The Flying Leopard of the Chinese Air Force is a supersonic fighter-bomber, and it is also a legend in the history of Chinese aviation. Its name is J-7, and its code name is "Flying Leopard". It was once the backbone of China's air and naval aviation, and has carried out a variety of important missions and demonstrated unparalleled courage and ability. However, with the passage of time, it also faced the fate of being eliminated. As it is about to retire from the stage of history, let us review its development history, explore its glory and challenges, and its contribution to the Chinese Air Force.
The development of the J-7 began in 1979, when the Chinese Air Force was in urgent need of a light bomber that could replace the aging H-5 and be able to carry out bombing missions on the front line. The design of the J-7 refers to the British "Hound Dog" fighter-bomber, which adopts a single-seat, twin-engine layout, and has the ability to fly at supersonic speed and penetrate defense at ultra-low altitude. The first flight of the J-7 was on December 14, 1988, jointly completed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (now the Aviation Industry Corporation of China) and the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation.
The development process of the J-7 was not smooth, and it has encountered many technical controversies and program changes. Initially, the J-7's fuselage structure and cockpit design were met with differing opinions from the Air Force and naval aviation, with the Air Force wanting the J-7 to have an all-metal structure and an aerodynamic hooded cockpit, while naval aviation preferred to use composite materials and ejection seats. Due to the inconsistency of the technical requirements of the Air Force and naval aviation, the Air Force eventually withdrew from the J-7 project in favor of developing new fighters such as the J-10 and J-11. This led to a shift in the positioning of the J-7 from a light bomber to a fighter.
The J-7 found a new use in naval aviation, becoming a fighter with anti-ship missile attack capabilities. In the early 90s, with the occurrence of local maritime conflicts between China and the United States, China and Vietnam, China realized the urgency of establishing a missile-based aviation sea control capability. As a result, the J-7 became one of the two major projects of naval aviation, the other being the J-8II. The missile modification of the J-7 was undertaken by the Xi'an Aircraft Design and Research Institute of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China and the Xi'an Aircraft Industry Corporation, mainly by adding four pylons under the wings of the J-7, which can carry YJ-8K anti-ship missiles. The YJ-8K is a subsonic, air-launched, anti-ship missile with a large range and power that can inflict a lethal blow on enemy ships. The missile modification of the J-7 was completed in 1994, making the J-7 the first Chinese fighter capable of launching anti-ship missiles.
The J-7's anti-ship missile attack capability provides a new tactical means for the Chinese naval aviation and also enhances China's deterrence at sea. The J-7 has been in service with naval aviation for nearly 20 years and has participated in many exercises and patrol missions, demonstrating its excellent performance and reliability. The J-7 has also appeared on the international stage, for example, at the Zhuhai Air Show in 2000, the J-7 performed a wonderful flight performance, which attracted the attention and appreciation of foreign audiences.
The emergence of the J-7A marks the second technical positioning of the J-7 series, which is not only an anti-ship missile attack aircraft, but also an all-round fighter-bomber capable of opposing attacks and aviation sea supremacy missions. The J-7A is a comprehensive upgrade on the basis of the J-7, involving many aspects such as airframe structure, avionics system, and fire control system. The main improvements of the J-7A are:
Airframe structure: The airframe structure of the J-7A uses more composite materials, which reduces weight and increases strength. The wing of the J-7A has also been improved, with an increase in wing area and wing sweep angle, improved maneuverability and lift. Two pylons have been added under the wings of the J-7A, which can be mounted with more ** and external fuel tanks. The cockpit of the J-7A has also been improved, with ejection seats and a pneumatic hood cockpit to improve the safety and comfort of the pilot.
Avionics system: The avionics system of the J-7A adopts a fully digital design, using multi-function displays and head-up displays, which improves the information acquisition and operational efficiency of pilots. The avionics system of the J-7A also adds a datalink and a satellite navigation system to improve communication and navigation capabilities. The avionics system of the J-7A also adds an electronic countermeasure system to improve its own jamming and anti-jamming capabilities.
Fire control system: The fire control system of the J-7A uses a new radar and optoelectronic system, which improves the detection and tracking capabilities of the target. The fire control system of the J-7A has also added a variety of new types, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, air-to-ship missiles, laser-guided bombs, satellite-guided bombs, etc., to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of attacks.
The upgrade of the J-7A was continued by the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China and the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation, which was completed in 2002 and made its first flight in 2004. The J-7A has been in service since 2006, and it is one of the main models of the Chinese Air Force and Naval Aviation, and has performed a variety of missions, including ground attack, sea attack, air interception, air patrol, etc. The performance of the J-7A even surpassed the Su-30MKK to a certain extent, and it became the most outstanding counter-strike model of our army.
Although the J-7A is an all-round fighter-bomber, it also faces the threat and competition of new fighters. With the advent of the J-16 multi-role fighter, the J-7A gradually lost its advantage. The J-16 is a fourth-generation aircraft based on the Su-30MKK improvement, which has greater maneuverability, stealth, firepower and range, and can perform more complex and long-range missions. The advent of the J-16 put further improvements of the J-7A on hold, as the J-7A had reached its technical limits and could not compete with the J-16. In the end, the J-7B, a planned modification of the J-7A, was also not launched, with more advanced radar, missiles and electronic systems expected to improve its capabilities for surface attack and air combat. However, because the performance of the J-7B is still not comparable to that of the J-16, and the development cost of the J-7B is also high, the J-7B project was canceled, indicating that the J-7 series will gradually withdraw from the Chinese Air Force stage.
The legend of the J-7 series may come to an end, and in the next 10 to 15 years, with the retirement of the last J-7A, the flying leopards of this era will pass away. Military fans are looking forward to the aviation industry one day exhibiting a prototype of the J-7B, allowing people to relive the old days of the Flying Leopard. Flying Leopard, "the eternal memory of the turn of the century", its glorious history will forever be engraved in the history of the development of China Aviation.
Although the J-7 series is coming to an end, its spirit and technology will continue to be inherited. China's air force and naval aviation are developing a new generation of fighter-bombers, such as the J-20 and J-31, which will inherit the fine tradition of the J-7 series and have stronger supersonic flight, ultra-low-altitude penetration, anti-ship missile attack, opposite attack and aviation sea supremacy mission capabilities, opening up a new chapter in the future development of China's air force and naval aviation.