Pakistan will be the first aircraft of the J-31 abroad.
The news that the commander-in-chief of the Pakistani Air Force, Admiral Barber, recently announced that Pakistan will be the first user of the J-31 abroad, attracted a lot of attention. Pakistan will introduce the J-31 in the near future, which means that the Pakistan Air Force will be ahead of India in terms of fifth-generation aircraft, which is of great significance for the balance of military power in the region.
Pakistan and India have a long history of hostility, and there is a big conflict between the two sides over the military. Pakistan's acquisition of J-31 fighter jets would greatly strengthen its air power and add a stronger barrier to India's challenge. The J-31 is a new type of multi-functional heavy aircraft developed by China, which has good stealth and air supremacy capabilities, and can greatly improve Pakistan's air power.
India's options and responses.
Following Pakistan's procurement of the J-31, India must respond strategically. India has three types of fighter jets to choose from: from Russia and the United States, or from its own development. However, the development progress of the fifth-generation fighter AMCA, which China has independently developed, is relatively slow, and its performance is not satisfactory, far inferior to that of the J-31. Moreover, the introduction of F-35 fighters from the United States is also a very difficult thing to do, because its production is very small, and it is difficult to meet the urgent needs of India.
So, for India, importing oil from Russia is the wisest thing to do. Although India had some unhappiness in the development of the Su-57 fighter, all that changed. The Su-57, under Russian restrictions, has already entered the stage of mass production. And once India decides to import the Su-57, it can learn from the Su-30 MKI repair system and even obtain a manufacturing license to replace the Su-30 MKI. Given India's bent desire to achieve localization, the introduction of the Su-57 is undoubtedly a good choice.
In addition, India's aerospace industry also has a development method similar to China's, which is achieved through "import + independent research and development". India copied such models as the MG-21 at the time of its introduction, and approved the creation of its Flanker fighter. In domestic aircraft, the Indian LCA and AMCA use the same engines as the Chinese J-10 and J-20. Despite the distance between China and China's technological level, India has shown admirable resilience in developing its own fighter jets with unwavering determination.
Views on Indian autonomy.
India has shown tenacious vitality in independent research and development, whether it is small, small, or fifth-generation fighter aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered intercontinental missiles, etc., all of which already have localized fighters. Although this design took a long time and was difficult, India has been under tremendous pressure and has been working until it can be put into operation. That spirit of not being afraid of difficulties is admirable.
However, there is still a certain distance between India and China in independent research and development, which is worth paying attention to. China has developed cutting-edge fighter jets such as the J-10 and J-20, which far exceed the world's expectations, both in terms of quantity and quality. In stark contrast, India's self-developed fighter LCA has been slower to develop, and in some respects it has not performed as well as it could have been. It also reflects China's rapidly developing military technology, which India lacks in this area.
In general, India has encountered a lot of difficulties in the development of its own ** and fighter aircraft, but their tenacity is commendable and we are lucky. Although India is still lagging behind in the development of aircraft, in order to meet the needs of national defense, it must also learn from China and improve its own technological level. Only by constantly waging unremitting struggle can India continue to achieve new breakthroughs and successes on the road of independent development of defense.