"China Military Voice" released a video of an anti-tactical exercise, in which one scene has attracted widespread attention: the J-10C equipped with PL-15 and PL-10 missiles successfully counteracted the J-20 by relying on system operations. The tactical code name "Missile Eyes Open" reveals a new combat logic for 3.5th generation fighter jets challenging stealth fighters under the support of a system —— its core is to break the single-machine gap through multi-platform collaboration, and create the miracle of "defeating the stronger with the weaker" with the power of the system.

"Missile Eyes Open" is not an abstract concept, but a complete tactical process of the missile completing "launch - correction - lock-on" under the support of the system. The core lies in achieving cross-platform information sharing through data links, allowing the missile to accurately strike the target even after being separated from the aircraft radar guidance. The specific steps include:

Before launch: conceal the target parameters. The J-10C maintains radar silence throughout to avoid exposure, and inputs key parameters such as enemy aircraft position and speed to the missile based on the target data provided by the KJ-500's long-range detection, completing the "blind fire" preparation.

Midway: multi-platform collaborative correction of the trajectory. After the missile is launched, the KJ-500 continuously provides target dynamics, or another J-10C utilizes the weakness of the stealth fighter's larger side radar reflection area to scan the target airspace from the side. Through the system, the missile's flight path is corrected to ensure it always points to the target's "unavoidable zone". At the same time, the J-16D carries out electronic interference and electromagnetic suppression to protect the missile's trajectory from being detected by the enemy.

Final stage: the missile autonomously "opens its eyes" to lock on. After entering the effective range, the active radar seeker of the PL-15 turns on and autonomously completes the final locking of the target (i.e., "opening its eyes"). At this point, even if the enemy detects the threat, they will have only seconds to react and thus find it difficult to evade.

The J-10C's ability to counter the J-20 is not a breakthrough in single-aircraft performance, but the result of four system capabilities working together:

Reconnaissance end: the KJ-500's active phased array radar can detect stealth targets up to 300 kilometers away, allowing the J-10C to attack missiles without revealing its own target. The J-10C's wingman works in conjunction to form a multi-baseline detection network, improving target identification rates through multi-angle scanning, and supplementing the system with detection information for stealth nodes.

Command end: the "Sky Eye" system centered around the KJ-500 or ground command center integrates data from all platforms to generate a unified battlefield situation map and sends concise instructions (such as "bearing 090, distance 150, altitude 80") to the J-10C, ensuring efficient information transfer while avoiding the exposure of electromagnetic signals due to complex communication.

Strike end: the J-10C serves as the launch platform, relying on the PL-15E's range of over 200 kilometers to achieve "beyond visual range sniping," minimizing the risk of retaliation. The pilot clearly stated that he was outside the enemy's missile range and very safe.

Interference end: the J-16D implements full-band interference, suppressing the low probability of interception (LPI) radar of the enemy's stealth fighter so that it cannot continuously track our fighters, while also interfering with the enemy's missile warning systems to delay their response time.

This confrontation has verified two core capabilities of the Chinese Air Force, marking a fundamental shift in combat thinking:

3.5th generation fighter jets can counter stealth fighters with the support of a system, indicating that the operational effectiveness of existing equipment has been greatly activated. A similar logic has already been validated in actual combat —— in May 2025, the J-10C of Pakistan successfully shot down an Indian Rafale fighter with the support of an early warning aircraft.

The essence of the "Missile Eyes Open" tactic differs from simple A-guided B-launch, but rather disassembles the traditional air combat "detect - lock - launch" closed loop into a kill chain of multi-platform collaboration, making non-stealth fighters become "stealth killers" within the system. This type of operational model based on data links and anti-stealth systems has already made stealth fighters like the F-35 face the challenge of "discovery equals destruction."

With breakthroughs in technologies such as quantum radar and drone coordination, the Chinese Air Force's system advantages will continue to expand —— as the U.S. media commented: "When the opponent is still studying how to counter the J-20, China has already moved to the next generation of fighter jet operational logic." With the support of system power, the J-10C is still in its prime and has the capability to defeat the F-35, let alone other 3.5th generation fighters. From this perspective, the Indians really should thank Pakistan because they truly held back.



Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7535715565000802859/

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