Air combat isn't decided by size, it's decided by seizing the initiative. J-16 or F-15 in the same situation would be doing exact same thing.
The main advantage of larger planes in this situation is amount of fuel and weapons onboard.
Blasting mkis for defending when they were shot at is just dumb.
Any fighter will, this is normal behavior when GCI screams incoming.
Abnormal behavior was to charge and get some tea.
India attacked Balakot Feb 26th, 2019. PAF retaliated the following day.
The MKI is India's most prominent fighter and, as expected, it was in the air during the retaliation strike from Pakistan but cannot do anything other than dodge missiles.
A large fighter outranges smaller ones and should have the advantage. It should be making the smaller fighters do the dodging. And in the MKI's case, it is not only bigger but far more numerous than the smaller F-16s and JF-17s.
For example, a J-16 should be making the opposing medium and light fighters deal with the PL-15 and PL-17. And its numbers should multiply its advantages. Larger aircraft, longer range radar, longer range BVR weapons and greater numbers should simply overwhelm smaller numbers of smaller aircraft. I would be very disappointed if a J-7E had to intercept an expected incoming strike instead of the J-16s!
My observation is that the MKI does not have those advantages normal to larger fighters over smaller ones and an upgrade is better late than never.
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