Chinese military unveils new JH-7A2 fighter-bomber at China Air Show 2021 in Zhuhai. The main difference of the new iteration of the aircraft is an additional strike weapon, designed to work on ground targets.
As stated in the Global Times, The JH-7A2 is based on the JH-7A and looks almost identical to the base variant.. However, in the new modification, the aircraft has an increased strike potential due to the ability to carry additional weapons., including air-to-surface missiles, laser-guided bombs and so-called wind-adjusted ammunition dispensers [WCMD; guidance kits, converting bombs into guided munitions].
according to the release,, the main tasks of the JH-7A2 is the fight against sea and ground targets.
earlier, in August 2019 of the year, Xinhua news agency announced the participation of the JH-7A2 in the Russian Aviadarts competition as part of the International Army Games 2019 of the year, without disclosing detailed information about the aircraft, including its differences from the basic version of the JH-7A. Since then, the new variant has not been publicly demonstrated..
According to Chinese analysts, due to the advent of the JH-7A2 modification, it is expected, that the JH-7 family of aircraft will continue to serve in the PLA for a long time, despite the commissioning of the more advanced J-16 multirole fighter.
used photos:China Military publications site
