The new Zhuhai Air Show in China is about to kick off on September 28th, and the J-16D electronic warfare aircraft will make its first public appearance, attracting much attention.

According to the US Military Observer magazine on September 24, in September 2021, China's latest jet J-16D EW aircraft made its first public debut, which proved that the aircraft has officially served in the PLA Air Force.

The J-16D electronic warfare aircraft is developed based on the J-16 heavy fighter jet, which is said to have entered service between 2013 and 2015.

The US media reported that in December 2015, the J-16D electronic fighter jet was first discovered to carry a new type of electronic jamming pod, which was mounted under the wings and fuselage, operating at different radar frequencies and capable of launching multi band electronic attacks on targets.

These electronic devices can analyze radar frequencies and locate the radar for more effective interference and anti radiation attacks through the built-in conformal electronic warfare array and supplementary antennas.

The J-16D electronic fighter jet is expected to be equipped with up to six anti radiation missiles designed to target enemy radar. In addition, the J-16D electronic fighter is also equipped with the LD-10 anti radiation missile developed based on the Thunderbolt 12 air-to-air missile.

The YJ-91 anti radiation missile is considered to be the most widely used anti radiation missile by the Chinese Air Force. It is expected that aircraft equipped with the YJ-91 anti radiation missile will regularly pair with the J-16D electronic fighter to carry out electronic attack missions.

According to the US Defense News website, photos of the J-16D electronic fighter show some significant differences from the standard J-16 fighter, with the most prominent being a pair of electronic warfare pods installed on the wingtips.

It is reported that the electronic warfare pod mounted on the J-16 has similar functions to the AN/ALQ-218 pod developed by Northrop Grumman on the US Navy's EA-18G "Roar" electronic fighter jet. This is a high-performance passive signal intelligent sensor system used for detecting, identifying, locating, and resolving RF transmission sources.

The article states that the number 0109 is printed on the side of the engine intake of the J-16D electronic fighter jet in the static display area of the Zhuhai Air Show, indicating that it is the ninth electronic fighter jet produced in the first batch.

There are no numbers on its tail wing, but it has low visibility PLA Air Force markings, making it impossible to determine which combat unit it has been assigned to.

In addition, on September 25th, the website of Hong Kong's South China Morning Post published a report titled "China will debut the J-16D at the air show, showcasing its electromagnetic warfare capabilities", stating that military experts say that the J-16D indicates that China attaches great importance to its dominant position in the field of electromagnetic warfare.

To win future wars, it is not only necessary to dominate in the air and sea, but also to take the initiative in the fields of information and electromagnetics.

Military experts say that the J-16 and J-16D may be used simultaneously for combat against Taiwan. He also said that the J-16D will soon join patrol operations near Taiwan Island.