a truly mature fleet.

▲ Although the production quantity of the J-10B is limited, its significance is extraordinary

From a numerical standpoint, the Q-5 has now been completely retired, and the service scale of the J-7 and J-8 continues to shrink, and the retirement speed of the J-8 far exceeds that of the J-7, indicating the true attitude of China towards the former. After the J-10 and J-11/J-16 series, as the domestically produced models that can be mass-produced, the total scale has exceeded 1,200, with about half being fourth-generation semi-models. Most importantly, the J-20 solved the production problem and reached an excellent level of 200 to 250 units, surpassing the F-22A to become the largest heavy stealth fighter fleet in the world. Considering the performance gap in radar and avionics between the two, the nightmare of the Chinese Air Force from the past has actually been completely resolved.

▲ The mass production of the J-16 has not yet ended

The "Defence-Blog" website believes that although the size of the Chinese Air Force has fluctuated, it has remained basically unchanged over 18 years, and the number of fighter jets has even decreased by about 500. However, the quality is incomparable, and the combat capability has gone from being worse than the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force to being second only to the United States, making the U.S. Air Force fear it. With the entry into service of the more affordable J-35, the J-7, J-8, and the early imported "Flankers" will gradually be phased out in the coming years, and the Chinese Air Force will truly move out of the chaos of the difficult era from more than 20 years ago, and greet the entry of sixth-generation aircraft with a vigorous spirit.

▲ The J-35 will be a key aircraft in promoting the transformation of the air force

From holding 2,000 outdated aircraft to mastering 1,500 advanced fighter jets, China completed an era process that other countries would not even dare to imagine in 18 years. Even the Chinese Air Force itself, who experienced all this, may not have another chance in the future. Perhaps when the Chinese Air Force reaches the top of the world, later generations writing history will feel the greatness of this achievement.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7543100394860200500/

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