The Shenyang J-16D, China's new electronic warfare fighter, is already in service with the Chinese Air Force. Recently, the multi-mission aircraft participated in a t exercise, alongside the stealth J-20 and the 10th Generation J-4C.
The J-16D was visa presented for the first time at Airshow China 2021, In September. The aircraft arrived without external loads, but was later exposed with four electronic jamming pods. Two missiles were also station-mounted between the Shenyang WS-10 engines.
The J-16D is considered a counterpart to the North American EA-18G Growler. The fighter's mission is to provide radar jamming capability, electronic escort and suppression/destruction of enemy air defenses. The jet is a variant of the J-16, a Chinese version of the Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKK.
As expected, the J-16D EW-variant of the regular J-16 multirole fighter, which was unveiled to the public during the latest Zhuhai Airshow is in service already.
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According to South China Morning Post, the J-16D was in a recent combat exercise, along with J-20 Mighty Dragon and J-10C Vigorous Dragon fighters. Wang Mingliang, a researcher at the PLAAF (Chinese Air Force) Command University, said the electronic warfare fighter is most effective when working with other planes such as its own. J-20.
“Both the J-16D and J-20 can escape detection by rival radar systems”, said Wang. “Therefore, the two aircraft will benefit each other when they come together during a future battle.”
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Zhou Chenming, a researcher at the Yuan Wang Military Institute of Science and Technology, said the J-16D's design concept was "very similar" to the F-15E Strike Eagle multirole fighter used by the US Air Force.
“We can see that the US Air Force also conducts cohesive team training for its F-22, F-35 and F-15E, as well as other fighter jets,” Zhou said. “Chinese dogfight training and aircraft design concepts were inspired by their American counterparts, because in future combat the focus will not be on a single type of aircraft.”
In 2017, PLAAF spokesman Shen Jingke said that many J-20 pilots could also fly the J-16 and J-10C, as well as other new generation aircraft. A year later, the Air Force released an image of the three planes flying together, calling them the "backbone" of the People's Liberation Army's air war.
“The role of the J-16 and the new J-16D was first revealed in the 2018 photo”Zhou said. “Chinese aircraft designers, like their American counterparts, have built artificial intelligence into new-generation jets to help pilots respond immediately in a dogfight”, he added.
Military observer Antony Wong Tong said that since 2019 PLAAF fighter pilots have been training for the J-20, J-16 and J-10C to work together.
“This is the main battle combination that will apply if there is a war against Taiwan,” Wong said. “This combination is very similar to the Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, which takes on an assistant role in a t operation with the F/A-18E/F and F-35C”
