Can China's Mighty Fighter J-20s Stop F-35s in the Pacific?

The military aviation community is debating whether a fifth-generation Chinese fighter jet, dubbed the Chengdu J-20, Mighty Dragon, is really mighty. It is known that it was designed by China's Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (CAC) for the Chinese Air Force (PLAAF) as a twin-engine, all-weather, all-weather stealth fighter aircraft, which is envisaged to have precision strike and engagement capability, and especially to establish air superiority. As with the F-35, this aircraft has three main production models. The early design and development version is the J-20A, the J-20B model with a moving nozzle or thrust vectoring nozzle design, and the J-20S, a dual-pilot version suitable for general purpose use. 

The J-20 programme was launched in the late 1990s as the J-XX. It made its first flight on 11 January 2011. It made a successful flight accompanied by a J-10AS two-seat chase aircraft. Until this date, discussions and rumours about this aircraft were widely covered in the Western press. However, since it was not known exactly what the aircraft really was, it remained a 'ghost', reflecting the purpose for which it was built. The development programme, which has been carried out as J-XX, J-13, J-14, XXJ since the mid-2000s, finally started to become evident in the form of blurry and low-quality images in late December 2010. This blurred image became clearer at the China International Aerospace Exhibition held in 2016, and the aircraft was officially introduced to the world at this exhibition. In March 2017, the J-20 was subjected to operational evaluation and flight tests by the PLAAF, and when it performed as expected, the PLAAF decided to include these aircraft in its inventory. The first J-20 fleet was activated one year later, in February 2018. Thus, China became the second country in the world, after the United States, to start using low-visibility (stealth) fighter jets. The J-20 has also attracted the attention of other countries as the world's third operational fifth-generation fighter jet after the American F-22 and F-35 fighters.

Since then, much has been said and discussed, especially in the Western world, about the possible military and strategic implications of the J-20's emergence and what kind of fighter it will be. Prior to the J-20, China had developed a fourth-generation fighter aircraft called the J-10. Along with the J-20, the foreign media's interest in major projects developed by China, such as the 052D and 055 modern destroyers, the Y-20 strategic transport aircraft, the fifth generation prototype of the FC-31, aircraft carriers numbered 002 and 003, and the 075 amphibious assault ship, increased significantly. In addition to the FC-31, everyone realised that the production of stealth bombers such as the H-20 (B-21 equivalent) and new generation surface combat ships are now products that need to be taken seriously. Expectations that China, which built the J-20, will be successful in these development projects have reached the highest point.

China Makes Great Progress in Fifth Generation Jet Engine Production

On the other hand, the use of engines suitable for fifth-generation aircraft in low visibility is seen as key. When China decided to produce the J-20, it was lagging behind in engine technology. Therefore, initially, the Russian engine had to be used as an "intermediate solution". The first flights were carried out with the AL-31FM2 variant developed by Salyut. Carrying two of these engines with a power of approximately 32,600 lbf, the thrust required by the aircraft was largely met. 

The next engine variant was the Shenyang WS-10 engine developed by China. However, this was not yet the target engine. J-10B-20B aircraft fitted with WS-10B-3 engines were exhibited at the 2018 China International Aerospace Exhibition. Later, while WS-10Cs were put into use on these aircraft, the fact that these engines have serrated afterburner nozzles that support low visibility caused attention to be focused even more on the aircraft. 

According to a January 2022 announcement, the engines on the J-10As are also being replaced by WS-10Cs with thrust vectors. In fact, Xian WS-20 (Emei) is envisaged as the final target engine for J-15s. Since 2019, a lot of progress has been made in this context. Access to supersonic cruise speed and the extra manoeuvring capabilities of this engine are seen as important features that add added value to the aircraft. With the use of these engines, it is claimed that the weight/power ratio of the J-20s will exceed the F-22 and F-35 aircraft. It is stated that the new engine will be able to provide the additional power required by cooling, directed energy weapons and new sensor technologies, which are expected to be integrated into the aircraft in the near future, without difficulty.

Is the J-20 a Copy of American Stealth Aircraft?

Initially, some commentators argued that the J-20's stealthy, low-visibility airframe design was in some ways similar to US designs such as the F-22 and F-35. However, the classic fifth-generation low-visibility fuselage structure, which is based on sharp surfaces/angles, is used almost identically in all similar fighter aircraft. Different stealth aircraft also use a limited combination of edge alignment, notches, serrations, sloping control surfaces, mixed wing configurations and inlet geometry, etc. in accordance with low visibility to maintain the required kinematic performance. In this context, as more and more stealth fighter aircraft projects are being worked on, such as South Korea's KF-21 Bromae, Turkey's TF-23 Kaan and India's AMCA, evaluations that the stealth fighter aircraft in the world are copies of each other lose their meaning. The similarity in these now-classic fuselage designs can be seen even in fifth and/or sixth generation projects such as Europe's next generation fighter (NGF), Britain's Tempest and Japan's F-3, which are expected to have more advanced features.

Analysts state that the J-20 uses a holistic approach to reduce the radar cross-sectional area (RCS) on its fuselage. They point out that the J-20 canards and the leading edge root extensions of its wings are uniquely combined. The notched front fuselage, modified radar radome and electro-conductive canopy indicate the use of a mature design in J-20s, similar to the F-22. In accordance with the fifth generation requirements, the air intakes are designed in an 'S-duct' type structure, which can support low visibility even at supersonic speeds. Such air intakes serve to reduce weight, reduce complexity and minimise radar signature from the engine(s). An internal weapons magazine for low visibility was also used on these aircraft. A flat fuselage floor in a structure compatible with this chamber, saw-toothed interlocking non-marking edges connecting the chamber covers, mesh coverings on the cooling ports at the base of the vertical tails, embedded antennas and radar absorbing coating materials are also used on the J-20s. It is stated that Chinese military air and space engineering is superior to the Russians in terms of low visibility, and that this is proven by the J-20 technology, while the PAK-FA lags behind the J-20. 

As a result, the allegation that China 'stole' the F-22 and F-35 designs during the development of the J-20, which was claimed in the early 2000s, is now nothing more than a meaningless rumour. Even if technology espionage was undoubtedly carried out during the development of the J-20, there is nothing new in the J-20 design beyond the classic fifth generation lines. Meanwhile, China announced in 2021 that it aims to produce as many J-20 aircraft (186) as the number of F-22s held by the United States (186) by 2027, the centenary of the centenary of the founding of its air force. I assess that this number may even exceed this number.

Tug of War between J-20 and F-35 in the Pacific

The exact number of J-20 aircraft currently in production is unknown. Nevertheless, it is evident that the J-20 Mighty Dragon is gradually becoming the main fighter aircraft of the PLA Air Force. The whole world is following the Sino-American rivalry in the Pacific region, the struggle for hegemony and the tidal tensions centred on Taiwan. In the conflict between the two countries, the J-20 and F-35 fifth-generation fighter jets play a key role in the air leg. Such a mission is virtually imposed on these two aircraft by both countries. 

US Pacific Air Force Commander General Kenneth Kenneth announced in March 2022 that the F-35s were in contact with Chinese J-20 jets. Since then, both countries continue to watch each other in the air. Nowadays, the US closely monitors every activity carried out with the J-20s, the key player in the joint or air exercises conducted by China.

According to the assessments of the US Air Force reflected in the media, it is not yet clear what China wants to do with the J-20. They are expected to prioritise air superiority. They fly the aircraft quite well. According to an American General, "We recently had an engagement in the East China Sea where we got relatively close to the J-20s with our F-35s, and we were quite impressed with the command and control of the J-20."

In January this year, a Chinese state-affiliated broadcaster published a video of a J-20 squadron, saying that the squadron "did an excellent job in regular patrols and the East China Sea Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) patrol mission". At the same time, social media was awash with claims that a J-20 may have intercepted an F-35 fighter jet.

A report in the South China Morning Post titled "China highlights J-20 stealth fighter's role in intercepting foreign fighter jets by releasing images that may show rare encounters with the F-35" also pointed to such an interaction. The article cited military experts who argued that although the PLA Air Force usually sends J-11 and J-16 jets to intercept foreign fighter jets, the J-20 is the most capable aircraft to fend off foreign stealth fighters such as the US F-35 or the Japanese Air Self-Defence Force.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times that the US and its allies have ordered a large number of F-35 stealth fighter jets, which are designed for attacking ground targets or air-to-ground missions, rather than air superiority missions. In this case, Fu said, the Ground Forces' short-range radars, infrared and optical sensors, as well as air defence guns and missiles mounted on high-mobility vehicles are gaining in importance, while the Air Force's long-range radars and missiles may lose their advantage as the F-35s prefer to penetrate air defences from low altitudes rather than high altitudes.

Conclusion

Nowadays, the tug-of-war between the J-20 and the F-35 in Asia has taken hold of the countries of the region. Demand for F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets is on the rise among US allies in Asia. This demand is being driven by Beijing's aggressive expansion and influence policies, which its neighbours find disturbing. Japan and South Korea, the main allies of the United States, have not hesitated to show their readiness to support the United States against China in the Pacific by already purchasing the F-35. Japan, in particular, makes no secret of the fact that it is seeking an anti-China power projection almost more than the United States. Some believe that a military confrontation between Beijing and Washington is imminent, emphasising the problems in the context of the Taiwan Strait, where tensions occasionally rise. In this context, US President Joe Biden's repeated statements that his country would come to the aid of the island state if China attacked Taiwan are cited as a convincing argument for the validity of conflict scenarios. In possible conflict scenarios, the J-20s in the hands of the Chinese side will play a prominent role, and the development of measures to eliminate this aircraft is among the priorities of the American air power. At least this is how I read the picture.

Reference

Rick Joe, "J-20: The Stealth Fighter That Changed PLA Watching Forever", The Diplomat, 11 January 2021, https://thediplomat.com/2021/01/j-20-the-stealth-fighter-that-changed-pla-watching-forever/

Sakshi Tiwari, "China's J-20 Fighters 'Fail' To Break Through Air Defence Bubble; Gets Caught In The Web In Late-Night Simulation Drills", The Eurasiantimes, 25 March 2023, https://www.eurasiantimes.com/chinas-j-20-fails-to-break-through-air-defense-bubble/

Fatih Mehmet, "China's J10B fighter jet took the stage with its "thrust vector" capability", DefenceTurk, 9 November 2018, https://www.defenceturk.net/cinin-j10b-savas-ucagi-thrust-vector-kabiliyeti-ile-sahneye-cikti