On March 10, the Chinese Air Force released a training video of J-20 titled “2020, Fly in the Spring”, which for the first time showed a large number of training images of J-20. In the video, J-20 and J-16, Su-30MKK, and Jiao-10 formed a flight formation together, which according to military analyst Bingqi Ciyuan, proves that J-20 not only has strong single-jet combat capabilities but also has the potential to command at least three types of fighter jets.
Therefore, J-20 can be used as a stealth early-warning aircraft in the front line when necessary, to give full play to the platform advantages of J-20 fighter.
Previously, J-20, J-10C, and J-16 have formed aircraft formations before. Considering that the J-10C and J-16 had installed the latest generation of avionics equipment, so J-20 and J-10C and J-16 should be doing great in cooperating.
However, Su-30MKK and Jiao-10 that appeared this time are relatively conservative in avionics systems. Nevertheless, J-20 can still conduct air combat formation training with them, indicating that J-20 uses an advanced avionics system with open data bus technology and can conduct data linkage with a variety of aircraft.
J-20 has advantages in a range that other tactical aircraft can’t match. It is also equipped with a high-powered active phased array radar and passive photoelectric detection system, which can act as an early warning aircraft in the air, and secretly grasp the movement of enemy aircraft with its stealthy advantage.
With the support of advanced data links, the information is fed back to other fighters. J-20 frequently trains with special-shaped aircraft, which shows that J-20 is not only a “pioneer” who fights alone but may also become a “commander” in operations.
Such an approach has already appeared in the Iran-Iraq war. At that time, the Iranian Air Force’s F14 fighter had a powerful AN/AWG9 radar, which could track 24 targets at the same time. In addition, the range of the F-14 was also very large and could act as an early warning aircraft to direct other aircraft to combat. But the Iraqi Air Force was not equipped with an early warning aircraft then, and the F-14’s detection advantage was fully exerted and could hit the Iraqi Air Force hard without participating in combat.
In the video “2020, Fly in the Spring”, J-20 also showed strong vertical maneuverability. During a low-level flight, J-20 suddenly pulled up its nose for a 90-degree vertical flight. Such action has a strong tactical value at a close range of air combat. China. If the enemy aircraft’s climbing ability is not strong enough, J-20 would be able to easily get rid of the enemy aircraft.