Title: Pakistan's Thunder fighter jets challenge the supremacy of the Su-30MKI in the Indian Air Force.
Introduction: Recently, the Pakistan Air Force announced that it would be equipped with the latest model of "Thunder" fighters, which has aroused the attention of international military circles. The fighter is equipped with an advanced KLJ-7A phased array radar and PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles, which further enhances the combat effectiveness of the Pakistan Air Force. At the same time, the Su-30MKI fighters equipped with the Indian Air Force have fatal flaws in radar detection capabilities and range. This development is undoubtedly a huge nightmare for the Indian Air Force.
Text: The Indian Air Force has the world's fourth-largest fighter fleet, including more than 240 Su-30MKI multi-role fighters, nearly 70 MiG-29 fighters and 36 Rafale fighters, according to India**. However, despite the sheer size of the Indian Air Force, it cannot simply be proportional to its combat effectiveness. Due to the weak level of logistics and training, the huge fleet has instead become a burden, which is fully reflected in the border conflict between India and Pakistan.
Recall that in February 2019, the India** police reserve unit was attacked by unidentified militants in the Kashmir region and suffered heavy losses. The Indian authorities then placed the blame on Pakistan and launched a large number of warplanes to carry out airstrikes on the so-called militant training camp in Kashmir. However, the airstrike did not bear fruit, and instead resulted in the loss of two MiG-21 fighters in India.
The Pakistan Air Force retaliated by flying 24 fighter jets, including F-16s and Thunders, to attack Indian Air Force fighters. The Indian Air Force urgently took off a number of Su-30MKI fighters to intercept them, but the Pakistan Air Force fighters fired **AIM-120C5 air-to-air missiles at a distance of 100 kilometers, and the Indian pilots had to dodge with all their might to survive.
However, India's Su-30MKI flew only 80 kilometers from Pakistani Air Force fighters, and the Russian-made R-77 air-to-air missiles launched could not hit the target. The Indian Air Force believes that the range of Russian-made air-to-air missiles is actually not up to the distance advertised, which is a huge shortcoming for the Indian Air Force.
In contrast, the Pakistan Air Force is equipped with the "Thunder" fighter jet, which is equipped with advanced KLJ-7A active phased array radar and PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile, which greatly enhances its combat effectiveness. The KLJ-7A radar is versatile and high-resolution imaging, while the PL-15 air-to-air missile has a range of more than 150 kilometers and a dual-pulse rocket engine capable of tracking and attacking multiple targets.
India's "Eurasian Times" pointed out that although the Su-30MKI equipped by the Indian Air Force is one of the most powerful fighters in the world, its radar detection capability and the fatal flaw of its short range put it at a great disadvantage in the confrontation with the "Thunder" fighter. It is alleged that the "Thunder" fighter can even lock on to the Su-30MKI from a distance of 100 kilometers, and even the "Meteor" long-range air-to-air missiles equipped by the "Rafale" fighter cannot launch an attack before the "Thunder".
However, the only drawback of the "Thunder" fighter is that it has a weak payload capacity, and can only carry a maximum of four missiles. However, it is expected that after the installation of the "Thunder" Block III, the Indian Air Force will face a real nightmare.
Conclusion: The powerful performance of the latest model of the Pakistan Air Force "Thunder" fighter will challenge the supremacy of the Su-30MKI of the Indian Air Force. Its advanced radar detection capabilities and long-range air-to-air missiles enable the "Thunder" to lock on and attack targets at long distances, while the Indian Air Force's Su-30MKI's radar detection capabilities and the shortcomings of the best range will put it at a disadvantage in the confrontation. With the addition of the Thunder Block III, the Indian Air Force will face greater challenges and threats.