China commissions 3 J-16 brigades that mimic the Su-30MK2.
In the near future, the PLAAF may deploy J-16s, a copycat version of the Su-30MK2, to escort H-6K strategic bombers during training flights in the South China Sea.
Images from a recent Chinese military parade before training at the Cangzhou base in Hebei province show that at least two air brigades are undergoing training to transition to the J-16.
Thus, in total, there will be three such units using J-16 fighter jets in service with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
These units could be the 172nd and 176th Brigades of the PLAAF's Flight Training and Education Center. The unit is tasked with "developing new flight techniques, combat tactics, and flight training programs and equipment," according to Andreas Rupprecht, author of several books on the Chinese Air Force.
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| Images from the military parade at Cangzhou base in Hebei province. |
The aircraft's serial number indicates that the third unit equipped with J-16s is the 98th Brigade based in Chongqing in southwestern China. There are also reports that the 7th Brigade in Wuhu, Anhui Province, is using J-16s, however, this information cannot be verified at present.
A small number of J-16s were tested by the 176th Brigade in 2015 for evaluation. However, many sources indicate that the aircraft's entry into the PLAAF has been delayed due to the need to refine the radar design developed by China's 607th Institute.
The Shenyang J-16 is the Chinese-developed version of the Russian Su-30 Flanker-C multirole fighter. Unlike the J-11B, which is based on the Sukhoi Su-27, the J-16 is designed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions using its AESA radar.
Like the J-11B, the J-16 is equipped with the Chinese WS-10 Taihang turbofan engine. However, the J-16 has in-flight refueling capability, an infrared seeker system, twin nose wheels for higher takeoff altitude, and lacks a pitot tube on its nose cone.
The J-16's biggest advantage over other fighter jets like the J-10, for example, is its larger airframe, which allows for increased payload and range.
Previously, during training in the South China Sea and East China Sea, the Chinese Air Force's H-6K bombers were often escorted by Su-30MKKs. Therefore, this will also be an important task that the new J-16 Brigades will likely continuously perform in the near future.
An electronic warfare variant, tentatively designated J-16D, is under development, with at least one prototype reportedly having already conducted several test flights.
The Chinese Air Force has a huge demand for the J-16, needing at least 300 aircraft in the future to replace older fighters such as the Su-30, J-11, and JH-7. It is projected that China will maintain a rate of equipping at least one brigade per year.
Additionally, the Chinese Navy is also planning to equip itself with J-16 or J-20 aircraft to replace its J-8II and JH-7 planes.
Thus, China is accelerating its "copying" of Russia's Su-30MKK fighter jet, just as it previously developed the J-11, a copy of Russia's Su-27. It can be argued that whenever China buys a Russian aircraft, it produces an identical version, and this could also happen with the S-35 fighter jet.
In 2015, China signed a contract to purchase a mere 24 Su-35S aircraft from Russia (enough to equip one regiment), and it is highly likely that the country only purchased this small quantity for the purpose of learning the technology, and later developing a J-XX series of fighter jets.
This had been warned about by Russian military experts, but under the siege and sanctions of the US and Europe, Moscow had no choice but to sell Su-35s to China to build relationships in exchange for large economic contracts.
