“J-16D has been put into actual combat training, and can join hands with J-20!” China’s CCTV military program said Saturday.
Ever since the J-16D electronic warfare aircraft made its debut at the Zhuhai Airshow 2021, speculation has been rife as to whether it has entered service and been deployed to PLA units that regularly patrol the Taiwan Strait.
CCTV quoted Chinese military expert Wang Mingliang as saying: J-16D and J-20 both target enemy radar detection. The J-16D is responsible for suppressing and keeping the enemy from detecting, while the J-20 is avoiding enemy detection so that the enemy cannot capture the targets.
“As J-16D and J-20 join hands, it must be one plus one greater than two, or even greater than three, we will definitely use such a pairing in the future battlefield,” said Wang.
Wang Mingliang introduced the multiple pods under the fuselage of the J-16D electronic warfare aircraft loaded with various electronic reconnaissance equipment, communication jamming equipment, radar jamming equipment and so on. And the J-16D also retains the air combat capability of the J-16 fighter series, capable of mounting air-to-air missiles.