It's an exercise, better to use all what's available on the shelves.
J-10 Thread IV
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
They probably don’t need anything better than the PL-12 for most engagements with Taiwan tbh. PL-15 is probably to get first look first kill range, and if you’re dealing with more than one bogey the merge should mean a PL-12 will end up being just as effective as a PL-15 in a closed engagement envelope.
Why not carry both in that case?
Rumor has it the PL-15 stockpile exceeds that of AIM-120D by a very large margin.
Yes. Keep in mind that J-10C's AESA can't exploit PL-15's potential to the same degree J-20 and J-16 can. For J-10C PL-15 is used for first shot advantage and if the bogey managed to evade the PL-15 shot, J-10C would've closed the distance enough to keep it within PL-12's envelope.
TBH I can't tell apart aim-120c from d visually, so can't compare national practices. But mixing 1+1 a better missile with a worse missile is unusual.
Carrying two of the same in an exercise look nice but is trivial... you don't shot them anyway. Better to carry one of each types and having the knowledge of the capacity and limitation of each of them. Maybe in real action you will have the luxury to carry the cream for the first couple of engagement but you will fall back on lesser types sooner than later if the conflict endure.
Practicing hard for the Malaysian Airshow in May…
Could be just me but J-10CY has a vaguely Super Hornet look when viewed from the side.
Egh, of all things, hornet isn't one. J-10 is quite unique in its looks, especially among the fighters reaching service.
My personal sorta what-if wish is if
Mig 4.12(LFI) was not too dissimilar to J-10 in both concept and appearance.