News article February 2nd 2011 - Enter the dragon - China's super fighter

ENTER THE DRAGON – China’s super fighter.

The United States is still regarded as the world’s sole military superpower, but the People’s Republic of China narrowed the gap slightly this month with a test flight of its own home grown stealth fighter.

While there is not a great deal of official information, observations of the test flight conclude that the Chengdu J-20, which has a Chinese name that translates as “Annihilator” is a single seat, twin engine fighter. It is larger than its opposite number, the American F-22 Raptor, and as a consequence it is believed it will have a heavier fuel and armaments load out.

The arrival of the J-20 onto the world stage might have come as a surprise the United States. It was recently suggested by the US Defence department that it would be at least the 2020’s before China was able to field a true ‘fifth generation’ fighter.

If the J-20 fits the billing as fifth generation it must have certain characteristics. It must include stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy defence systems and penetrate hostile airspace during a combat mission. Integrated networking with command and control systems, the ability to ‘supercruise’ - allow supersonic flight without engaging afterburners, and thrust vectoring engines – engines that have moving nozzles to enhance turning and pitch ability.

The pictures of the J-20 do not show thrust vectoring engines but it should be noted the airframe pictured is a prototype and not a production model.

Ironically as its intended adversary is probably American some of the J-20’s technology might in fact derive from an American aircraft.

During the NATO bombing campaign of Serbia in 1998, Serbian forces were able to shoot down a F-117 Nighthawk. The wreckage was seized and presented to Russian technicians to inspect; it is thought that the Russians shared their data with China at a later date.

(The wreckage of the F-117 shot down in Serbia in March 1999 displayed the Museum of Aviation in Belgrade.)

While it is possible, it should be noted that the Nighthawk was designed in the 1970’s and was not considered advanced technology at the time of the shoot down, but the acquisition of the data from an early American stealth fighter could have helped in the initial stages of the Chinese stealth programme.

While the J-20 is not combat operational, nor is it even in production but its arrival marks a true step up not only in Chinese capability, but intent.

The Chinese military has also recently tested the ‘Dong-Feng 21’ missile, a weapon system that was designed with the sole purpose of striking at the heart of heavily escorted aircraft carrier battle groups.

There is no doubt that the People’s Republic is a rising power but with its military capability at least a generation behind the western world it is hard to see how they will catch up. But China does have some advantages. They have a massive industrial base, and they are able to mass produce at a far higher and cheaper rate than the west.