Against the backdrop of tense Sino-US relations, the resumption of military exchanges between the two sides has become a long-awaited event for the US team. The military confrontation between China and the United States has always been the focus of much attention, and the US team is very worried about the possibility of a misfire. Recently, US Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti said that the US Navy is willing to resume military exchanges with the PLA in order to ease tensions between the two sides. Interestingly, the Americans, after enumerating an incident in which Chinese fighters intercepted US aircraft with high risk, discovered a very strange phenomenon: the J-11 fighter seems to have become the main force in almost all interception operations.
1. Fighter range and cost considerations
The J-11 is a heavy fighter with a domestically produced turbofan-10 engine, so its range and cost have become factors to consider when carrying out routine patrol missions. Compared with models such as the J-10, J-16 and Su-35, the J-11 is more suitable for long-range interception missions and is relatively economical.
2. Superior aerodynamic design and handling performance
As a fighter of the Sukai system, the J-11 adopts a classic superior aerodynamic design, which enables it to maintain excellent handling performance even when it is disturbed by the air flow of the US military aircraft. Historically, the Su-27 fighter has repeatedly intercepted NATO reconnaissance aircraft and successfully avoided direct conflict, which fully proves that this type of fighter brings more security to pilots in interception missions.
3. Advantages in deployment scale and combat effectiveness
The J-11 is one of the main fighters of the Chinese Air Force and Naval Aviation, with the largest deployment scale and the longest service time. Years of deployment and training have made pilots more familiar with the platform and more comfortable to perform interception missions. Therefore, in the Chinese Air Force and naval aviation units, it is a very reasonable decision to use the J-11 as the best choice to perform confrontation and interception missions with foreign aircraft.
In recent years, the J-11 fighter has frequently appeared in high-risk interception operations to intercept US military aircraft. In 2023, for example, the J-11 successfully made several close interceptions and demonstrated its formidable power.
1.On Feb. 7, a J-11 flew just six feet from U.S. planes over the South China Sea.
2.On February 24, a J-11, armed with an air-to-air missile, intercepted a U.S. Navy P-8A at a distance of only 152 meters.
3.On July 12, a J-11 deployed eight flares at a distance of 274 meters from the US plane.
On September, a J-11 approached a U.S. plane at a distance of only 15 meters.
5.On October 26, a J-11 aircraft was within 3 meters of an American B-52 bomber, causing a dangerous approach between the two sides.
In addition, the J-11 also successfully intercepted a Canadian reconnaissance plane and fired ** jamming bombs. According to American statistics, the J-11 seems to have completed the vast majority of high-risk interceptions of the US military, and other models include the J-10S, Su-35 and J-16.
The outstanding performance of the J-11 fighter in high-risk interception operations not only brought us a shock, but also triggered some thoughts.
First of all, the performance of the J-11 fighter proves the development and progress of the Chinese industry. Through the domestically produced turbofan-10 engine and superior aerodynamic design, the J-11 fighter has strong strength when performing high-risk missions.
Secondly, the frequent use of J-11 fighters in interception operations also highlights the strength and self-confidence of the squadron. The high level of trust in the J-11 by the Chinese Air Force and Naval Aviation makes it a workhorse in performing such tasks.
Finally, observing the success of the J-11 in such operations, we were also able to see the relentless efforts of the squadron in terms of training and tactics. For interception missions, in addition to the advanced nature of equipment, the professionalism and training level of pilots also play a crucial role.
To sum up, the J-11 fighter, as an important combat force of the squadron, has shown more advantages and strength in high-risk interception operations. This also further demonstrates the development achievements of the Chinese leading workers, and constitutes a certain deterrent to the world's leading teams. For the J-11 troops standing on the front line of the confrontation between China and the United States, we can only say that we have "worked hard", and at the same time, we need to pay attention to our own safety at all times.
It is not surprising that the US Navy is eager to resume military exchanges with the PLA, because the Americans are very worried that the conflict between China and the United States will one day escalate into a war, and the consequences will be unbearable for the US army. She said: "The increasing encounters between [American] fighters and Chinese fighters could lead to a war." What is even more interesting is that in the recently released list of high-risk interceptions of US military planes by Chinese fighters, a rather strange phenomenon has appeared: the J-11 fighter has almost become the main force. For example, on February 7, 2023: A J-11 flew just 6 feet above a U.S. fighter jet over the South Nam Sea;February 24: The J-11 is equipped with an air-to-air missile and intercepts a U.S. Navy P-8A (Fort Falkland Turboprop Medium-Range Anti-Submarine Patrol Aircraft) at a distance of only 152 metersJuly 12: A J-11 dropped eight flares and flew 274 meters away from the U.S. planeSept. 21: A J-11 approached a distance of only 15 meters from the U.S. plane;October 26: A J-11 aircraft is less than 3 meters away from an American B-52 bomber. Indo-Pacific Command said the J-11 approached the U.S. bomber at "an uncontrollable speed, flying underneath, in front of the B-52 and within 3 meters, putting both aircraft at risk of collision." It was also the J-11, which intercepted a Canadian reconnaissance plane on October 29 and fired ** jamming bombs. According to American statistics, the J-11 seems to have completed the vast majority of high-risk interceptions of the US military, and other models include the J-10S, Su-35 and J-16 and so on.
The above examples illustrate the important role of the J-11 fighter in the squadron's high-risk interception mission, and also trigger our thinking about the advantages of the J-11 fighter. First of all, the J-11 fighter has a large range and low cost, which is suitable for long-range interception missions. Secondly, the J-11 has superior aerodynamic design and handling performance, and is able to maintain excellent performance in the face of disturbances. Finally, as the largest and longest-used heavy fighter in the squadron, the J-11 pilots have a higher proficiency in it, and they are naturally assigned more opportunities to carry out interception missions.
To sum up, the J-11 fighter is a very reasonable and effective choice for high-risk interception missions in the Chinese Air Force and Naval Aviation Units, and its superior performance and mature combat effectiveness make it play an important role in such missions. At the same time, the advantages and performance of the J-11 also highlight the development achievements of the Chinese industry, and show the strength and self-confidence of the Chinese team to the world. In this process, the J-11 fighter did not do it alone, other models such as the J-10S, Su-35 and J-16 also participated. In high-risk interception operations, the performance of the J-11 fighter successfully demonstrated the development and progress of the squadron, and also highlighted the efforts of the squadron in terms of training and tactics. For the J-11 troops, their efforts are commendable, but at the same time, they also need to pay attention to their own safety at all times to avoid any accidents.