JH-7A is the only air combat platform in our Navy and Air Force named " Fighter Bomber ". According to analysis by the foreign intelligence community, the nickname "Flying Leopard" has 270 aircraft in service, which is one of the most important military aircraft for the Chinese military to conduct ground/sea attacks.
With the maximum load capacity of 12 tons, the J-16 fourth-generation and a half-purpose multi-purpose fighter has been included in the list. It is rumored that the J-H-7A fighter bomber may bid farewell to the air stage in the past few years and completely retire from active service.
In fact, the JH-7A can carry new electronic warfare pods, KD-88 air-to-ground missiles, YJ-83K air-to-ship missiles, YJ-91 anti-radiation missiles, and LS-6 and other precision guided bombs .
Of course, as a military aircraft dedicated to ground/sea attacks, the JH-7A can also carry 57/90mm multi-mounted rocket launch nest and ordinary aviation bomb , giving it a place in the military. It is probably too early to say that it will be completely retired in recent years.
JH-7A2 is the latest improved model of JH-7A. It has just participated in the 14th Zhuhai Air Show that closed shortly, which means that Chinese aviation technicians are still transforming and upgrading it, allowing the "Flying Leopard" to serve at least 10 or 20 years, and play a huge role in the Chinese Navy and Air Force's ground/sea strike.
The JH-7A2 attack aircraft participating in this Zhuhai Air Show actually carried the AKF-98A air spreader with a sci-fi feel with stealth performance, similar to the foreign AGM-158 joint air-ground missile , which has precise attack methods for long-distance targets outside the defense zone, giving the "Flying Leopard" a qualitative leap in ground/sea strike performance.
J-H-7A2, with a maximum combat radius of more than 1,650 kilometers, and its maximum bomb load has increased from 7 tons of J-H-7A to 9 tons. It is the largest bomb load in the Chinese army, second only to the 12-ton J-16 multi-purpose fighter , and its performance on ground/sea attacks cannot be underestimated.
"Flying Leopard"-A2 with 11 hangers can carry a large number of ammunition in one battle, and its attack power against the ground/sea is still online. Therefore, there is no reason for him to spend his life in recent years, saying that he is about to retire from active service completely, which may be an unrealistic speculation by some netizens.
Now, it is rumored online that the JH-7A2 can also carry PL-17 under its wings. This type of missile is the most advanced air-to-air missile of the Chinese military, with a maximum range of more than 400 kilometers, more than twice the range of the PL-15 air-to-air missile, and can be called the world's farthest air-to-air missile with the longest range.
uses a PL-17 with a multi-stage pulse engine. It initially appeared under the wings of the J-16 fighter . The length of the missile body is far greater than that of the PL-15. The missile body has an active radar guidance device and an infrared seeker, which has the performance of being ignored after launch. The ultra-long-range range of
300-500 kilometers allows the "Pili"-17 long-range air-to-air missiles no longer focus on air combat beyond the visual range, but can directly destroy the opponent's early warning aircraft, , tankers, electronic warfare aircraft and other military aircraft with the exceeded visual range, and destroy these high-value air targets. In wartime, it can put the opponent's air combat system into a state of chaos. Although the "Flying Leopard" has the title of "fighter bomber", its air combat performance is really negligible compared with other models of fighter . The bulky JH-7A cannot engage in air combat with other models of fighter jets, especially the close-range " dog fight ". The two PL-8 short-range air-to-air missiles plugged into its wingtips only have a certain air self-defense capability.
allows fighter bombers like "Flying Leopard" that are dedicated to ground/sea attacks, and can also plug in PL-17 ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles, which makes Chinese netizens and military fans feel a little puzzled. In fact, the upgraded JH-7A2's airborne avionics equipment is extremely advanced and has attack capabilities beyond the visual range. The airborne high-speed data link system equipped with the JH-7A2 can also receive the air navigation status of enemy aircraft sent from the air early warning aircraft and the ground command post. It has the ability to launch PL-17 air-to-air missiles and strikes air targets within 400 kilometers. There are no technical problems in the "A-guided B-fire" and can achieve seamless connection.
JH-7A2 can carry new electronic warfare pods, AKF-98A air spreader (there are also articles online calling it stealth cruise missiles), PL-17 long-range air-to-air missiles and other latest air-on weapons and electronic equipment in service in our army, making the "Flying Leopard" more powerful. Some articles say that it can serve in the army for 20 years. It is really not that fast to retire the "Flying Leopard"!
