India-China Air Force Clash: IAF Pilot Explains Why A Superior J-20 Stealth Jet Will Avoid A Skirmish With Rafales, Su-30MIs

[White and Green with M/S]

Superior j20? Wtf would that even mean? Our radars in Ladakh have picked them up many times. It's not even stealth.

Only few km than yes lol

 

[Capt. Karnage]

And if this j20 of theirs was really superior they wouldn't be buying su35s from Russia. This clearly shows that Chinese Jian is junk.

 

[Reichsmarschall]

And if AMCA of theirs was really superior they wouldn't be buying Rafale from France. This clearly shows that indian AMCA is junk.

 

[White and Green with M/S]

And if this j20 of theirs was really superior they wouldn't be buying su35s from Russia. This clearly shows that Chinese Jian is junk.

lol and tell me when and how many Su-35 they bought???

 

[Imran Khan]

Superior j20? Wtf would that even mean? Our radars in Ladakh have picked them up many times. It's not even stealth.

tu beta rehny bus your radars can not see its pakistani drone or IAF MI-17 at 27 feb . your radars are better for killing own men .

what you see on radar that was Air China Airbus A330-300 daily flight CA945 from Beijing to islamabad not j20

 

[Capt. Karnage]

lol and tell me when and how many Su-35 they bought???

Russia-China Su-35 contract – The Diplomat

Asia-Pacific’s leading current affairs magazine.

thediplomat.com

 

[crankthatskunk]

Shouldn’t it be bull shit instead? BS was the name of their former air chief after all.

More reason I didn't use it. What would do with others with the same S**t!!
There is not one BS in India and Indian army.

 

[CAPRICORN-88]

In a potential India, China aerial clash over the complex terrain of the Himalayan mountains, experts examine how China could deploy its J-20 stealth jets to counter Indian Rafales and Su-30 MKIs.

China’s J-20 stealth fighter jet has reportedly undergone multiple tests in the Tibetan mountains where the country’s Daocheng Yading Airport (DCY), the highest-altitude airport in the world is located.

The fighter jet has been spotted at this airport multiple times which ensconced in the lap of the highest mountain peaks in the world would be a perfect place for the aircraft to undergo high-altitude testing.

Challenges For China’s J-20
As a new fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, the J-20 needs to prove its worthiness while operating from plateaus and mountains. The complex terrain of the plateaus and the unpredictable weather at such heights pose unimaginable challenges to any aircraft, and not all of them can sustain such an environment.

The air at higher altitudes is very thin and the fighter aircraft needs air for combustion to take place in the engines to allow the aircraft to fly smoothly.

According to defense expert Ian D’Costa – “Fighters without engines that can function within the envelope of their thrust potential in thinner air above 20,000 to 30,000 feet are already at a severe disadvantage, especially compared to other fighters that can.”

Operations from high-altitude air bases on the Tibetan plateau would mean the J-20 fighters will have lesser room to carry more weapons or fuel, resulting in a constrained combat range.

That’s bad news for China since the PLAAF airbases are situated at longer distances from the contested LAC, which would mean the Chinese fighters will have very little time to target or engage the Indian aircraft.

Moreover, the experts contend that the Chinese stealth fighter has no combat experience and has not taken part in any war. There’s limited public information available about its capabilities, with some of them reportedly exaggerated by the Chinese media.

China’s J-20 Vs India’s Rafale & Su-30MKI
On the contrary, the Indian Rafales have extensive experience in combat roles, and with a service ceiling of 50,000 feet; they can perform exceptionally well at higher altitudes.

In the event of a confrontation with the Indian Air Force, China will likely also employ its Russian Su-35 Multi-role strike fighter, Su-30MKK, domestically developed J-16, J-11, and J-10C fighter jets.

The other jets in the PLAAF inventory – J-7, J-8, and JH-7 – will not be deployed to the frontlines because of range limitations along the LAC.


Former IAF pilot Vijainder K Thakur says that J-20 is a stealthy fighter bomber. And, “Being LO, it will not need to engage with IAF Su-30s or Rafales. It will be able to carry out its missions largely undetected.

J-20 missions will include attacks on IAF radars, AD missiles, locating mobile targets within Indian territory, and relaying their coordinates for stand-off attacks by PLAAF bombers and fighter bombers using cruise missiles.”

He says that in the scenario of visual air-to-air combat, the Chinese J-20 will get clobbered by IAF Su-30s and Rafales, which is precisely the reason why J-20s will never engage the Indian fighter jets.

Instead, they will use their stealth to penetrate Indian airspace and attack targets on Indian territory without fear of interception, he adds.

India-China Aerial Clash
Thakur says that China is likely to deploy its J-20 jets for limited and specialized roles. “For example, shooting down high-value IAF assets such as AWACS and aerial tankers. Considering the limited number of aerial tankers and AEW&CS/AWACS assets in its inventory, the IAF would be greatly disadvantaged by any losses.”

“The PLAAF could also use its J-20 as a penetrating sensor, leveraging its ability to penetrate Indian airspace undetected. As a penetrating sensor, the J-20 would obtain target coordinates for cruise or ballistic missile attacks by other PLA assets.

In case of an uncontrolled escalation, the J-20 could be used to obtain coordinates of mobile strategic missile launchers detected through surveillance satellites.”

He believes the stealth advantage of the J-20 would give it a ‘first see, first shoot’ advantage in BVR combat over all Indian fighters except the Rafale and the Su-30MKI.

However, against the Rafale which is equipped with low RCS, Spectra self-protection suite with RF cloaking, and Meteor 150-km BVR missile, J-20 will find it hard to defeat the fighter.

The Su-30MKI too, he writes, “would stand a survival chance against the J-20 jets with its powerful BARS that could alert its pilot to the presence of a J-20, if not provide a weapon-grade track.”

The Su-30MKI with its super-maneuverability could outmaneuver a J-20 launched JL-15 air-to-air missile during its end game maneuvering, he adds.

China Uncertain With J-20s?
Rafales possess superior maneuverability than an F-35 in a close-range dogfight and has the ability to fly at supersonic speeds with less fuel usage, making it far more superior than China’s J-10, J-11, and Su-27 fighter jets.

The presence of the ramjet-powered, radar-guided, BVR Meteor missile, gives Rafale fighters an edge over most of the Chinese fighters. The air-to-air Meteor missile has an estimated range of 120-160 km.

Air Chief Marshal B. S Dhanoa recently said the Chinese Air Force was using the Russian Su-30 and Su-35 fighters while facing the US threat in the South China Sea, and not their indigenous fighters.

“The fact is that the Chinese fighters are no match for the American equipment. The majority of Chinese equipment is reverse engineering of Russian equipment and fighters have designs of either Su-27 or Su-30 platform. They are even powered by Russian AL 31 F (Su-30) and RD 33 (MiG-29) engines,” he added.

When it comes to air combat over the mighty Himalayan terrains, the indigenous Chinese fighter fleets pale in comparison to the Indian fighter arsenal. China has boasted of its indigenous airpower for years now, however, the world is yet to see any of its assets performing in an aerial skirmish anywhere.

On the contrary, India has fought multiple wars, involving frequent dogfights with adversary countries. It has tried and tested its air assets and, consequently, is more aware of its own fighter capabilities, the experts say.

Although China might have more air assets in place, the natural environment across the LAC and the location of airbases and military installations favor the Indian side. China therefore would be unlikely to get into an aerial skirmish with the Indian Air force and would prefer a traditional border clash.

Rafale vs J-20: IAF Pilot Explains Why A 'Superior' J-20 Stealth Fighter Jet Will Avoid Skirmish With Indian Rafales

Rafale vs J-20: In an India-China air force clash, IAF explains how China could use its J-20 jets to counter Indian Rafales & Su-30 MKIs.

eurasiantimes.com

Why do one need to use a butcher knife to kill a fowl?

Stop fooling oneself. Are we fools?

 

[Jazzbot]

India doesn't need MKIs or Rafaels to defeat china, their massive mouth cannons are enough.

 

[siegecrossbow]

lol and tell me when and how many Su-35 they bought???

Apparently he doesn’t understand the difference between “offer” and “accepted offer”. Fact of the matter is China has not purchased any additional Su-35s since the last of the 24 were delivered in 2018. They found the avionics and missiles to be wanting during training against the J-10C.

 

[Bilal9]

Even here the Chinese are assisting them.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1391364692447096833

The less said in Ramzan, the better.

But if I was a bhakt - this would be the time to shut my hatch about useless military ramblings. Stop with all the foolish bravado.

Supapawa dreams while reality bites. They can't cremate people fast enough. Medical system pretty much collapsed.

Modi playing the zither like Nero while India literally burns. Indian reality is nangey (laid bare) to the world now.

 

[arjunk]

He says that in the scenario of visual air-to-air combat, the Chinese J-20 will get clobbered by IAF Su-30s and Rafales, which is precisely the reason why J-20s will never engage the Indian fighter jets.

Instead, they will use their stealth to penetrate Indian airspace and attack targets on Indian territory without fear of interception, he adds.

So, they will just shoot down Indian jets at BVR ranges like Pakistan (and every other modern airforce)? Is this moron living in WWII? Visual air to air combat is an almost obsolete concept, these airshow manoeuvrability tricks of the Flanker series are useless in combat.

If anything, Indian planes will get clobbered up close even harder than before because Chinese J-20s can enter the no escape zone of their missiles undetected and fire away, and Indians will be clueless until the missile activates its own seeker by which time there is nothing the pilot can do but say his last words.

This 2rs logic is the reason the IAF and its stupid airshow tricks were made a mockery out of on 27th February. The most they could do to save their faces was brag about how they ran away like chickens (while shooting down their own helicopter which was sent for SAR of their flanker which failed to run away).

 

[KaiserX]

Su30MKI with a 5m2 RCS is gonna go head to head against a VLO/Stealth J20 backed by one of the largest fleets of AEWs and AWACS in the world and the PL15 missile, and still some how come out ahead?

How can they make this crap up anymore about the Su30MKI when it got spanked and shot down by a PAF F16?

What reality do they live in?

The Rafale with the IRST may be able to hold its own in the short-medium range if the IRST can pick up the thermal footprint of a J20, but once against the VLO - PL15 combo - it will become French toast ... It questionable if the IRST can actually guide a AAM to the target itself - detecting a J20 is very difficult to being able to target it ...

A JF17B3 is capable enough to go headon with the MKI and win...

There is a reason that the Indian airforce is procuring Rafale on a fast track basis. Simply put their hogwash of fighters ranging from the SU30 Mirage 2000 Mig29 Mig27 Mig 21 Jaguars are way to mixed up with the inability to communicate with one another. All Chinese jets are similar and communicate on a singular C4I system. That along with China survellaince coverage would give Chinese far more information of the battefield than the indians could ever imagine.

 

[Salman Baig]

I agree to article to this extent that j20 if used; will be used for specialized roles. They may not be first choice to go head on with enemy jets.

 

[Wikki019]

"Dodgers" are back