[Military & Weapons Section] Author: Lele

After two days of brewing, Western media began to comment on Pakistan's announcement to purchase J-35E, Hongqi-19, and Kongjing-500 from China. The J-35E unsurprisingly became the focus. The special angle through which the West views these weapons exports to Pakistan does indeed have some reference value.

▲"Army Recognition" website has high praise for the delivery of J-35E to Pakistan

Regarding the Hongqi-19, the "Army Recognition" website mentioned it rather reluctantly, stating that "India's对标 equipment is Russia's S-400" — in reality, the anti-ballistic missile capability of the S-400 is very weak, and the originally planned S-500 was truly close to the level of the Hongqi-19. Of course, the current S-500, due to its overly complex technology, has actually been split into air defense and anti-missile subtypes with unclear performance, which is another topic. The article argues that the Hongqi-19 is not suitable for the current Pakistan, as its powerful anti-missile capabilities lack practical application in South Asia. Proven long-range air defense systems or even anti-drone equipment are more valuable.

▲The Hongqi-19 is too advanced for Pakistan

As for the Kongjing-500, based on the performance of ZDK-03, it is indeed worth acquiring — although the upgraded version of ZDK-03 has already approached the level of the Kongjing-500, crossing the threshold of a third-generation early warning aircraft is not easy. After obtaining the Kongjing-500, Pakistan Air Force’s combat system will be upgraded again. However, according to "Army Recognition," the value of the J-35E remains the highest. On one hand, the stealth attributes of the J-35E are excellent, capable of crushing all non-stealth fighters currently equipped by India Air Force; on the other hand, the J-35E is the culmination of the informatization combat system of AVIC, and after being equipped with advanced sensors, electronic warfare systems, and long-range air-to-air missiles, it can establish an information advantage.

▲The stealth and informatization advantages of the J-35 are both strong

On the other hand, although Indian Air Force is also considering introducing stealth fighters, Su-57 has even offered very favorable conditions, but its stealth level is clearly inferior to the J-35, making it insufficient to compete against it. The stealth level and informatization degree of F-35A are no less than those of the J-35, and even the gap in the main air-to-air weapons is not significant. Coupled with India's numerical advantage, theoretically, it could counter the J-35A in South Asia. The only issue is that, despite having equipped many American weapons over the years, India generally uses non-mainstream models like C-17A, P-8A, and AH-64E, reflecting India's mindset of wanting to utilize the advanced features of American weapons while fearing being controlled by the United States.

▲India indeed has a high regard for C-17A

Individually, the F-35A could indeed match up against the J-35E, but with the support of the Kongjing-500, advanced data links, and even electronic warfare aircraft equipped with core technologies from AVIC, the J-35E can easily suppress the F-35A. The "Defence Security Asia" website clearly sees this point, pointing out that Pakistan's greatest advantage lies in its rich experience in using Chinese fighter jets. As long as they receive the J-35E by 2026, they can quickly form combat capability and gain an upper hand for ten years thanks to their initiative.

▲The biggest problem for F-35A in South Asia facing the J-35E is the lack of system confrontation capability

In short, modern air combat is no longer just a clash between fighters but a competition of systems. The fact that AVIC agreed to deliver the J-35E promptly is partly a response to the excellent performance of Pakistan Air Force in the Indo-Pakistani air combat, and partly because it has deeply integrated into AVIC's combat system, inseparable from each other. Based on this reality, Pakistan can quickly master the J-35E after receiving it. The model adopted by the Indian Air Force, which first equipped Su-30MKI and then procured Rafale, has been proven to fail and essentially requires a complete overhaul. One side is well-organized and systematically updated, while the other is chaotic and directionless, which is the fundamental reason why many overseas media do not have confidence in the future of the Indian Air Force.

▲The Rafale can no longer stabilize the situation; India needs to find another way out

From this perspective, it makes sense for the J-35 to prepare for export to Pakistan even before it has fully ramped up production — exporting the J-35E to Pakistan carries much lower risks compared to exporting the J-10CE to South Asia at that time. Following Pakistan's recent major victory thanks to its system advantage, the delivery of the J-35E will inevitably attract massive attention, which is greatly beneficial for enhancing international status.

Original Article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513893317873091087/

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