Key Points – China has reportedly tripled the radar range of its J-20 “Mighty Dragon” stealth fighter, according to the South China Morning Post, citing a domestic technological breakthrough.
-The advance stems from the work of Shandong University scientist Xu Xiangang, who after two decades of research, has enabled China to produce high-purity, semi-insulating silicon-carbide (SiC) semiconductor crystals.
-This “Chinese chip” technology, already used in US F-35s, significantly boosts the power and efficiency of AESA radar modules, improves missile accuracy, and enhances laser weapon capabilities, marking a major step in China’s military self-reliance amid US export restrictions.
WARSAW, POLAND – The daily paper of the one-time UK Crown Colony of Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post, is claiming that the use of a new silicon-carbide (SiC) semiconductor material has tripled the range of the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter’s radar range.
The development of these new-design semiconductors is the end-product of two decades of working in this discipline by Shandong University scientist Xu Xiangang.
This is according to a social media post made by the university on the occasion of announcing this breakthrough.
The initial silicon-carbide (SiC) semiconductor material developed by Xu’s team had been used to increase the detection range of phased array radar systems.
It successfully permitted those radars to achieve three times their initial performance.
The university’s social media page said that this improved range and detection function allowed Chinese radars to “swiftly detect enemies and gain the first-mover advantage.”
“From the J-20’s on-board systems to advanced weaponry, this ‘Chinese chip’ is crucial for national security,” the university account read.
The same posting states that the new SiC semiconductor “enhances the range of Chinese radars, improves missile accuracy and boosts the power of laser weapons, making it an indispensable ‘hardcore shield’ in defense technology.”
Shandong’s Radar Research and J-20
The Chengdu J-20 is known in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “Mighty Dragon.”
It is a twin-engine stealth fighter that has been promoted by Chinese officials as the response to the US F-22 “Raptor”.
The aircraft made its first “official” flight in January 2011, and it then entered active service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in March 2017.
Xu, who is the Dean of the university’s Institute of Novel Semiconductors, said it was important for researchers at the PRC’s higher education institutions to “address the country’s needs.”
The PRC design team claims that with this major accomplishment in combat airborne radar performance, the J-20 stealth fighter can also detect enemy aircraft at three times the previous range.
This is the same jump in performance that they had previously reported the chip was able to achieve for the performance of other phased-array designs.
The J-20 can now supposedly acquire and identify targets “swiftly and more accurately.”
As Xu and others have referenced, this chip is said to enhance missile precision, the power levels of laser systems, and overall radar performance, but has some specific potential for the design of active-homing missiles.
The chip is being examined for use in a radar-homing missile seeker head design in one potential application.
Several missile design firms are examining the possibility of developing an active array for the seeker heads of air-to-air missiles, eliminating the need for a “gimbaling”, mechanically-steered seeker array.
“This ‘Chinese chip’ is crucial for national security,” the University’s social media post said, leading him to describe the SiC material as a “hardcore shield” for China’s defense systems.
Silicon Carbide and Catching Up With the US
Xu was featured in a video that was uploaded along with the post.
In the video interview, he explained that the United States had already integrated similar SiC semiconductors into the design of its F-35 jets and the Theatre High-Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) missile system.
As he explained, the PRC’s ability to now produce high-purity, semi-insulating SiC crystals is an accomplishment of “self-reliance” and is milestone after more than two decades of “playing catch-up with the US.”
“Twenty years ago, we couldn’t even produce a substrate meeting basic standards,” Xu said in the same accompanying video. “Now, we can precisely control the material’s growth and quality.”
The university also noted and praised Xu’s achievements in scaling SiC crystal growth from 2 inches to 12 inches. Xu’s patented technologies have been adopted by major Chinese firms like SICC and Summit Crystal Semiconductor, according to the same SCMP report.
Xu’s work, which began in 2000, has reportedly enabled the integration of SiC materials into radars used in advanced aircraft, warships, and missiles.
It has also, stated the university’s social media page, “helped break foreign monopolies, enabled domestic production, and supported national defense programs such as laser weaponry and guided missile systems.”
Xu made reference to the negative impact of foreign control of this technology in the video. “When our country cannot source these materials from abroad, we dedicate ourselves to developing them here.”
Xu’s announcement is seen as being timed specifically to craft an international political message when Washington is maintaining export restrictions that bar China’s access to cutting-edge semiconductor technologies.
US export control advocates point out that the technology is particularly important for military systems and AI-driven applications.
About the Author
Reuben F. Johnson is a survivor of the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and is an Expert on Foreign Military Affairs with the Fundacja im. Kazimierza Pułaskiego in Warsaw. He has been a consultant to the Pentagon, several NATO governments and the Australian government in the fields of defense technology and weapon systems design. Over the past 30 years he has resided in and reported from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Brazil, the People’s Republic of China and Australia.
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