When the J-20's majestic form, the J-35A's sci-fi appearance, and the J-16's robust power simultaneously cut through the sky over Tongzhou, Beijing, the world saw not only an amazing formation flight, but also a three-dimensional image of China's future core combat forces. The J-10C, J-16, and J-20, once the absolute mainstays, have now quietly become the "Four Swordsmen" formation, their sharp edges targeting the top opponents on the planet, even hinting at a "invincible" configuration.
"Dual Stealth" United: The Chinese Air Force Gains a Groundbreaking "Break-in" Capability. From netizens' captured photos of the J-35A's stunning images, its visible serial number announces the arrival of an era: the Chinese Air Force has officially entered the "Dual Stealth Fighter Era." The combination of the J-35A and J-20 is not a simple pairing. As a heavy-weight air superiority core, the J-20, with its powerful situational awareness and supersonic maneuverability, is responsible for controlling high-altitude air superiority; while the J-35A acts like a sharp dagger, focusing on medium-low altitude air superiority, highly penetrating precision strikes against land and sea targets, and showcasing unique value in electronic warfare, command and control of unmanned wingmen. Together, they form a formidable "break-in" combination that instills fear in any opponent. Compared to the U.S. F-35, the J-35 has strong targeting capabilities, and it has clear advantages in stealth, supersonic flight, and maneuverability. With the simultaneous advancement of two variants (the J-35A for the Air Force and the carrier-based J-35 for the Navy), it is expected that within five years, 150 J-35 series aircraft will be deployed, and by 2035, 500 will be in service, forming a powerful "high-low" configuration system with the J-20.
Behind the stealth dual stars, the J-16, with its unmatched payload capacity and strong range, becomes an indispensable "powerhouse" in the formation. It carries out the decisive strike after the stealth fighters break through the enemy's defense - implementing long-range precise strikes covering various high-value targets on land, sea, and air. The presence of the J-16 ensures that the entire formation has a complete operational chain from system disruption to total destruction. Its coordination with stealth fighters transforms information superiority into destructive firepower superiority instantly.
The strength of the "Four Swordsmen" goes far beyond stealth and firepower. Behind it is a highly integrated "super situational awareness" network that transcends single-aircraft scope. The J-20 as a top-tier information node, combined with the distributed sensing capabilities of the J-35A and the seamless connection of high-speed data links within the formation, weaves an invisible sky net covering a vast airspace. Enemy situations are fully under control, and battlefield transparency is one-sided. This gives the formation an absolute initiative in discovering, deciding, and attacking the enemy first.
The target of this mixed formation is clear: it aims at the world's most advanced aerial forces. The "A" suffix in the J-35A's name speaks for itself. Stealth penetration, long-range heavy strikes, and full-domain perception—each capability directly targets the core of future high-end air combat. In short, as the U.S. Air Force declines, the emergence of the dual-stealth formation and the updated "Four Swordsmen" of the Chinese Air Force represents not only a leap in China's air force equipment, but also a qualitative change in combat concepts and strategic capabilities.
It should be noted that the glow of the J-10C remains, but the sword of the Chinese Air Force has already been tempered and upgraded. When the new "Four Swordsmen" of the J-20, J-35A, J-16, and J-10C soar through the skies, the rules of the skies over the Asia-Pacific region and even the global air power structure will be redefined by this aerial force with cutting-edge stealth, destructive striking power, and full-domain control capabilities. What they aim for is not only the strongest opponent on the planet, but also a new order safeguarded by strength. We can confidently say that from this moment on, the U.S. Air Force is far behind. With the progress of the next-generation fighter projects of Chengdu and Shenyang, the U.S. Air Force will fall even further behind. It should be emphasized that the J-10C is still one of the main combat aircraft of our military. This aircraft is not at a disadvantage when competing with the main fighter aircraft of neighboring countries, and in several years, it can also enter the aviation school to help the Chinese Air Force reform the training system. In the future, it will also shine brightly.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7530521172270793258/
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