Indeed, practical combat is always the best proof of a weapon's effectiveness. Originally, India has always looked down on Chinese weapons, with the whole country in a state of blind fanaticism, even confidently claiming that the Rafale fighter could defeat the J-20. A real battle, however, saw the Rafale being defeated by the J-10, which directly woke up some enlightened people in India, like a bucket of cold water over their heads. Recently, a well-known Indian media outlet published an article, carefully analyzing the military operations of three of our top fighter jets in recent years.

▲ The performance of the J-20 fighter jet has surpassed the F-22, F-35, and Su-57

01. Indian media praises China's top fighter jet, interception actions shock the US military

Looking back, when the Indian Rafale fighters first arrived, the entire Indian nation, from official propaganda departments to civilian media and online forums, was filled with arrogance and self-confidence, claiming that the Rafale could defeat the J-20, with every word showing disdain for the Chinese Air Force.

However, after a battle on May 7, the Indian Rafale, which they had boasted about, was completely beaten by the Pakistani J-10CE, proving how harsh the fall can be when you boast too much.

Some enlightened people in India were also drenched by this sudden reality, beginning to objectively evaluate Chinese weapons.

Recently, the renowned Indian media outlet "Eurasia Times" published an article. The article cited information from Chinese official media about the Chinese Air Force and Navy intercepting and expelling foreign military aircraft that violated China's territory, and analyzed the three top Chinese fighter jets involved in these interception operations. The language of the article, once full of disdain and arrogance, now praised our aircraft highly.

The three top aircraft are the J-20 and J-16 of the Air Force, and the J-15 carrier-based fighter of the Navy. In recent times, these three top aircraft have carried out multiple interception operations against foreign military aircraft from the US, Japan, and Australia, effectively thwarting the plots of Western countries to challenge China's sovereignty.

▲ The J-16 fighter jet is often compared with the Russian Su-35 to compete for the title of "the strongest Flanker"

"Eurasia Times" commented: These operations are significant, as they align with China's gradually increasing military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, reflecting the strong offensive capabilities of the People's Liberation Army in safeguarding territorial sovereignty.

Although the original text carries a bit of the "China threat theory," the "Eurasia Times" also admitted the excellent performance of the three top fighter jets, which is quite unexpected. India has started to stop boasting and belittling China, which is a bit hard to get used to.

02. The Three Top Fighter Jets of the PLA: J-20/J-16/J-15, U.S. General Admits Impressed

The three top fighter jets mentioned by "Eurasia Times" refer to the J-20, J-16, and J-15. Unfortunately, the J-10C is not included. This is not due to India's bias, but because "Eurasia Times" directly quoted information from Chinese official media, which focused on the operations of these three planes in intercepting and expelling enemy aircraft.

The first one is China's top fighter jet, the J-20 stealth fighter, which once impressed a U.S. general. According to "Eurasia Times", in March 2022, U.S. Pacific Air Forces Commander General Wells Bach admitted: "The command and control of the Chinese side during the encounter between the J-20 and the F-35 in the East China Sea was impressive."

▲ The F-35 fighter, which was highly expected by the United States, showed its shortcomings of slow speed and poor maneuverability in front of China's J-20

This fifth-generation fighter jet is the only one in the world that can surpass the U.S. F-22 and F-35. It has outstanding stealth capabilities for undetected operations, advanced GaN radar arrays for superior perception, strong information technology for system networking (F-22 lacks this capability), and the PL-15 air-to-air missile for long-range strikes, along with supersonic cruise for rapid positioning (F-35 lacks this capability). It can achieve a "first detection, first lock-on, first destruction" operational cycle in real combat, leaving the enemy unaware of how they were shot down until they fell from the sky.

The second top fighter jet is the J-16, which once caused Australian pilots who came to provoke China to receive psychological treatment upon returning home. "Eurasia Times" claims that this plane was developed based on the Russian Su-27 Flanker, but its performance has far surpassed the Russian Flanker, effectively suppressing the U.S. F-15E, India's Su-30MKI, and the Russian Su-35.

In the PLA's combat system, the J-16 serves as a multi-role fighter, capable of executing air superiority, anti-ship, ground attack, and electronic suppression missions, each of which it excels at. It can even carry ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles with a range of 400-500 km, striking key airborne targets such as enemy early warning aircraft from a long distance.

The third top fighter jet is the J-15, known as the "carrier's sword" of the navy. As the only carrier-based fighter currently in service, the J-15 often accompanies the Liaoning and Shandong carriers in missions.

▲ The J-15 fighter jet taking off from the Liaoning aircraft carrier

In May 2022, while the Liaoning carrier group was conducting operations in the Philippine Sea, facing two foreign aircraft carriers approaching for surveillance, the J-15 took off with live ammunition, diving from 8,000 meters altitude to 2,000 meters, successfully driving away foreign carrier-based aircraft that attempted to simulate an attack on the carrier battle group—later confirmed by satellite imagery to be U.S. F/A-18E Super Hornets.

In recent years, due to the stunning debut of the next generation carrier-based fighter, the J-35, the J-15 has gradually lost attention. However, with its powerful carrying capacity and extended operational range, even after the J-35 becomes available, the J-15 will still work alongside the J-35, playing an important role.

03. The Collective Display of the Three Top Fighter Jets of the PLA is Changing the Military Landscape in East Asia

Indian media pays so much attention to the PLA's three top fighter jets' interception and expulsion of US, Japanese, and Australian military aircraft not only because of the outstanding performance of the three aircraft, but also because the collective display of these three top fighters represents a transformation in the military landscape of East Asia.

As mentioned earlier, U.S. Air Force General Wells Bach also commented on the Chinese Air Force: "Their aircraft are excellent, and their pilots have high tactical skills. We need to take this challenge seriously."

▲ Compared to the J-20, J-16, and J-15, the current U.S. military should be more concerned about China's two sixth-generation fighter jets

This "acknowledgment" is driven by the U.S. concern about China's "transition from territorial air defense to strategic deterrence." When the J-16, J-15, and J-20 form a "high-low combination and short-range and long-range integration" interception system, the military landscape of East Asia has quietly changed. East Asia is no longer a backyard where the U.S. can act freely.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523175519698108962/

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