China’s J-20 Fifth-Gen Stealth Fighter Proves Its Worth: China has claimed that its Chengdu J-20 “Mighty Dragon” stealth fighter successfully transited the Tsushima Strait undetected.
The news has raised concerns about gaps in allied early-warning and tracking capabilities in the waterway, which serves as an entrance to the Korea Strait and is part of one of the world’s busiest sea lanes.
China’s J-20 Makes a Big Claim
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the elite First Fighter Brigade conducted missions over the Tsushima Strait and the Bashi Channel without being detected by any foreign militaries.
The brigade, the first in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) to receive the fifth-generation jet, has also reportedly been tasked with patrols around Taiwan.
Speaking to CCTV, Wing Commander Wang Nan said that Chinese weapons and personnel are “steadily improving” alongside major breakthroughs in integrated air combat.
The news is significant because the strait is heavily monitored by U.S., Japanese, and South Korean radars and air defense systems, including Patriot batteries and THAAD.
China’s claims also come amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, with Beijing continuing to assert its presence near Taiwan.
The news was not acknowledged by military officials from the U.S., Japan, or South Korea, and some analysts have already noted that Chinese state media has a long history of blurring the line between reality and propaganda. There might be no way to verify such a claim.
However, if the claims are valid, it would mark a significant advancement in Chinese stealth capabilities and further underscore the need for Western forces to accelerate the development and production of next-generation aircraft and air defense systems.
What’s the End Game?
In early July, new images emerged online showing China’s J-20S stealth fighter in flight, with details on the plane suggesting it had entered into operational service.
Images showed the tandem-seat jet flying with the 172nd Air Brigade, an advanced training unit. The images appeared to confirm reports that the plane was designed to accommodate a second crew member tasked with controlling “loyal wingmen” drones.
The J-20S, sometimes called the J-20B, is a specialized variant of China’s Mighty Dragon stealth fighter. Introduced publicly in October 2021, the new model is reported to have a greater ferry range than Western fifth-generation jets. Chinese sources claim the J-20S can travel roughly twice the distance of the F-22 Raptor’s maximum and nearly three times the range of the F-35A.
A Special Stealth Fighter
Notably, China is not only rapidly developing long-range stealth fighters, but also refusing to export the new planes.
The extended range is no mistake; as Abraham Abrams notes in The Aviation Geek Club, the J-20’s combat radius “is among the widest in the world,” with upcoming variants that integrate WS-15 engines expected to have an even wider combat range.
“The new engine, which was reported in early 2023 to have entered serial production, will provide the J-20 with by far the highest thrust levels of any fighter in the world, and allow for non-afterburner supersonic flight at far higher speeds, possibly at over Mach 2. This will allow J-20 units to respond to threats much more quickly without significantly compromising their range,” Abrams wrote.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
The Best Tanks on Earth
AbramsX: The Tank the US Army Wants
