Upgraded JH-7 fighter-bomber in service with PLAAF

A new variant of the Xian JH-7 fighter-bomber is in service with the China People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), according to a 5 August report by the state-owned Xinhua News Agency about the Aviadarts 2019 competition of the International Army Games (IAG) being held from 3 to 17 August.

A PLAAF JH-7 aircraft, presumed to be the reported JH-7AII variant, photographed in early August during the Aviadarts 2019 competition of the IAG held in Russia. (Russian MoD)

The report stated that the aircraft types sent by the PLAAF to Russia to participate in the event include the new JH-7AII variant along with the J-10A fighter and the H-6K bombers, as well as the Il-76 and Y-9 transport aircraft. It also noted that the PLA Naval Air Force (PLANAF) was participating for the first time in the event by sending a JH-7A aircraft.

Photographs of the PLAAF aircraft provided by the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) show no obvious distinguishing features between the JH-7A and the new variant. This reinforces comments made by Wei Dongxu, a Chinese military analyst quoted in the state-owned Global Times newspaper, that the changes made to the JH-7AII are likely to be primarily related to the aircraft’s avionics and radar.

Internet sources have subsequently suggested that the modifications have focused on changes made to the platform’s mission computer, power supplies, and the post-processing capabilities of the radar, aimed at improving the integration of electronic countermeasure (ECM) pods.