It’s been a mystery how J-10C fighters performed in last month’s military exercise with Thailand’s JAS39C/D Gripen fighters as there’s no official information about the results, but some Chinese media channels have been reporting unconfirmed news about J-10C’s “complete victory”.
One Chinese news account reported yesterday that according to some Russian media, J-10C and JAS39C/D fighters appeared at the same time to celebrate the successful conclusion of the joint exercise, and J-10C has achieved brilliant results in this exercise. In the combat exercise, J-10C fighters defeated JAS39C/D fighters with a big score gap. And this is not surprising because the performance of J-10C is superior in terms of maneuverability and handling. However, the Western countries did not understand this, so they were very surprised when they learned of such a result.
In the simulation exercise, the super high maneuverability supported by J-10C’s canard wing layout makes JAS39C/D fighters at a loss. At the same time, J-10C’s radar and avionics systems are more advanced than JAS39C/D fighters. In middle-and long-distance battles, JAS39C/D fighters often did not find J-10C before they were locked and shot down by missiles. In the close combats, J-10C’s ultra-high maneuverability has an unparalleled advantage. The canard wing layout makes the fighter’s power very abundant, while JAS39C/D fighter has no power to fight back.
It’s quoted that a US F-16 retired pilot said on social media that he is very aware of the performance of the Gripens, so he’d take off his hat and pay tribute to J-10C for its advantages in the simulated air combats. The pilot also said that JAS39C/D fighters also have a pair of canards. Before the US military gained experience in combating canard wing fighters, they had conducted confrontation exercises with JAS39C/D.
The pilot said he faced great pressure when driving the F-16 against JAS39C/D fighters. JAS39C/D fighters are light fighters, and the radar and avionics systems were very advanced. Even if F-16’s air-to-air missiles could lock JAS39C/D fighters, the latter could get rid of them in time with super high mobility. Therefore, as J-10C achieved such a record in the actual combat against JAS39C/D fighter, this proves the superiority of J-10C performance.
According to the report, a spokesman for the White House said that the joint exercise between Thailand and China is unacceptable. This will only enhance the actual combat capability of the Chinese Air Force. The US has just signed an order for armored vehicles with Thailand, and the West should be Thailand’s choice. But from the current behavior of Thailand, it is obvious that the country has its own ideas. It is reported that in addition to the joint exercise with the Chinese Air Force, Thailand’s navy also participated in a joint military exercise between the United States and the ASEAN.