Huitong has listed the 44th Division in Kunnan as “presumabley” the first unit to receive the J-10. If this is true it likely suggests a major problem with the current production model of the J-10.
The 44th Division has two airstations, one at Kunming and one at Mengzi. Kunming has J-6s and Mengzi has both J-7s and J-6s.
Here is my reasoning:
A unit in that area that currently has 2 J-6s regiments (probably the only PLAAF Division to have 2 J-6s regiments in many years) and an early version J-7 cannot be considered frontline defense. If this unit was significant it would have been upgraded to at least a more modern second J-7 regiment long ago.
Taking your most modern fighter and using it to upgrade the most insignificant division in your air force says a lot. It would appear they are burying this thing in an insignificant part of China realitively close to the factory. It begs the question, why?
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January 9, 2004 at 12:24 pm