The Chinese and Russian air forces conducted joint patrols over the Sea of Japan and nearby regions. However, the operations did not go as planned, and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) exposed some startling inefficiencies in China's military aviation capabilities. These events have underscored serious shortcomings in China's military technology and strategy. On the first day, a Chinese H-6N strategic bomber flew to the Sea of Japan to rendezvous with Russian forces. Typically, escort fighter jets accompany such missions for protection. However, China's J-16 fighters escorting the bomber turned back after crossing the Tsushima Strait—about 900 kilometers from the Chinese mainland—leaving the bomber to continue alone. This raised questions about the J-16's operational range. Despite boasting a theoretical range of 4,000 km, the fighters carried only four missiles—just a fraction of their 12 available weapon stations—and still failed to complete the mission.
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China's refueling tactics during the joint patrols also drew criticism. The YU-20 tankers operated dangerously close to the Miyako Strait, within range of Japan's Type-12 surface-to-air missiles and Aegis destroyers. Such positioning exposes tankers to interception by U.S. and Japanese aircraft, a risky decision that contradicts standard air combat doctrine, where tankers operate safely behind friendly lines. The patrols also highlighted the lack of genuine military trust between China and Russia. Russia contributed only outdated Tu-95 bombers to the exercise and refrained from providing fighter escorts. Moreover, Chinese bombers took circuitous routes to avoid entering Russian airspace, reflecting mutual wariness despite public claims of strategic alignment. Underlying these technical and tactical failures is widespread corruption within China's military-industrial complex.
The next day, Russian Tu-95 bombers joined the operation, flying through the Tsushima Strait and heading toward the Pacific Ocean via the Miyako Strait. JSDF observations revealed Chinese YU-20 aerial tankers refueling J-16 fighters just 800 km from China—a puzzlingly short distance for refueling. This premature refueling suggests severe limitations in the J-16’s range when equipped with the WS-10 engines. Even more telling, two additional J-16 fighters sent to escort the H-6N bomber back to base failed to reach the Miyako Strait, underscoring persistent fuel and range constraints. The J-16's range claims were clearly exaggerated. While its advertised 4,000 km range assumes subsonic cruising without combat maneuvers, real-world conditions drastically reduce its combat radius—possibly to less than 1,000 km.
For comparison, the U.S. F-15EX, fully loaded with weapons, boasts a combat radius of 2,200 km and features engines with a significantly longer lifespan. The operational limitations of the J-16, particularly during these joint patrols, have embarrassed China on the international stage, revealing not only a gap in technological capabilities but also highlighting issues with strategic planning and military cooperation. This incident might prompt China to reassess its military aviation strategies and the capabilities of its current fleet, potentially accelerating the development or acquisition of more advanced aircraft and refueling technologies to match or exceed regional and global competitors.