In this rapidly changing era, the clouds of military conflict once again shrouded the whole world, the vast sky of Ukraine was torn apart by the roar of fighter jets, and various weapons and equipment sprung up one after another, in this internationally concerned war, Russia's Su-34 fighter-bomber is experiencing an embarrassing journey that is both ideal and realistic, and thought that it could fly away like a superhero in the movie, but did not expect it to be forced to assume the role of a reconnaissance aircraft, this change is not only a test of military tactics, It is also a real review of the management of modern military equipment resources
We can't help but ask, how exactly should the air force be built in such an international situation? Is it necessary to rely on one or two advanced fighters for a wide range of tasks? Also interested in this problem is China's J-8 fighter, which with its unique charm and practicality, shows another possibility for a new generation of air force
Next, let's analyze this topic in depth and see how these two models reflect the dilemma and choice of modern air force equipment
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Su-34: reconnaissance "cameo" of fighter-bombers
I have to talk about this Su-34, it is like the "golden collar" in the fighter, the momentum is huge, can not be ignored, the original design concept of this fighter is to strike enemy targets and provide support for ground forces, never expected, God's will has made it a reconnaissance aircraft, in the military operations carried out by Russia, due to the shortage of fighter resources, Su-34 had to be forced to shoulder reconnaissance tasks, this is like an all-rounder, forced to do miscellaneous work, although it has strong performance, But it had to be "wasted" to some extent
Why is this happening? The impact of economic sanctions has made Russia face many challenges in conducting military activities, and the changes in the international situation are even more stretched, considering the high maintenance costs and the reality that parts are difficult to obtain, the Su-34 has to bear unprecedented pressure
What's more, as a fighter-bomber, it is obviously overkill to let it go on reconnaissance missions, just like inviting a star to shoot an advertisement but letting him run errands in the background, although the Su-34 has powerful attack and reconnaissance capabilities, but in the case of resource constraints, the Russian army has to choose this path with a headache
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Economic pressures and strategic choices are a two-way tug-of-war
As a fighter with a cost of up to $40 million, the use of this type of fighter to carry out reconnaissance can save costs, but its efficiency cannot be compared with professional reconnaissance aircraft, which makes people wonder: Is it really necessary to rely on only a few advanced fighters in modern military conflicts?
It is conceivable that in these war-torn days, whether it is intelligence gathering or the formulation of battle plans, changes in the enemy's situation require the Air Force to have more flexible and efficient combat capabilities, and if only the Su-34 is used as an "all-rounder", it is conceivable that for a huge army, whether the real reconnaissance mission can be successfully completed is not so certain
As this situation continues, the Russian military's internal decision-making in the face of a complex environment has also fallen into a strange circle of wanting everything, but ultimately unable to fully realize anything, which also vividly reflects the embarrassment encountered by the modern air force in the turbulent situation
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J-8's soft counterattack: veterans do not fade
At this time, we might as well use China's J-8 fighter to compare, if the Su-34 is "rich and handsome", then the J-8 is an obscure "good man", it does not have extremely advanced technology, but with high cost performance, reliable system, has become the right-hand man of the Chinese Air Force
What are the advantages of the J-8? As a fighter designed for conventional missions, the J-8 is particularly well suited for daily patrols and low-intensity missions, where it can complete tasks at a relatively low cost, and the resources saved can be used for other important armament and training activities
The J-8 also has the characteristics of strong flexibility and simple maintenance, and due to its mature design, the cost of training pilots is relatively low, which means that more crew members can be effectively used, thereby enhancing the combat power of the entire air force
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If we carefully analyze the daily performance of the J-8, we will find that it can also perform well in diversified missions such as electronic warfare, low-intensity reconnaissance, and conventional patrols
Diversification and Balanced Development: The Future of Air Power
Looking at what kind of force structure the modern air force needs, in addition to the main combat models such as the Su-34 and J-8, modern warfare obviously needs a variety of interests, if you only focus on one or two advanced fighters, you may miss too many development opportunities
The core concept we need to mention is "balanced development and diversified equipment", in the development of the Air Force, we cannot only rely on advanced fighters, the old models of fighters can also meet a lot of combat needs, this is like a delicacy, a variety of ingredients can be combined to produce a delicious meal
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In the face of complex situations, the force structure of the modern air force must have a more flexible response mechanism, through the combination of different types of fighters and equipment, to form a reasonable division of responsibilities, to ensure that there are available forces in various complex situations, only in this way, can we respond quickly in the face of various challenges and seize the initiative
Opportunities for cooperation in the international context
As more and more countries realize this, the international cooperation of the Air Force equipment is expected to be further deepened, whether it is the retention and utilization of old models, or the research and development of new fighters, an open perspective and pragmatic attitude is the way out for the future Air Force
Military competition is not a single individual fighting, but a process of building cooperative relations and symbiosis and win-win results
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Conclusion: The Air Force of the future is calling for new ideas
In the face of the ever-changing international situation, the modern air force not only needs advanced and sophisticated weapons and equipment, such as advanced fighters such as the Su-34, but also should maintain the importance of old fighters such as the J-8
In the future, the boundaries between peace and war will become more and more blurred, and the air forces of various countries may need more flexible and pragmatic equipment choices, and new challenges have brought us opportunities, let us all look forward to a modern and competitive air force in the future to show more powerful potential and influence, and on this road, the efforts of each country are indispensable
This process will not be smooth sailing, but in the continuous exploration and practice, the construction of the air force will certainly present a more colorful picture, take us to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future, whether it is the miscellaneous Su-34, or the indomitable J-8, are the epitome of the times, telling the history and reality of equipment development, let us continue to move forward in the long river of history