One. The dilemma of the Su-34: the lack of support from the system.
Recently, there was a Su-34 crash on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield, although it was not committed by the Ukrainian army, but it still raised questions about the performance of the Su-34 on the Kherson battlefield. According to statistics, since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Russian side has lost 17 Su-34s, while the Russian army had only 135 Su-34s before the war. Such a loss rate makes one wonder if the Su-34 is a vulnerable fighter-bomber
In fact, the performance of the Su-34 is not bad, it is a fighter-bomber capable of performing a variety of tasks, it has powerful firepower, a spacious cockpit, a long endurance, it can carry a variety of missiles, bombs, rockets, it can carry out precision strikes on ground targets, sea targets, air targets. So why was the Su-34 repeatedly shot down on the Kherson battlefield?
The answer is that the Su-34 lacks the support of a complete combat system, and it does not receive effective early warning, reconnaissance, electromagnetic suppression, information transmission, command and control, and coordination of the best systems. Therefore, the pilots of the Su-34 can only rely on their own naked eyes to find targets, can only rely on their own judgment to avoid threats, and can only rely on their own luck to complete the mission. Such a way of fighting made the Su-34 a live target for the Ukrainian army's anti-aircraft firepower.
This can be evidenced by the downed case of the Su-34. In order to improve the hit rate, some Su-34s had to fly at ultra-low altitudes and throw unguided aerial bombs, only to be hit by shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. Some Su-34s had to fly at ultra-low altitude in order to find the air defense positions of the Ukrainian army, searching with their eyes, but they were shot down by anti-aircraft fire. In order to carry out the anti-radiation mission, some Su-34s had to fly at an ultra-low altitude and attack with KH31 missiles, but they were confused by the interference and decoy of the other side and returned in vain.
Su-34, fighter-bomber of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
These Su-34s were shot down because they were not supported by the system, they were not helped by AWACS aircraft, reconnaissance satellites, electronic warfare aircraft, data links, command aircraft, guidance **. They can only take risks and sacrifices in their own flesh. Such a way of fighting no longer meets the requirements of modern high-tech warfare. Whether it is the Su-34 or other fighters, they need the support of a system in order to give full play to their maximum combat effectiveness.
Two. The advantage of the J-16: it has the support of the system.
If you change to the J-16, then the situation will be completely different. J-16 is a multi-role fighter, it can perform air-to-air, air-to-ground, air-to-sea, anti-radiation and other tasks, it has powerful firepower, high-speed maneuverability, long endurance, it can mount a variety of missiles, bombs, rockets, it can carry out precision strikes on various targets. However, the advantage of the J-16 lies not only in its own performance, but also in the fact that it has the support of a complete combat system, which has the help of early warning aircraft, reconnaissance satellites, electronic warfare aircraft, data links, command aircraft, and guidance. Therefore, the J-16 pilots do not need to rely on their own naked eyes to find targets, do not need to rely on their own judgment to avoid threats, and do not need to rely on their own luck to complete the mission. This kind of combat method has made the J-16 the king on the battlefield.
The advantage system of the J-16 can be specifically divided into the following aspects:
One. Early warning and reconnaissance system. China's space-based systems have radar, optical, electronic reconnaissance satellites, which can provide real-time positioning of fixed and moving targets of the enemy, which, in combination with digital maps, gives precise target coordinates. China's air-based systems include early warning aircraft such as Air Police 2000, Air Police 500, and Air Police 200, as well as long-endurance UAVs, which can provide real-time surveillance of enemy air and ground targets and grasp the battlefield situation. These early warning reconnaissance information will be transmitted to the J-16 through the data link, so that the J-16 pilot knows the location, nature, threat, and movement of the target.
Second. Electromagnetic pressing system. China's electromagnetic suppression system includes Yun-9 electronic warfare aircraft, J-15 electronic warfare models, which can interfere, suppress, and destroy the enemy's radar, communications, navigation, and command systems, so that the enemy loses its information superiority and reduces its response capability. These electromagnetic suppression information will also be transmitted to the J-16 through the data link, so that the J-16 pilot knows the enemy's electromagnetic environment, chooses the best offensive route, and avoids the enemy's anti-aircraft fire.
Third. Information transmission system. China's information transmission system includes space-based communication satellites, space-based data links, and ground-based data links, which can connect the early warning and reconnaissance system, electromagnetic suppression system, command and control system, and strike system into a network to realize information sharing, transmission, processing, and distribution. This information transmission information can allow the J-16 to achieve seamless docking with other combat units, coordinate operations, improve efficiency, and reduce errors.
Fourth. Command and control system. China's command and control system has computers, monitors, software, and personnel, which can analyze, evaluate, plan, command, control, dispatch, and coordinate real-time information on the battlefield. These command and control information can allow the J-16 pilot to receive a clear combat mission, objectives, parameters, requirements, methods, and precautions.