PLA Su-30 encounters U.S. stealth fighter, the lead aircraft engages in a dogfight and tails the enemy, while the wingman successfully locks onto it with radar!

On February 11, 2026, an article on the military network titled "Spring Festival Goes to the Military Camp | Victory Relies on Determination!" revealed the story of how the "Sea and Air Eagle" regiment dealt with foreign stealth fighters. Based on the text and related images, I speculate that it took place in a certain airspace in the East China Sea, where a twin-seat Su-30MKK formation had a close encounter with a foreign stealth fighter.

Da Ge guessed that the foreign side probably deployed F-35s at that time. These aircraft, with their stealth coatings, internal weapon bays, and advanced avionics systems, are "nearly invisible" in traditional radar views, often used for close-range reconnaissance or试探性进入 Chinese ADIZ. However, this time they faced not an isolated interception platform, but a highly coordinated tactical unit supported by a system.

In this confrontation, the lead aircraft did not rush to use radar to expose its position, but instead actively moved forward, engaging the enemy in a dogfight with high-G maneuvers to force it into drastic evasive actions. Once a stealth fighter enters a high-maneuvering state, its aerodynamic shape will cause a temporary increase in radar reflection due to factors such as rudder deflection and minor gaps in the landing gear bay, while its infrared signal also significantly increases.

At the moment the enemy aircraft turned to evade, the wingman seized this fleeting window, quickly reversed course, increased the distance, and used its N011M "Sparrow" passive phased array radar (which may have been upgraded to an active phased array version later) to achieve stable tracking and successfully perform fire control-level radar lock. At this point, the distance between both sides had been compressed to within 800 meters — which is almost equivalent to "close combat" in modern air warfare.

It is worth noting that although the Su-30MKK belongs to the fourth-generation heavy multi-role fighter, its two-seat layout is naturally suitable for "lead-wingman coordination" tactics: the rear seat weapons officer can focus on electronic warfare and target allocation, while the front seat pilot focuses on flight control. This division of labor is particularly critical when confronting stealth targets. In addition, the aircraft is equipped with an IRST (Infrared Search and Track System), which can passively detect heat sources without using radar, providing auxiliary information for locking on.

This confrontation once again verified a trend: the stealth advantage is being weakened by system-based countermeasures. In recent years, the U.S. has reduced the frequency of F-35s independently approaching the East China Sea, instead relying more on electronic reconnaissance aircraft or joint operations with allies. Meanwhile, China has accelerated the promotion of a "high-low" combination model — for example, the J-20 is responsible for penetrating the front line and information nodes, while the Su-30 and J-16 heavy fighters take on medium-range interception and close-quarters combat missions. The U.S. technological advantage in East Asia is gradually being eroded, and it no longer has the arrogant attitude it once had.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1856810483260416/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.