Can A US Air Force F-15 Destroy a More Modern Chinese J-10 Fighter?

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington D.C.) The Chinese J-10 4th-generation fighter aircraft flies with a massive arsenal hanging from more than 11 hardpoints or pylons under the fuselage and wings, drops laser, satellite-guided and glide bombs and fires a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.

US Air Force F-15 vs. Chinese J-10 Fighter

The aircraft, in existence since 2005, forms a key foundation for the People Liberation Army – Air Force, can also hit extensive ranges of 1,400 miles and take off with a full load of extra fuel tanks and 42,000 pounds or ordnance. The PLA Air Force operates more than 540 J-10s, according to a citation from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a number which presents a clear ability to “mass” in air formations against an adversary.

Video Above: Rep. Rob Wittman

While a 4th-generation aircraft, the J-10 Chengdu was engineered with a series of modern technologies, perhaps with a mind to overmatch 1980s-era US Air Force F-15s and F-16s. Some of the systems built into the J-10 are listed in an interesting write up from SinoDefence in 2010. The essay describes the J-10 as operating a multi-mode fire control radar and a mechanically-scanned planar array antenna capable of tracking up to 10 targets. The essay says up to 2 targets can be engaged simultaneously with “semi-active radar homing” missiles or four can be engaged with “active radar homing” missiles.

While an ability to track multiple targets is indeed quite significant as it is something likely intended to match the AN/APG-63 V1 radar upgrade on the US Air Force F-15, according to an essay from Globalsecurity.org. As an upgrade to the APG-63, the “v1” version enables the radar to simultaneously attack 6 targets and track as many as 14. The AN/APG-63 (v1) radars armed many F-15s in the early 2000s, yet in 2000 Boeing and the US Air Force took a huge step in adding AESA radar to the F-15 with the AN/APG-62 (v2), perhaps in an effort to overmatch the at the time emerging J-10. An AESA radar, variants of which are not arming F-15EXs and even F-35s, massively increase precision to detect track and destroy multiple targets at once, with much greater effectiveness than traditional radar.

“In an AESA system, the traditional mechanically scanning radar dish is replaced by a stationary panel covered with an array of hundreds of small transmitter-receiver modules. Unlike a radar dish, these modules have more combined power and can perform different detection, tracking, communication and jamming functions in multiple directions simultaneously,” the Globalsecurity.org essay states.