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China's domestic J-16 multirole fighter/bomber is the key in the People's Liberation Army Air Force's transformation from a from a defense-oriented unit into an offensive power, says the Beijing-based Sina Military Network.
Typically speaking, fighters are fighters and bombers and bombers, but improving technology, automation of avionics, more precise weapons and lighter weights have led to the development of multi-role aircraft.
Manufactured by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, the J-16 is based on the domestic J-11BS with features absorbed from Russia's Su-20MKK. With comprehensive electronic system upgrades, a new phased array radar and infrared sighting system, the J-16 is said to boast superior avionics to even that of Russia's latest Su-35.
Read the full story at Want China Times