Key Points and Summary – China’s J-20 Mighty Dragon is the country’s premier fifth-generation stealth fighter, designed to establish air superiority and project power across Asia.
-While its radar-evading capabilities may not equal the American F-22 or F-35, the J-20’s rapid development, advanced engines, and mass production (with over 200 now in service) represent a monumental achievement for China’s homegrown defense industry.
-A symbol of national pride, the Mighty Dragon serves as a potent strategic deterrent, posing a significant challenge to U.S. and allied air power in the Indo-Pacific and raising the stakes in the region.
Why Is China’s J-20 Mighty Dragon Stealth Fighter So ‘Mighty’
China’s J-20 Mighty Dragon fifth-generation fighter jet has Xi Jinping’s air force excited, as it can potentially dominate adversaries in its backyard. This is China’s big attempt at stealth flight, and while some once thought that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force would take a failed swing and strikeout, the Chinese believe they have hit a homerun.
However, the airplane could be overhyped in some ways.
Let’s look at the history behind the J-20 to see if this warplane has become a full-throttle success.
The J-20 is a single-seat (with a twin-seat version), all-weather jet with radar-evading attributes. It is not as stealthy as the American F-35 or F-22, but China has placed a great emphasis on developing its fifth-generation aircraft to showcase its stealth capabilities.
China’s Chengdu Aerospace Corporation has built an air superiority fighter with some ground strike capability.
The J-20’s Back Story
As AirPowerAsia.com noted in a historical profile, the J-20 started as part of the J-XX program in the 1990s.
The J-20 made its first flight in 2011 and was introduced to the world at the 2016 China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai. Then it entered active duty a year later. The PLAAF formed at least one squadron of J-20s in 2018.
The J-20 Passed Early Test and Evaluation Periods
In 2008, Chinese defense contractors Chengdu and Shenyang Aircraft Corporation competed for the contract.
This was called Project 718. Shenyang had yearned for a larger airplane in its proposal. The PLAAF thought that Chengdu met most of its objectives, and the timeline that they envisioned for development was successful.
For example, the J-20 prototype underwent a comprehensive test and evaluation period, during which it passed a “high-speed taxiing test” and conducted some low-altitude maneuvers that readied it for full-time flight.
By 2015, the J-20 was being produced in small numbers, and state-run media trumpeted that it was ready for mass production and regular operational duty by 2017.
New Version Has a Backseat Weapons Controller
By 2019, the J-20 was making significant progress. There was even a twin-seat version that featured a weapons systems officer who could control munitions and conduct electronic warfare techniques. That year, WS-10 Taihang engines were installed on the J-20, which improved speed and performance.
In 2020, another variant, the J-20B, was introduced, featuring thrust vectoring from new WS-10C engines.
This had more power and afterburning capabilities and needed less maintenance. J-20s were deployed with the 9th Air Brigade based at Wuhu Air Base.
The PLAAF sought optimized stealthiness across all variants, and Chengdu enhanced the stealth coatings, angled its vertical stabilizers, installed a low-observable asymmetric nozzle, improved the radar-deflecting canopy, and created a horizontal serpentine duct on the fuselage.
China wanted a fifth-generation fighter badly. It aimed to be one of the global leaders in the field and dominate its region. The Americans were seen as the trailblazers, and F-22s and F-35s were entering their heyday.
The PLAAF also worried about the United States and its relationship with Taiwan. The Chinese wanted no stealth fighters on the island and were attempting to use the J-20 and its variants to show the world they would keep Taiwan as part of its territory.
The J-20 Meets Potential Combat Expectations
Hence, the J-20 has strategic, operational, and tactical value. China is mass-producing the jet, and there are more than 200 J-20s in service. PLAAF aviators have no combat experience, but they execute air policing to protect the homeland and conduct aggressive “gray zone tactics” while rehearsing warlike deployments against Taiwan and other U.S. allies.
The J-20 is China’s most esteemed fighter jet. The airplane has a good range and an adequate payload. While the PLAAF thinks that the J-20 is entirely stealthy, these capabilities may not be as good as advertised in state-run media. However, the media campaign featuring the J-20 reminds the public that the Mighty Dragon is there to project Chines power in the region and offer deterrence against less powerful air forces in Southeast Asia.
Additionally, it continually challenges the primacy of South Korea and Japan.
Organic Production Seals the Deal
China also wants to congratulate itself on having a homegrown defense industry that can produce one of the world’s only fifth-generation fighters.
This confidence is reflected in the last major dogfight in June between Pakistan and India, which showed the J-10Cs flown by the Pakistani aviators. The J-10Cs may have been a higher-quality airplane than the French-made Rafale fighters that the Indians flew. If the J-10C Vigorous Dragon is that good, the J-20 will undoubtedly be better, and if Chinese pilots are more expert than the Pakistanis, the Mighty Dragon could dominate in battle.
The J-20 has demonstrated that the PLAAF is a demanding customer when it comes to compelling its defense industry to produce such a modern aircraft. The Mighty Dragon is a feature of national pride.
The PLAAF will continue to bring more J-20s into active duty, and the F-35 and F-22 have met their match in capabilities despite the Mighty Dragon’s purported lack of complete radar evasion characteristics. The J-20 may not be completely invisible to radar, but it remains the best airplane among its geopolitical rivals in the region, aside from the United States.
China knows it has a hit on its hands, and the Mighty Dragon is ready for war.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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