In the context of the 15th anniversary of the platform’s maiden flight, the Chinese Air Force has revealed details and capabilities of two new versions of its J-20 stealth fighter, namely the J-20A and the J-20S. These aircraft had already been presented to the public during the celebrations marking China’s Victory Day in September last year, an occasion on which two aircraft of the first of the aforementioned variants were seen flying in an arrow formation, along with a single example of the second variant.
Breaking down the information disclosed by the service, it can be noted that the J-20A is to be considered an improved version of the original J-20 model. Among other features, it incorporates a raised section at the junction between the rear of the cockpit and the fuselage, which would improve airflow to reduce aerodynamic drag, thus facilitating better performance in supersonic flight. In addition, it was detailed that this added space could be used to install new systems or even an additional fuel tank to extend the fighter’s range. Another advantage derived from these changes lies in the repositioning of the cockpit, which would now be higher, providing the pilot with a wider field of view.
Regarding the J-20S fighters, the Chinese Air Force indicated that this is the world’s first twin-seat stealth fighter, officially presented as an aircraft with exceptional performance for medium- and long-range air combat, as well as a platform capable of conducting highly precise strikes against land and naval targets. Furthermore, it was stated that it incorporates new electronic warfare systems and elements enabling operations with unmanned assets, acting as a command-and-control node thanks to the presence of an additional pilot in the cockpit to coordinate them.
In both cases, analysts in the Asian giant point out that these improvements would also be accompanied by further developments in propulsion, stemming from the need for greater power generation than that of the original model. In this regard, it is useful to recall that as early as December, new images were observed showing progress with the new domestically produced WS-15 engines, with a J-20A already conducting flight tests equipped with this powerplant. As previously reported in December, this engine is believed to offer significantly higher performance than the WS-10 engines currently powering the platform, or the Saturn AL-31 engines originally used.
This aspect is particularly relevant given that, according to Chinese state media, the aircraft in question will continue to receive new modifications and upgrades to further enhance their combat capabilities. This is occurring even as the Asian giant advances in the development of new sixth-generation platforms that have already been observed in test flights, such as the new J-36 fighter-bombers manufactured by Chengdu, as well as the J-50 fighters being developed by Shenyang, with a third additional model yet to be identified.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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