Listening to J-10 Pilots Discuss the Secrets of Tactical Innovation

[Global Times reporters Guo Yuandan, Global Times special correspondent Gao Bin, Sun Jinlei, Yu Wenwei] In a certain unit of the Air Force Aviation Corps, on the runway, the J-10 engines roar, accelerating down the runway and soaring into the sky, the tremendous sound wave sweeping across the entire outer field. This is the daily battlefield of the "most beautiful new era revolutionary soldiers," led by the squadron leader Bu Jiawen and his comrades, who, with their well-honed tactical wisdom and the ultimate combat power of man-machine integration, ensure that this classic fighter jet maintains its winning edge in the modern air combat system.

Among the vast family of the Chinese Air Force, the most dazzling brilliance comes from several new types of advanced fighter jets, while the J-10, tempered by the passage of time, remains somewhat "lukewarm." Without the support of top-notch new models, it can still stabilize its position and achieve remarkable results in high-intensity aerial confrontations. What is the winning confidence of this flight squadron? In a recent interview, Bu Jiawen and his comrades provided the most hardcore answer.

"Although the J-10 is not the most advanced, it is indeed in its prime." Bu Jiawen holds a high opinion of the fighter jets he works with daily: a main battle aircraft with very mature and advanced comprehensive performance, capable of flexibly adapting to various combat tasks such as air superiority and ground attack, and able to fit into complex and diverse real combat scenarios, demonstrating strong versatility.

He believes that future air combat will no longer be a solitary struggle of individual aircraft; it will depend on overall coordination. Different types of aircraft and various combat platforms must perform their respective roles and complement each other, maximizing their advantages to form a cohesive combat system and achieve the strongest overall combat capability.

Excellent equipment is the foundation of combat power, but top-notch pilots are the core key to unlocking the extreme combat potential of that equipment. As domestically produced new fighter jets continue to be deployed, the dimensions of aerial combat and the tactical difficulties are continuously upgrading, which also places higher demands on Bu Jiawen and his comrades.

"If the equipment has 100% capability, you need to find ways to expand it to 110% or 120% potential; if you only use 60% and go into battle, it's not that the equipment is lacking, it's that the people are lacking." Bu Jiawen said that in daily confrontation drills, he often encounters "opponents" with more advanced hardware. "They have a natural advantage, and it's hard to win with conventional tactics. Therefore, we need to break out of the conventional air combat mindset, not be limited to traditional tactical routines, and focus on studying the opponent's weaknesses. By innovating unconventional tactics and customizing targeted strategies, we can use flexible and varied tactics to make up for equipment gaps and find breakthroughs in confrontations between strengths and weaknesses," Bu Jiawen explained.

This is not just empty talk; in practical confrontations, Bu Jiawen and his comrades have repeatedly used this set of innovative tactics to seize the opponent's flaws, achieving impressive victories and turning the tables in situations where their equipment was not superior.

"The first time we confronted them, we were completely crushed by the opponent, and the results were not ideal." Bu Jiawen said, "The opponent's aircraft performance was stronger than ours, and they had an absolute advantage in hardware; the gap was glaringly obvious." After that, Bu Jiawen began to ponder whether there were other ways to win against them.

"In the following days, we continuously accumulated experience through repeated confrontations and training. After each flight, we would review and analyze, then dive back into training." Bu Jiawen said this process lasted about one to two years, during which they kept researching and exploring; it wasn't a sudden flash of inspiration that led to a solution, but rather a result of extensive flying and repeated verification, refining their approach time and again.

Victory is not the result of a single aircraft fighting alone; a joint system is the key to defeating the enemy. "With the support of a joint system, existing equipment can play a crucial role that exceeds its own performance through tactical innovation and efficient collaboration," Bu Jiawen said.

When discussing the development of the Chinese Air Force, Bu Jiawen's core feeling can be summed up in one word: "Fast!" He remembers that when he graduated, the J-10 was the most advanced fighter jet at the time. "In just over a decade, some aircraft have been retired from frontline units and turned into trainer aircraft; in the future, we will have even more advanced aircraft."

As a young generation pilot, Lv Wentao, born in 1998, believes he is living in a great era. "The country has created good conditions for us. Compared to me, the new generation of pilots starts at a higher level. The higher the starting point, the better the conditions, the faster the formation of combat capability."     

Bu Jiawen and Lv Wentao share a common hope of flying more advanced fighter jets in the future, which they say is a common ideal among pilots. "Advanced fighter jets can better fulfill mission tasks, and the role of pilots in future combat systems will be even more critical," Lv Wentao said.