Key Points and Summary – China’s J-20 “Mighty Dragon” is a Mach 2, 5th-generation stealth fighter that is increasingly being used to project power and intimidate U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific.
-With a top speed faster than the F-35, the J-20 is now conducting “routine” patrols around Taiwan and has recently flown through the strategic Tsushima Strait near Japan.
China J-20S Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-While its true stealth capabilities remain debated, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force is confidently using the J-20 in aggressive “gray zone” tactics, challenging the air defenses of its neighbors and escalating regional tensions.
China Has Put Speed in the DNA of the J-20 Mighty Dragon Fighter
The fifth-generation Chengdu J-20, known as the “Mighty Dragon,” has been produced in significant numbers by China and is considered one of their best fighter jets.
The J-20 is a high-speed warbird capable of Mach 2 speeds with stealth capabilities. It is quicker than the F-35’s top speed of MACH 1.6 and about the same as the maximum velocity of the F-22, although sometimes the Raptor can go just slightly over MACH 2.
The Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark, a carrier-borne jet, has a top speed of just over MACH 2 as well – a shade faster than the J-20. The J-10 Vigorous Dragon can only clock in at MACH 1.8.
Stealth Characteristics and Supercruise Feature
The J-20 Mighty Dragon can fly at supercruise without afterburners at MACH 1.5. This is one of the only fifth-generation warbirds that can fly at supercruise in the world. This is enabled by the capable Shenyang WS-10C and WS-20B engines on J-20 variants. These are turbofan powerplants. China wanted these engines to be indigenous so its air force would not have to depend on Russia so much. China believes the “WS” series of engines gives the J-20 more thrust than the F-22 and F-35.
The J-20 Is a Pest to Its Neighbors
The J-20 has been in the news recently. The Mighty Dragon has encroached on the Air Defense Identification Zone of Japan in the Tsushima Strait, also known as the “Eastern Channel,” flying over the strategic waters near Honshu on July 28. Chinese state-run media behemoth CCTV has boasted that the J-20 has also crossed the Bashi Channel between the Philippines and Taiwan. In addition, the broadcaster stated that the J-20 regularly conducts missions around Taiwan.
J-20 Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
China Is Not Afraid of Provoking an Air Defense Response from the U.S. and Its Allies
The Japanese are concerned about flights over the Tsushima Strait. This is a key chokepoint for shipping, and regular patrols by Chinese warplanes would be seen as a major incursion. The United States, South Korea, and Japan all have air defenses that cover the Tsushima Strait, with the Americans featuring their vaunted THAAD system in the area.
The J-20s that flew near Japan are reportedly part of the elite First Fighter Brigade, the South China Morning Post wrote on July 29.
It’s an F-22 and F-35 Rival and Copy
The J-20 can be compared to the F-22 in terms of appearance and some performance capabilities. The J-20 can serve in both air superiority and multiple combat roles, featuring dogfighting ability and ground strike capabilities. The J-20 can perform with speed and agility, and the Chinese are deploying it more and more to fly over strategic areas that could become flashpoints. This shows that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is confident that the Mighty Dragon can avoid radar and perform hunter-killer and air policing operations.
While the PLAAF may believe the J-20 is fully stealthy, there are doubts about how well the airplane can evade radar.
It features diverter-less inlets, internal weapons bays, and radar-absorbent materials, which reduce its radar cross-section.
The cockpit is not bad. There are digital controls, helmet-mounted display systems, and wide-angle head-up features. This makes the airplane more survivable in diverse mission sets.
“The J-20 is also slated to carry a variety of advanced electronic systems. This technology includes an active electronically scanned array, a chin-mounted infrared/electro-optic search and track sensor, and a passive electro-optical detection system that will provide 360-degree spherical coverage around the aircraft. These systems are expected to be comparable to those found inside the F-35,” according to China Power at the think tank CSIS.
J-20 Fighter. Image Credit: Chinese Weibo Screenshot.
The J-20 was introduced in 2011, so the PLAAF has had significant time to perfect it. It was only a matter of time before China developed a fifth-generation fighter that offered significant upgrades over the J-10 and served as a response to the F-35 and F-22.
The J-20 is a single-seater that is more than 66 feet long with a wingspan of 44 feet. Maximum takeoff weight is 81,500 pounds. Its range is 1,243 miles.
The Mighty Dragon’s speed allows it to be an effective interceptor when defending the motherland and gives it the wherewithal to conduct rapid ground strikes.
China’s Gray Zone Warfare Tactics Will Not Stop
The United States and its allies, such as South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, must become accustomed to the J-20 patrolling close to ADIZs in the region. China is constantly devising “gray zone tactical” games that emulate acts of war without edging over into shooting conflicts. State-run media trumpets these feats, and this raises the level of patriotism and nationalism among the public.
J-20 Fighters from China. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The PLAAF is sure it has a winner. The J-20 is fast with powerful homegrown engines and enough stealth to evade most radar systems. The American THAAD, Patriot, or the U.S. Navy’s Aegis Combat System is likely to spot it and track it, but it remains to be seen whether the Mighty Dragon could be shot down easily with those systems.
China will continue to agitate its rivals with the Mighty Dragon. Flying in ADIZs is frustrating for the Americans and their allies. The PLAAF just won’t back down and simply patrols its skies to protect its borders like most countries.
The Chinese prefer their gray zone tactics to prepare for combat at any time. This makes the J-20 all the more valuable, and an airplane that can speed past adversaries while evading radar enough to make it a highly effective jet.
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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