According to comprehensive analysis by military experts PY, the naval carrier-based version of the medium-sized fifth-generation stealth fighter FC-31, which has been born for many years but has not entered the Chinese Air Force equipment sequence, has been unveiled. In the future, it will first be equipped with the new generation of electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier "Fujian" that has been launched. This in turn has aroused widespread public interest. Should the Chinese Air Force be equipped with a large number of improved FC-31 stealth aircraft so that it can be used to attack F-35? After all, the production of F-35 is already very large, and it is focused on deploying in areas around China.
For a long time, the reason why the Chinese domestic military public opinion opposes the large-scale equipment of FC-31 is the so-called "medium-sized aircraft trap". It is famous that the combat effectiveness of medium-sized aircraft is only 70% of that of heavy aircraft, but the cost is 80% of the latter, which is used to argue that the conclusion that medium-sized aircraft is not as good as heavy aircraft. However, even if this ratio is true and without considering external factors, there is still a paradox in the comparison of the cost and combat effectiveness of the so-called medium-sized aircraft.
This paradox is that a certain country needs only 70% of the combat power of fighter and heavy aircraft. When there are appropriate models to choose, is it necessary to pay 20% of the cost for the unnecessary 30% performance? The standard for proposing a trap for medium-sized aircraft is actually very ideal, that is, we really need 100% combat power, heavy aircraft can directly provide 100%, medium-sized aircraft can only provide 70%, and 3 medium-sized aircraft can only support 2 heavy aircraft. The combined cost of 80% of the stand-alone machine is 40% higher than that of heavy machines.
Theoretically, this is the case. The problem is that we are not facing all F-22, there are also a large number of F-35 and F-15/16, and even Su-30. The fighter threats faced in any direction are uneven, and the combat area and battlefield environment are not static. The theoretical comparison of the comprehensive performance of equipment in combat airspace is assuming that the combat effectiveness ratio of J-20 to F-22A is 1 and the ratio to F-15 is 3, then the ratio between FC-31 and F-22 is 0.7 and the ratio to F-15 is 2.2. If the opponent uses 50 F-22A and 150 F-15, theoretically, 100 J-20s can form a balance of combat effectiveness.
But considering the integrity rate and dispatch frequency of fighter equipment, 100 J-20s cannot stop the mixed aircraft group of 200 opponents. After all, actual combat is not a competition of single-player combat power, but a confrontation of comprehensive abilities. The larger side can have more and more flexible tactical choices. Quality and quantity! This is also the basis for the Soviet Air Force's equipment level to maintain sufficient pressure in China and Europe. What if it was FC-31? The cost of 50 J-20s can be exchanged for 62 FC-31s, which is equivalent to the combat effectiveness of 45 F-22As, and the ratio against the F-15 is 137. It seems that the confrontational effectiveness in both aspects has been reduced. But the 12 aircraft added to equip FC-31 can obviously enhance tactical flexibility. Text/PY
