Chengdu J-20 5th Generation Aircraft News & Discussions

[kungfugymnast]

U.S. always has better engine, better reliability, efficiency, as well as trust. During Cold War, Soviet never had any better engine neither. I think China at least need 10-20 years to catch up.

China J-20 is specially designed for West Pacific theater:

1. First island chain depth is 500km (Okinawa, Japan), 1200 km (Yokosuka, Japan), and 2000 km (Singapore).
2. Width is around 5000 km, from north (Yokosuka, Japan) to Singapore.

West pacific theater is much larger both in width and depth than Central Europe theater during the Cold War:

1. Width is 700 km from Baltic to the Adriatic Sea.
2. Depth is zero, the border is frontline.
3. There are tens of military airfields and hundreds of civilian airports in West Europe available for F-22.

• F-22 is designed for Central Europe theater during Cold War, short leg is no problem.
• J-20 is designed for West Pacific theater, long leg is a priority.

Distance from China to Guam is 3000km, the military exercise conducted by PLAAF & PLAN in South China Sea clearly tells the drills of assaulting Guam with fighters, bombers, ships followed by seizing the island with paratroopers & beach landing. Yes, the J-20 is made for long range sorties with the long wide fuselage for optimum higher cruising speed and range.

There are alot of articles stating that the USA 6th Gen will be as large as a F-111 jet and has been designed for the Pacific theatre specifically.

So - the J20 will ultimately have to face the USA 6th Gen until it can get its 6th Gen in place.

Could be larger than F-111 looking at the volume and requirement to operate at stratosphere altitude making it almost a space fighter powered by ramjet or scramjet or something more sci-fi. It's more of intercontinental fighter bomber. Its armament depends whether US could perfect the laser cannon, if no then it would carry hypersonic missiles & usual standoff missiles.

 

[luciferdd]

Thanks for the info, China focus now is more towards anti-ship rather than air to ground as they expect enemies to come from sea to shore rather than from land. There are dozen types of anti-ship missiles but not many air to ground laser & IR guided missiles with over 9nm range meant for search & destroy.

The importance of J-20 having EOTS is to sneak & designate targets for friendly fighters to launch preemptive missiles and accurately hit all designated targets. Not sure if China EOTS works the same as F-35 where it could designate targets for friendlies via datalink allowing use of laser guided & GPS guided missiles/gliding bombs.

Radar guided air to ground missiles only work if it's group of enemy tanks on the field or assault on enemy military base where there's no discriminate fire required. Radar switched to ground search mode on MFD shows dots, can't really tell whether you're tracking high asset value target, high threat target, low priority target, irrelevant target or civilian target. That is why Russian fighters and attack aircraft in Ukraine didn't carry radar guided Kh-25 at all against Zelensky forces massing in cities because the MFD can't tell whether the pilot is tracking a civilian car or enemy vehicle.

Don't worry,WZ-7,8&GJ-11&spy-satellites etc will finish that works...PLA don't need J-20s to finish all the jobs.

 

[LKJ86]

 

[LKJ86]

Via 央视军事 and @沉默的山羊 from Weibo

 

[LKJ86]

View attachment 848066View attachment 848067View attachment 848068
Via 央视军事 and @沉默的山羊 from Weibo

 

[LKJ86]

Via @大漠神箭 from Weixin

 

[LKJ86]

Via 解放军报

 

[LKJ86]

 

[LKJ86]

Via @央视军事 from Weibo

 

[LKJ86]

 

[LKJ86]

Via http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2022-06/15/content_10163163.htm

 

[Gomig-21]

Looks like a tarantella was somehow able to breed with a pterodactyl which then mated with a dragon.

 

[xuxu1457]

The J-20 fighter has now entered the stage of high-speed production.

Chengdu Aircraft Manufacturing Company, four pulse production lines of J-20 fighter aircraft had been built.
At least 50 J-20 fighters are produced every year. Each of China's five major war zones has 24 aircraft, which have been equipped.The Western Theater has replaced the previous J7 with J-20 and J-16 fighters.

 

[johncliu88]

Can't wait to see the next batch when WS-15s are ready.

 

[Wergeland]

The J-20 fighter has now entered the stage of high-speed production.

Chengdu Aircraft Manufacturing Company, four pulse production lines of J-20 fighter aircraft had been built.
At least 50 J-20 fighters are produced every year. Each of China's five major war zones has 24 aircraft, which have been equipped.The Western Theater has replaced the previous J7 with J-20 and J-16 fighters.

Any guess on how many China intend to produce?

500? 1000?