The article you posted cites no sources for its information. Western or even Chinese civilian sources are usually very incorrect when it comes to the PLAAF since they maintain a secretive grip on its information. China honestly doesn't need exercises with other air forces, although such a thing would be nice. They hold their own 100-warbird simulated combat war games.
We'd like to hear where you got the conclusion that the J-10 maintenance is poor. And BTW, the J-10A isn't China's "premium" fighter.
You think the PLAAF ranks aren't related with politics? Why do you think commanders get fired after crashes like the KJ-200?
Pilot training comes with both time and method. Saying that IAF pilots are "superior" is pretty narrow minded.
Really?Excercises with other airforces doesn't matter?Then why would the USAF the largest and most big budgeted one hold exrecises with 'inferior' airforces?Coz everyone will have a different way of doing things and the more ideas u have exposure too the better u get.In chinese case ,there is only one way they know.The one laid down by their superiors and enforced by the political comissars.Anyone who says that an hierarchy with interference from political comissars is going to be more efficient in human material than an independent one needs to have a look at history.
As for the j-10 it has been reported many times that the serviceability of the j-10 is poor and maintainence crew are having trouble keeping sortie rates anywhere near normal.
''The J-10 has a reputation as a maintenance nightmare and users are having a hard time keeping the aircraft operational in reasonable numbers. But the J-10 is the first modern jet fighter designed and built in China. The aircraft is an attempt to create a modern fighter-bomber that could compete with foreign designs. The experiment was not completely successful.''
From one such article.
Things are so bad that it even lost out to a 30 yr old plane the mig-29 in the contest to equip the myanmar air force despite offering low prices,along with its economic leverage on myanmar.Mostly due to its maintainence nightmare reputation.
And then ofcourse there is the story told in the chinese press itself and i need not elaborate much as it was in the chinese forum itself......how it was 'crushed' by the j-11 in exercises.The j-11..... which is a poor man's su-30 mki.And one 'does' wonder why despite several rumours the pakistani air force hasn't just taken to the great fighter..prefering poor old f-16s as its high end weaponry still.
As to your other 'premium' fighters.The su-30mkk,su-27 and j-11 they are when all is said and done poor man's su-30mkis.
And on to ur great 'force multiplier's,The keys to a modern air force.
Lets see shall we....for a great air force of 2500 aircraft.
Modern heavy transport aircraft-
ummm.....20 ill-76s and 8 y-9 .That's it.
All u got else are ultra obsolete reverse engeneered an-24s and more original an-26s.[around a 110 of all 3 types]By the way the 'load' of the 'backbone' of the PLAAF's transport fleet is quite fearsome.5500 kgs.Plus 60 odd again ultra old an-12s.
Even the poor IAF with 750 aircraft has 17 ill-76s.Plus the new c-17 globemasters now arriving[2 arrived,8 coming].Plus 6 c-130 super hercules[6 more arriving].BTW the cargo capacity of the small c-130 super herc is 33000 kgs.And the globemaster is 80000 kgs and it can land on rough areas without airfields.Apart from this we also have newly upgraded 110 an-32 antonovs for light transport.
Now what it means is the THE mighty PLAAF's ability to logistically sustain a ground offensive in the NE is minimal.All u got is ur ground infrastrucrure and if IAF knocks out the railway lines,ur boys are going to sit and starve.Same case in any cross the sea invasion attempts at taiwan and the islands.The air mobility for ur elephant of an air force is that of an infant.Lets not even 'compare urselves with the USAAF with 100 c-5 galaxy's,220 c-17 globemasters,420 c-130 hercules.The USAF can supply the entire coalition force in afganisthan from the air alone indefinitely and has gone on air saying so.
Lets look at another old and rusty old bear .eh.The russian AF in long decline still has...210 ill-76s,20 an-22[45k kgs],14 an-24[150000 kgs] plus 160 older light antonov transports.
Compare that to ur superdupah superpower mighty dragon air force and its liliiput airlift ability of 20 ill-76s and 7 y-9s,60 an-12s[do these rusted junks even fly?].
Now lets get to the second part of force multipliers of a modern air force.....strategic air to air refueller tankers shall we?
Here's the hilarious part..the superpowaaa dragon has NO dedicated refueller aircraft.10 again ultra old h-6[old tu-16]bombers have been used as a stopgap in this role.Only now they might order some ill-78s.
Even the IAF has 7 dedicated ill-78 mki tankers.
Lets not even get to the USAF[60 kc-10a,420 kc-135s]
This means ur combat aircraft are short legged and can only operate in zones close to their air bases while others can multiply their actual numbers on the frontline by deploying fighters from far away bases[away from missile range].
And as for the all important AWACS,Ur kj-2000 poor man's awacs.A result of what u have when usa sanctioned the PHALCON awacs that china so desperately wanted from israel but couldn't get.The same Phalcon that we have.
And only 5 real KJ-2000 awacs at that.Even russia has 30.India has 3 phalcon with 2 more coming.Lets not go to usa.
As seen from above PLAAF is clearly a quantity over quality force,that has limited understanding and expereince of modern aerial warfare and hence the huge numbers of combat aircraft with so little vital support aircraft.Still believes in brute force above quality,along with its political comissars hindering battle management and ability and lower flying hrs....no matter how they huff and puff is far from being the equal of the PLA and is yet mostly a paper tiger.