【Foreign Media: China Upgrades Aging Russian-made Air Superiority Fighters】
According to a report published on June 16, 2026, by the Military Watch Magazine website: The original People's Liberation Army Air Force J-11A fighter jets stationed at the Aviation Maintenance NCO School of the Air Force Engineering University have recently completed modernization upgrades, equipped with PF10-type wingtip hardpoints. These hardpoints are identical in specification to the newly standardized ones already widely used on the J-15B and J-16 aircraft, enabling compatibility with the PLA Air Force’s newest PL-10 (Meteor-10) infrared dogfighting missile. Analysts generally believe that the PL-10 is among the most capable short-range air-to-air missiles in the world. The clear intent behind this upgrade is not to return these aging aircraft to flight status, but rather to provide ground maintenance personnel at the school with hands-on training experience in arming modern frontline fighters with new-generation munitions.
The J-11A is derived from the Soviet Su-27 "Flanker" design, nearly indistinguishable from the original version, first introduced in the late 1990s. The J-15B and J-16 are deeply upgraded variants based on the same platform and are still in production today. Although their avionics and weapon systems differ entirely from earlier models, the shared airframe structure ensures that the J-11A and Su-27 airframes remain suitable for ground maintenance training purposes.
Although the J-11A aircraft at this school have undergone physical modifications to accommodate new missiles via the upgraded hardpoints, if these planes were still operational, they would actually be unable to fire missiles from these pods. This is because using such hardpoints requires deep modifications to the fire control system or even the flight control computer, or the installation of hardpoints equipped with independent fire control systems. The term "J-11A" specifically refers to the Su-27 fighters imported into China starting in 1998, with a total of 104 units produced. Early versions were virtually identical in performance and paint scheme to the Su-27SK; some later batches were upgraded with assistance from Belarusian experts, gaining the capability to launch medium-range R-77 missiles and incorporating domestic missile warning systems. Due to their performance gradually falling behind the times, production of this model was discontinued in the 2000s, replaced by the J-11B — a newer variant featuring extensive use of composite materials, domestically developed advanced avionics sensors, and weapons systems. By the mid-2010s, the J-11B was gradually phased out and superseded by the “4+ generation” standard J-16.
In December 2025, official sources first confirmed that retired J-11A aircraft from the initial production batch had been transferred to the Air Force Engineering University for ground crew training. This move holds particular significance due to the fact that the PLA currently operates more Su-27-series derivative aircraft than any other nation worldwide. While China leads globally in fifth-generation fighter procurement and sixth-generation fighter development, its J-16 and J-15B fighters — developed based on the Su-27 platform — now significantly outperform Russia’s own upgraded variants (such as the Su-35), and are widely regarded as the world’s strongest fourth-generation fighters. Notably, the J-16 has seen massive procurement, with current active fleet numbers exceeding 350 aircraft — making it the most procured heavy fighter within a single military branch since the end of the Cold War. Despite lacking the stealth capabilities of China’s primary air superiority fighter, the J-20, the J-16 integrates a larger, more powerful radar system, carries a far greater weapons load, and is expected to require lower maintenance demands.
Disclaimer: All equipment data referenced above comes from reporting by Military Watch Magazine.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868206433282057/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.