My understanding is, and on Huitong’s site, the J-16 is a strike platform, primarily.
China Flanker Thread II
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that is not necessarily the case from what we've seen tho. Most of the brigades flying the J-16 were those mainly dealing with air-to-air combat before getting the J-16, and we've seen (based on publically released photos at least) J-16 carrying A2A payload much more often than striking payloads. To date we have only a handful of photos of J-16 with KD-88 and YJ-83, and virtually none in terms of guided bombs. To be sure as a twin-seat multirole fighter the J-16 can pefrorm strike duties, and it is most likely part of the training, I just don't think that based on public information we can say that currently the J-16 is "primiarily" a strike platform, not in the way of the jets we primirarily think of fitting that role (F-15E, SU-34, etc) at least.
My personal take is that J-16 will gradually lean more toward a strike role throughout its service life, especially as more 5th gen fighters enter service and it is less needed as an advanced air-to-air platform, but currently its main duty is air superority , with ground attack and striking (and potentially anti-ship) as a secondary role.
It’s a highly capable multirole workhorse.
Even later on it will serve as an AA missile truck for PLAAF. Load it up with 6 PL-21s and pick AWACS off at 300KM.
do we know if this PL21 is already in service?
and if PLA wants to ambush an awacs, wouldnt it be more effective to have J20 carrying the PL21 even as external payload?
So if I'm getting this correctly, the J-11 is a single seat air superiority fighter with very limited strike capabilities just like it's predecessor Su-27
While the J-16 is a two seat strike fighter but it's currently used mostly for air superiority
Anyone knows how many two seat J-11BS were produced? And whether they have strike capabilities?
While the J-16 is a two seat strike fighter but it's currently used mostly for air superiority
Anyone knows how many two seat J-11BS were produced? And whether they have strike capabilities?
J-11/A really were very much like the original Su-27s except for ability to fire R-77s and maybe some minor avionics upgrade or using more composites. I think they are going to start retiring them in the next few years. J-11B is the major change to use mostly domestic systems and utilize all of China's AAMs. They are the first ones to get WS-10 series engine. Their ground attack capabilities is probably limited like J-10A.
I think all the work devoted to "J-11D" is really to test out the subsystems needed to eventually upgrade J-11B to using more modern avionics and missiles. It really doesn't make sense to produce pure air superiority version of J-11s at this point. Since there is still a lot of time left in the air frame, it makes sense to keep them around probably into the 2030s. It's worth upgrading all of them to more modern standard. J-11Ds don't make a lot of sense when J-16 program has been such a success. Since flankers future in PLA is a multi-role aircraft, two seat versions make a lot more sense than single seaters. A lot of the attack duties for PLAAF/PLANAF still fall on the shoulders of JH-7/A. Over time, they will start retiring the original JH-7s first and followed by JH-7As. That along with the increasing numbers of J-20s point to a transition of J-16s to more attacking roles. They will be around until probably 2040s at least. After all, USAF intends to keep F-15Es around until 2050. There is no reason for PLAAF to retire J-16s sooner.
I did a rough count right now based huitong's site and scramble. I think there have probably been about 250 J-11B/BS produced over its lifetime. I also counted around 160 to 170 J-16s based on huitong's gallery and scramble. Scramble does point to 2 additional brigade without photos on huitong's page. I would attribute that to newer brigade that have not been captured on photos yet. I could see a little over 200 J-16s right now in service based on units that have not been photographed yet. If J-16 production goes on for another 5 years, we could be looking well over 300 J-16s by the end. They have probably been producing 30 to 40 domestic flankers a year since 2010 if we also include the J-15s. If we include all the J-15 programs, we are probably looking at 700 domestic flankers when is finished. That's quite a successful program.
Back in 2007, I always thought it was more likely that J-10 production would far exceed flanker series. That's what all the online Chinese sources suggested. It's quite interesting that we will probably end up with more J-11B/15/16s than J-10s. That really does speak for the success of the J-20 program. Maybe also the versatility of flankers. Or maybe SAC not being as successful with 5th gen program as SAC.
I think all the work devoted to "J-11D" is really to test out the subsystems needed to eventually upgrade J-11B to using more modern avionics and missiles. It really doesn't make sense to produce pure air superiority version of J-11s at this point. Since there is still a lot of time left in the air frame, it makes sense to keep them around probably into the 2030s. It's worth upgrading all of them to more modern standard. J-11Ds don't make a lot of sense when J-16 program has been such a success. Since flankers future in PLA is a multi-role aircraft, two seat versions make a lot more sense than single seaters. A lot of the attack duties for PLAAF/PLANAF still fall on the shoulders of JH-7/A. Over time, they will start retiring the original JH-7s first and followed by JH-7As. That along with the increasing numbers of J-20s point to a transition of J-16s to more attacking roles. They will be around until probably 2040s at least. After all, USAF intends to keep F-15Es around until 2050. There is no reason for PLAAF to retire J-16s sooner.
I did a rough count right now based huitong's site and scramble. I think there have probably been about 250 J-11B/BS produced over its lifetime. I also counted around 160 to 170 J-16s based on huitong's gallery and scramble. Scramble does point to 2 additional brigade without photos on huitong's page. I would attribute that to newer brigade that have not been captured on photos yet. I could see a little over 200 J-16s right now in service based on units that have not been photographed yet. If J-16 production goes on for another 5 years, we could be looking well over 300 J-16s by the end. They have probably been producing 30 to 40 domestic flankers a year since 2010 if we also include the J-15s. If we include all the J-15 programs, we are probably looking at 700 domestic flankers when is finished. That's quite a successful program.
Back in 2007, I always thought it was more likely that J-10 production would far exceed flanker series. That's what all the online Chinese sources suggested. It's quite interesting that we will probably end up with more J-11B/15/16s than J-10s. That really does speak for the success of the J-20 program. Maybe also the versatility of flankers. Or maybe SAC not being as successful with 5th gen program as SAC.
Does the J-11B have an IRST and MAWS? I'm presuming that the J-11D has these, and that an upgraded J-11B would skip this
There should be more than enough other fighters with IRST and MAWS anyway eg. 200+ J-16, 170+ J-10C, the J-20s.
So the J-11BG could specialise in BVR with PL-15, with others fighters tasked with getting closer in.
I would agree that new J-16 are preferably to new J-11D
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