Military Intelligence Time: A Comprehensive Review of the J-10 Family of Fighter Jets, Each Stronger than the Last

As the aerial business card of the Chinese Air Force, every stunt performed by the August 1st Aerobatic Team has been refined through thousands of practices. The excellent performance of the J-10C also provides solid support for the presentation of high-difficulty maneuvers.

The J-10 fighter jet is a multi-role third-generation fighter independently developed by China, featuring high reliability, high survivability, and high maneuverability. As a new generation multi-role fighter, it has a large combat radius, short takeoff and landing distance, and strong attack capabilities, achieving advanced levels comparable to international counterparts in comprehensive combat effectiveness. The J-10 fighter jet marks a historic leap for Chinese military aircraft from the second generation to the third generation.

The J-10A fighter jet is a single-engine, all-weather, multi-role fighter developed independently based on the J-10 aircraft, featuring a high-thrust turbofan engine and a canard aerodynamic layout, serving as an aerial sword for gaining air superiority and conducting medium to long-range operations.

The J-10B is an improved version based on the J-10A, with the most notable change being the adoption of a clam-shell air intake. This innovative design eliminates the boundary layer control in conventional air intakes, significantly reducing the weight of the aircraft. At the same time, the inherent performance of the J-10B has also been comprehensively enhanced. The new passive phased array radar and fully upgraded avionics system have significantly improved the combat performance of the J-10B.

The J-10C is a supersonic multi-role fighter independently developed by China, equipped with advanced avionics systems and various advanced airborne weapons, capable of medium to close-range air superiority and precise strikes against ground and sea targets. The display version of this aircraft has also become the third-generation performance aircraft of the August 1st Aerobatic Team of the Chinese Air Force.

In 2023, after the August 1st Aerobatic Team transitioned to the J-10C, they completed their overseas debut at the 16th Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in Malaysia, subsequently appearing in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Thailand, and other countries for flight performances, using colorful flight trails to build a bridge of friendship connecting China and the world.

Why did China's August 1st Aerobatic Team leap directly from the J-10 to the J-10C?

Military commentator Zhang Xuefeng: I think one important reason is that the iteration speed of our fighter jets is too fast, and the development speed of our aviation industry is too rapid. The J-10 has many variants, including the basic model A, the J-10B, and the J-10C. Among them, the J-10B has undergone significant changes, such as the use of a clam-shell air intake. At the same time, the J-10B uses a passive phased array radar, which has higher scanning sensitivity, stronger multi-target tracking capability, and longer detection range, as well as improved anti-jamming capabilities. After it was finalized, our active phased array radar was also successfully developed. Therefore, we further improved the J-10B to the J-10C, enhancing its overall combat effectiveness. The production quantity of the J-10B was not very high, and later the focus shifted to producing the J-10C. When the August 1st Aerobatic Team considered changing aircraft, it naturally chose the J-10C.

At the same time, as a flying business card of the Chinese Air Force, using a new type of fighter jet is more conducive to showcasing the new image of the Chinese Air Force and demonstrating its strength.