Windjammer
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China Unveils World's First Ever Twin Seat Stealth Fighter with New J-20 Variant; What is Next for the PLA Air Force's Fifth Generation?
March-20th-2019
Twin Seat Variant of Chengdu J-20 Fifth Generation Air Superiority Fighter
China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force's long speculated induction of a twin engine variant of its J-20 fighter jet has finally been confirmed by new footage released by Chinese state media. The Chengdu J-20 entered service in 2017 as the first fifth generation fighter jet in the world developed outside the United States — an analogue to the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor air superiority fighter designed to maximise effectiveness in air to air combat with features including a high operational altitude, high speed, high manoeuvrability, long range, high weapons payload, powerful sensors and a twin engine configuration. Like the F-22, the J-20 was designed with a radar evading stealth profile to maximise its survivability - making it particularly difficult to lock onto for enemy radars which provide a considerable advantage both in air to air combat and for the penetration of enemy air defences. While the Raptor was initially intended to be developed into a twin seat fighter, and eventually also a strike fighter as the FB-22, these programs were cancelled when production of the fighter was prematurely terminated in 2009 - a result of the fighter's extremely high cost both to manufacture and to operate which add up to over $700 million over every F-22's lifespan. Where the U.S. was unable to develop the Raptor further, China appears to have ambitious plans for the J-20 which will take the design well ahead of its rivals. According to recent reports from Chinese state media outlet CCTV, these include development into both strike and electronic attack jets for the PLA Air Force.
Chengdu J-20 Fifth Generation Air Superiority Fighter
Chinese military aviation industries are arguably unrivalled in their experience modifying high performance airframes into specialised derivatives. Examples include the J-11B airframe, which was developed into an advanced strike fighter in the mid 2010s and entered service as the J-16 - which required the addition of an extra seat. The J-16 in turn was developed into an electronic attack jet, the J-16D - all based on the same fourth generation air superiority airframe. The J-15 carrier based air superiority fighter has similarly been developed into an electronic attack aircraft, the J-15D (or J-17) - also requiring the addition of a second seat. The JH-7 strike fighter and H-6 bomber widely used by the PLA Navy have also been developed into electronic attack platforms - with the latter also developed into ballistic missile carrying strike bombers.
J-16 Strike Fighter
Given the J-20's advanced performance specifications and versatility, it was hardly unexpected that the airframe would also be be modified to fulfil additional roles in much the same way as its fourth generation predecessors. The development of a twin seat variant is an important step in this direction, and without further modifications allows the aircraft to be used for training fifth generation fighter pilots - something no other stealth aircraft in the world is currently capable of. A twin seat configuration is vital for any strike or electronic attack platform, allowing the aircraft to carry a weapons systems officer responsible either for delivering complex electronic attacks or for designating ground targets and operating air to ground weaponry. This function can be performed simultaneously while the pilot in the first seat flies the aircraft and engages enemy aircraft with air to air munitions. All J-20 variants are likely to retain some defensive air to-air capabilities, providing an invaluable ability to carry out air to air and air to ground attacks simultaneously.
Chengdu J-20 Fifth Generation Air Superiority Fighter
The J-20's development into a twin seat variant is highly symbolic of China's fast development to become a leading aerial power, one which is likely to have a far wider range of fifth generation fighters in service than any other country. With the United States having cancelled plans the Raptor's many ambitious successors, Russia's Su-57 not scheduled for mass production for some years to come and European manufactures as is often the case considerably behind the technological competition, China may well be well position to take the lead in this field. The capabilities and armaments of specialised J-20 derivatives, and whether or not they have yet to enter service, all remain to be seen - but are likely to be revealed in the near future.
March-20th-2019
Twin Seat Variant of Chengdu J-20 Fifth Generation Air Superiority Fighter
China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force's long speculated induction of a twin engine variant of its J-20 fighter jet has finally been confirmed by new footage released by Chinese state media. The Chengdu J-20 entered service in 2017 as the first fifth generation fighter jet in the world developed outside the United States — an analogue to the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor air superiority fighter designed to maximise effectiveness in air to air combat with features including a high operational altitude, high speed, high manoeuvrability, long range, high weapons payload, powerful sensors and a twin engine configuration. Like the F-22, the J-20 was designed with a radar evading stealth profile to maximise its survivability - making it particularly difficult to lock onto for enemy radars which provide a considerable advantage both in air to air combat and for the penetration of enemy air defences. While the Raptor was initially intended to be developed into a twin seat fighter, and eventually also a strike fighter as the FB-22, these programs were cancelled when production of the fighter was prematurely terminated in 2009 - a result of the fighter's extremely high cost both to manufacture and to operate which add up to over $700 million over every F-22's lifespan. Where the U.S. was unable to develop the Raptor further, China appears to have ambitious plans for the J-20 which will take the design well ahead of its rivals. According to recent reports from Chinese state media outlet CCTV, these include development into both strike and electronic attack jets for the PLA Air Force.
Chengdu J-20 Fifth Generation Air Superiority Fighter
Chinese military aviation industries are arguably unrivalled in their experience modifying high performance airframes into specialised derivatives. Examples include the J-11B airframe, which was developed into an advanced strike fighter in the mid 2010s and entered service as the J-16 - which required the addition of an extra seat. The J-16 in turn was developed into an electronic attack jet, the J-16D - all based on the same fourth generation air superiority airframe. The J-15 carrier based air superiority fighter has similarly been developed into an electronic attack aircraft, the J-15D (or J-17) - also requiring the addition of a second seat. The JH-7 strike fighter and H-6 bomber widely used by the PLA Navy have also been developed into electronic attack platforms - with the latter also developed into ballistic missile carrying strike bombers.
J-16 Strike Fighter
Given the J-20's advanced performance specifications and versatility, it was hardly unexpected that the airframe would also be be modified to fulfil additional roles in much the same way as its fourth generation predecessors. The development of a twin seat variant is an important step in this direction, and without further modifications allows the aircraft to be used for training fifth generation fighter pilots - something no other stealth aircraft in the world is currently capable of. A twin seat configuration is vital for any strike or electronic attack platform, allowing the aircraft to carry a weapons systems officer responsible either for delivering complex electronic attacks or for designating ground targets and operating air to ground weaponry. This function can be performed simultaneously while the pilot in the first seat flies the aircraft and engages enemy aircraft with air to air munitions. All J-20 variants are likely to retain some defensive air to-air capabilities, providing an invaluable ability to carry out air to air and air to ground attacks simultaneously.
Chengdu J-20 Fifth Generation Air Superiority Fighter
The J-20's development into a twin seat variant is highly symbolic of China's fast development to become a leading aerial power, one which is likely to have a far wider range of fifth generation fighters in service than any other country. With the United States having cancelled plans the Raptor's many ambitious successors, Russia's Su-57 not scheduled for mass production for some years to come and European manufactures as is often the case considerably behind the technological competition, China may well be well position to take the lead in this field. The capabilities and armaments of specialised J-20 derivatives, and whether or not they have yet to enter service, all remain to be seen - but are likely to be revealed in the near future.
That's plain stupid.
