The road of "Xiaolong" is getting wider and wider!Favored by NATO, it may fight side by side with the F16 in the future, and this time, the attitude of the United States is very subtle.
Foreword: For a long time, the export of the "Thunder Dragon" fighter jointly developed by China and Pakistan has attracted great attention from the outside world. Under normal circumstances, the export of advanced equipment such as fighter jets not only has a huge impact on a country's economy, but also directly reflects the current international diplomatic trend. This time, the "Thunder Dragon" is expected to be exported to NATO, and the outside world feels novel and confused.
Next, let's take a look at which NATO country the "Thunder" fighter plane is planned to be exported, and will the United States, as the leader of NATO, allow the "Thunder" to seize the Western arms market?
1. Turkey eats "closed-door soup".
According to ** news, Turkey previously intended to import American F35** fighters, but was rejected by the United States, and then pinned its hopes on the European "Typhoon", French "Rafale" and Swedish "Gripen" multi-model fighters, but all were rejected by Germany.
There may be many people who are curious about why the United States does not make money when it comes to "interests first" and some people take the initiative to come to the door to ask for it
As everyone knows, the United States and Russia, the two major military powers, each occupy a huge share of the international arms market, and Russia is therefore regarded by the United States as the "number one rival."
However, Turkey insisted on introducing and equipping Russian-made S-400 long-range anti-aircraft missiles for its own reasons, and as expected, the US sanctions came suddenly, directly announcing that Turkey would be kicked out of the list of F35 production and manufacturing chains, and importing F35 was not even a thought.
Last month, Turkey also offered to the United Kingdom and Spain to buy 40 "Typhoon" fightersGermany's attitude, like that of the United States, is reluctant to change its mind on this issue, despite Turkey's best effortsThis caused strong discontent from the Turkish side.
The Turkish defense minister said that it is incomprehensible that our fellow NATO members oppose our purchase of fighter jets.
2. The Su-35 is still a "Thunder Dragon", and the earthwork has an idea
After repeatedly hitting a wall, Turkey was disappointed with NATO and began to express a strong interest in Chinese and Russian fightersThe analysis points out that there is a high probability that Turkey will eventually choose the "Thunder".
Turkey also said that the "Thunder Dragon" fighter jointly developed by China and Pakistan can help strengthen its air power. Turkey's Erdogan also made a tough statement when he visited Berlin last month.
He saidIf they (alluding to NATO) don't give us these fighters, will Turkey lack the opportunity to "knock on the door"?No, we have many.
From the perspective of fighter performance, both the "Thunder" and Russia's Su-35 are good choices, but now that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is raging, Western countries are doing their best to issue sanctions against RussiaAs a member of NATO, Turkey will undoubtedly worsen relations with more NATO countries if it chooses Russian fighters.
And during the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the performance of Russian-made fighters was not as good as expected, which greatly affected Turkey's choice.
By contrast, China, as an emerging high-tech player in the international arms market, has further attracted Turkey's attention.
3. Turkey's situation is similar to that of "Pakistan Railway".
In fact, Turkey is very recognized for the Chinese-made **, and has introduced the "Guardian" series of long-range rocket launchers and B-611 tactical ballistic missiles, and carried out localized productionIt is enough to see that Turkey has a high degree of trust in China's performance.
Nowadays, in the field of fifth-generation aircraft, China and the United States are catching up with each other, and their strength is comparable, so it is wise for Turkey to consider introducing the "Thunder Dragon".
The analysis points out that Turkey's current situation is actually very similar to that of Pakistan in the past.
At that time, the United States also refused to provide Pakistan with advanced fighters, so that the Pakistani army could only rely on a small number of F-16C D to fill the façade, as well as the more backward J-7 and "Mirage" series fighters, which urgently needed to be replaced.
In such a predicament, the "Thunder Dragon" is coming!
After continuous upgrading, the "Thunder" has become an indispensable backbone of the Pakistan Air ForceIn many patrols and training in air and ground combat, the figure of the "Thunder Dragon" can be seen.
Now, after Turkey was refused to provide F35 by the United States, it can only rely on dozens of F-16s introduced many years ago to maintain its air force.
4. "Thunder Dragon" or fight side by side with F16?
In this case, if the "Thunder" is successfully exported to Turkey, then it will not be possible to fight side by side with the F-16 in the future?
The Turkish side has disclosed that the prerequisite for the purchase of the "Thunder" is that it must be equipped with domestic avionics equipment, especially the data transmission systemIn other words, the "liners" are all NATO standards, and the main body of the fighter is still made in China.
After all, the F-16 used by the Turkish Air Force is a NATO standard, so that the "Thunder" can be used immediately after delivery, and it is compatible with the Beiyu ** system.
But judging from past experience, China is likely not to agree.
At the beginning, the Thai Navy's purchase of Chinese submarines also required the Chinese side to replace the engines with German goods, not only to avoid political risks, but also to integrate with the existing forces as soon as possible.
But for Turkey,If the internal system of the "Thunder" is replaced with its own, it is not much improved compared to the F-16 fighters currently in service in the Turkish Air Force.
You must know that Turkey's electronic technology is not advanced, and it is really a bit of a "four dislikes" feeling to cram the less advanced avionics system into the "Thunder" fighter with an advanced design and layout.
Moreover, the attitude of the United States is also crucial.
Although the United States has not reacted much to "Turkey's intention to purchase the Thunder" at present, in the context of Washington's hype of the "China threat", it is very likely that Turkey will not be allowed to move closer to China.
Conclusion: Do you know anything else about the export of "Thunder Dragon" to Turkey?Feel free to leave your views and stories in the comment area.