China to Retire its J-7 Fighter, a MiG-21 Clone, This Year

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army plans to complete retiring all of its J-7 fighters this year, a procedure it started in 2018.

New 4.5-generation fighter jets like the J-10C and J-16, as well as the fifth-generation fighter jet J-20 are being built in large numbers, replacing legacy J-7s. The retired J-7s could be reserved for training and testing, or they could be modified to become drones and play new roles in modern warfare, as per the Global Times.

The J-7 is the first supersonic fighter jet developed by China that can reach Mach 2. This type of second-generation fighter jet was used by the PLA Air Force and the aviation force of the PLA Navy. Many variants including the JL-9 trainer jet were developed based on the J-7.

Du Wenlong, a Chinese military expert told state-owned China Central Television (CCTV) that the number of J-7s remaining in active service is low. He predicts the PLA Air Force will likely decommission these old jets from combat service this year.