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New images that recently appeared on social media confirmed that the 125th Aviation Brigade of the Chinese Air Force has completed the replacement of the J-16 fighter jets. The brigade began to transition from the old J-7E fighter jets to the latest J-16 fighter jets in early 2024.

This article was published by the U.S. military website "Military Watch". It is translated and edited by me for everyone below. Since the author of the article is American, some of the perceptions are not consistent with the actual situation. Please look at it rationally. I translated this article just to relay some opinions expressed by foreign personnel after analyzing photos leaked from my country's online platforms. It is not my own opinion.

As shown in the picture above, this is a newly observed J-16 fighter jet. The serial number of this J-16 fighter jet is 73368, belonging to the 125th Aviation Brigade, and the number is 1303, so it can be determined that this is the 13th batch of fighter jets. The number of J-16 fighter jets in each production batch is between 24 and 30, and the current estimated number of service aircraft exceeds 350.

The 125th Air Force Brigade, stationed at the Nanning Air Force Base and affiliated to the Southern Theater Command, has completed modernization reforms in recent years by replacing advanced high-performance fighter jets, becoming one of the strongest air combat units in southern China. The nearby 4th Air Force Brigade, stationed at the Foshan Air Force Base near Shenzhen, replaced the J-20 fighter jets less than a year ago. Other units under the Southern Theater Command, such as the 41st Aviation Brigade stationed at the Wuyishan Air Force Base in Fujian, have also recently replaced the J-20 fighter jets.

J-20、J-16The J-20 and J-10C are currently in mass production for the Chinese Air Force, with the J-20 fighter having the highest production volume. Its current annual deliveries have exceeded the combined total of the J-16 and J-10C fighters, and it is expected that deliveries will exceed 100 in 2024 and exceed 120 in 2025.

The J-16 "Qianlong" is a 4.5-generation heavy multi-purpose fighter developed by China's Shenyang Aircraft Industry Group. This fighter is based on the J-11BS fighter (a domestically produced two-seat version).Su-27The J-16 was first flown in 2011 and officially entered service in the Chinese Air Force in 2016.

The J-16 and J-20 have similar ultra-long range, large payload, and advanced airborne radar. Although it does not have the excellent stealth performance of the J-20 fighter, the J-16 is a greatly enhanced 4.5-generation fighter that benefits from many 5th-generation fighter technologies developed for the J-20 fighter, making it a leader among its peers.

These technologies include advanced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, long-range air-to-air missiles, and advanced composite materials. Therefore, the J-16 is considered the world's strongest 4.5-generation fighter. Its only competitor is the F-15EX fighter that the US Air Force has recently entered service, in addition to the F-15X fighter that is being developed for the Chinese Navy.J-15BHeavyCarrier-based aircraftCompared with the F-15EX, the J-16 has more advanced air-to-air missiles, more powerful engines, longer range and larger radar, and its maneuverability also has an overwhelming advantage.