The J-7 (NATO codename: “Fishcan”) is a Chinese replica of the Soviet MiG-21 from the 1960s. Although originally a mid-Cold War design, over 2,400 J-7s were produced in 54 variants as of 2013 (Pakistan and Iran still use the export version of the F-7). According to the annual report of the International Institute for Strategic Studies on military capabilities and defense economics, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has about 300 J-7s.

But the third-generation J-7 has already passed its heyday, with China receiving new fourth- and fifth-generation fighters such as the Russian-developed Su-30, as well as the J-16 and J-20 stealth fighters. . According to a state-owned Chinese newspaper, China may completely decommission aircraft by 2023 Global Times.

In the US, obsolete warplanes are mothballed during construction or converted into target drones, as is the case with warplanes. F-4 And F 16. However Global Times He proposed a different fate for the J-7: the aircraft could be “modified to become unmanned and play new roles in modern warfare.”

This “new role” could be to convert the J-7 into an unmanned combat aircraft (UCAV). This isn’t the first time there has been a conspiracy between planes and drones; Previously, it was predicted that China could do it. Rebuild J-6 – Chinese copy of the Soviet MiG-19 fighter of the 1950s – to an unmanned plane.

But observers quickly noticed this in 2021. four J-7s join a group of new J-16 fighter jets in exercises near Taiwanese airspaceUnusual for an old plane that even Taiwanese despise as “grandfather’s jet”. Some wondered if these J-7s existed. turned into dronesalthough no evidence has been made public.

Why turn a manned fighter into an unmanned fighter plane? The most obvious reason would be to avoid wasting expensive planes. But the bigger reason may be performance. Purpose-built attack drones like the US’s MQ-9 Reaper or Turkey’s TB2 Bayraktar have top speeds of around 130-300 mph and are often bulky, propeller-driven flying machines. The J-7 drone can fly close to Mach 2, and manned warplanes are designed for fast, high-speed maneuvers. Warplanes can also carry a wide variety of munitions, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, anti-ship missiles and bombs.

“The cost of converting older aircraft to UAVs is relatively low, but they retain most of their manned characteristics,” they concluded. education in 2022 From the Mitchell Institute, an American think tank, on China’s UCAV threat to Taiwan. “Converted hulls have the same performance, maneuverability and payload as the original platforms.”

Older J-6, J-7, and J-8 fighters and Q-5 attack aircraft can be converted to UAVs and later “to defeat Taiwan’s air defense systems, attack an aircraft carrier, or conduct major anti-aircraft operations.” – warned the Mitchell Institute. For example, China could send hundreds of these drones as a prelude to the invasion of Taiwan, as its drones deplete Taiwan’s anti-aircraft missile reserves before the manned strike aircraft arrives.

“Like cicadas that can stay underground for long periods of time, the PLAAF may decide to hide the bulk of these UAVs in underground bunkers and show up en masse to attack Taiwan,” the study concluded.

Ironically, the J-7 and other Chinese copies of Cold War-era Soviet aircraft may have been more successful than with a pilot in the cockpit. Global Times He described the J-7 as “the first Chinese-developed supersonic fighter capable of reaching Mach 2. In fact, the J-7 was based on MiG-21 plans and components supplied by the Soviet Union in 1961. In the early 1960s, when China and the Soviet Union disagreed over leadership in the Communist bloc, Moscow suspended materials while China redesigned the design.

According to author Andreas Ruprecht in his book Dragon WingsThe J-7 did not have an impeccable reputation. Problems included manufacturing defects, poor reliability, a faulty ejection seat, and a cockpit suitable for Russian rather than Chinese pilots.

Converting old jets into drones sounds economical. But the concept can have its problems. Supersonic drones are in their infancy, especially supersonic UAVs. Can a fighter robot perform high-speed combat maneuvers when controlled by a pilot with limited situational awareness in a ground station instead of in the cockpit?

And while China can get enough spare parts to tear some of these UAVs apart, warplanes require a lot of maintenance, especially a failure-prone design like the J-7. It may be more economical to build lots of cheap drones. Source