【Military Second Dimension】 Author: Taibai

A new member has joined the J-15 fighter family? According to foreign media reports, the J-15DT carrier-borne electronic warfare aircraft is expected to make its debut at the military parade on September 3rd. According to foreign military expert Ruprecht Dino, the J-15DT appears to be a counterpart to the US Navy's EA-18G, but with the advantage of being a later entrant, its actual performance is more advanced.

▲ Reports from the "Army Identification" website

China has vast airspace, and guarding it is not easy. Although when people think of Chinese aircraft, the first thing that comes to mind is the highly advanced J-20, or even more powerful models like the J-35, J-50, and J-36. However, if we talk about the aircraft that actually do the dirty and tough work and occupy half of China's fighter fleet, it must be the J-11, J-15, and J-16, which are derived from the Su-27 Flanker. These domestic Flankers undertake important tasks in the first line of China's air defense identification zone patrols and are also the main carrier-based aircraft models currently serving on the two active aircraft carriers.

The J-15 is comparable to the US F/A-18E/F, but in terms of details, there are currently two versions of the J-15: the first is the basic model of the J-15 initially equipped on the "Liaoning" and "Shandong" carriers, capable of operating on ski-jump deck carriers. The second is the catapult version of the J-15, known as the J-15T, which can operate on the electromagnetic catapult carrier "Fujian".

▲ J-15

The basic model of the J-15 was developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation based on the Ukrainian T10K3 carrier prototype, with some optimizations made on the original version, especially integrating the fire control system of the J-11B. The development speed of the J-15 was very fast, partly due to the support of mature systems, and partly because of the need to hurry up and ensure that China's first aircraft carrier had carrier-based aircraft as soon as possible.

However, the cost of rapid development is that the performance is too conservative, only solving the problem of whether China has carrier-based aircraft, but far from becoming a top-tier fourth-generation carrier-based fighter. Therefore, compared to the US F/A-18E/F, the J-15 is still slightly inferior. After the successful takeoff and landing of the J-15 on the "Liaoning" carrier in 2012, related improvement work began to be gradually promoted. Later, at the Zhuhai Air Show, China exhibited another version of the J-15, the J-15T.

▲ J-15T

Although the two look similar in appearance, the internal equipment is almost completely renewed. For example, the J-15T's fly-by-wire flight control system has been upgraded to the most advanced four-degree-of-freedom system. Many new materials used have significantly reduced the overall weight of the aircraft. In addition, the radar and engine of the J-15T have also been reduced in weight compared to previous models, especially the engine's thrust has increased significantly due to technological advancements. With lighter weight and stronger thrust, the result is better overall maneuverability, whether it is occupying a combat position, engaging in dogfights, or conducting ground attacks, it becomes more advantageous, faster, and more effective.

The use of a new active electronically scanned array radar has brought an essential improvement in the single-machine detection range and multi-target tracking capability. Since the frontal radar aperture has exceeded the AN/APG-79 of the F/A-18E/F, its detection range and tracking performance have actually surpassed the latter. It is said that the detection range of the export version of this radar is close to 200 kilometers, which is already the detection range of the US military's own F/A-18E/F radar.

▲ Possibly the J-15TD

As for the J-15DT, it is a dedicated electronic warfare version designed based on the J-15T. Why develop it? Some people believe that it is simply to match the US Navy's EA-18G, but that is not entirely accurate. First, in modern air-sea combat, the struggle for air superiority is important, and so is the struggle for electromagnetic superiority.

If there is a carrier-specific carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, it can interfere, suppress, and deceive the enemy's communication network system through electromagnetic attacks, thereby disrupting its detection, tracking, and command capabilities. It's like two masters haven't started their final showdown, but one has already broken the other's meridians, making it impossible to continue. Second, controlling the electromagnetic spectrum in certain areas of the battlefield is also an important means of protecting our own fighters and missiles. Imagine that when the enemy's anti-ship missiles, air defense missiles, or air-to-air missiles attack, they lose direction once they enter the interference area, how can they complete the attack mission?

▲ Possibly the J-15TD

The J-15TD is often called the "Roaring Shark" by military fans, and from this informal nickname, you can see what role it plays in carrier operations. The development of the J-15TD indeed drew on the experience of the EA-18G. The EA-18G has been in service since 2009 and has participated in multiple practical operations. For example, during the "Operation Odyssey Dawn" in 2011, the EA-18G was deployed for the first time in combat, participating in the US-led no-fly zone enforcement mission in Libya. It carried out over 700 missions, flying more than 3,000 hours, with a mission completion rate of 100%, greatly weakening the effectiveness of Libya's air defense missile systems.

In the 2024 "Prosperity Guardian" operation, the US EA-18G repeatedly executed missions in the Red Sea, the Bab el Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden, and even shot down a drone from the Houthi rebels, achieving its first aerial combat kill. In various missions, the EA-18G has demonstrated the ability to carry out multiple types of missions under high-threat environments, including electronic warfare, suppression of enemy air defenses, and limited intensity air combat, showing its role as a "force multiplier" and making it one of the sharpest knives in the US arsenal. If the Chinese navy has the J-15TD, its role in combat will be the same. More importantly, with the advantage of being a later entrant, the performance of the Chinese J-15TD will surpass the EA-18G. Even if they face off directly, it is not certain that the opponent would have any advantage.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7522350856876933647/

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