China Now Has Almost 200 J-20 Stealth Fighters

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5 Key Points You Need to Know: China’s J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter is proliferating across airbases, with nearly 200 in service. While not as stealthy as U.S. F-22s or F-35s, the J-20 boasts formidable capabilities, including a hefty payload, supercruise engines, and potential for electronic warfare.

-A planned two-seat variant will enhance firepower, battlefield control, and drone integration.

-The J-20 could spearhead grey zone operations and serve as a Day One asset in a Taiwan conflict, challenging American and Taiwanese defenses.

-However, questions remain about pilot quality and combat readiness.

-The J-20 symbolizes China’s advancing military modernization, posing a significant challenge to U.S. airpower dominance.

China’s J-20 Mighty Dragon Fighter Puts the “Grey” in Grey Zone Combat

The J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter (not everyone agrees that the airplane is fully stealthy) is proliferating increasingly throughout air bases in China. This jet is a symbol of the strength of the Chinese defense industry, and it makes Xi Jinping smile because he has overseen the full modernization of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). 

There are now nearly 200 fifth-generation Mighty Dragons located throughout China for Homeland Defense and regional offensive operations. 

This is a promising development for the PLAAF, and it creates more problems for the United States and its allies in the region.

More and More Are Appearing on Satellite Imagery

The defense firm Jane’s conducted an analysis of satellite imagery and has spotted the J-20 all over China. 

At they noted recently: “[J]anes assesses that over 11 months from July 2023 the PLAAF inducted more than 70 J-20s, meaning that the service is operating a total of approximately 195 J-20 aircraft. The influx of these additional aircraft has allowed the PLAAF to replace some of its older fourth-generation combat aircraft, including Shenyang J-11s and Sukhoi Su-27SK/UKBs.”

Would the J-20 Be Part of “Grey Zone” Operations Against Taiwan? 

This means the J-20 could potentially dominate in an aerial battle against Taiwan with the ability to evade American-made Patriot anti-air defenders and even the U.S. Navy’s Aegis Combat System on American ships that would assist Taiwan in preventing offensive maneuvers against the island.

China loves to engage in so-called “grey zone” (between peace and war) operations in which it creeps into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone to teach Taipei a lesson in coercive diplomacy.

 This is almost a weekly occurrence, often timed with American or Taiwanese public statements lamenting China’s military growth.

The Pentagon Has Taken Note

China is also upgrading the J-20’s capabilities. The fighter plane can now carry more missiles. A two-seater is planned for better fire control, with a weapons officer on board.

The last U.S. Department of Defense report on China’s military said that the J-20 now has “thrust-vectoring engine nozzles, while adding supercruise capability by installing higher-thrust indigenous WS-15 engines.”

Back Seat Weapons Officer Allows for Improved Dog Fighting

The twin-seat configuration could give the J-20 better electronic warfare capabilities to jam and spoof enemy radar. 

The back-seat weapons officer will be able to control the aerial battle, potentially with artificial intelligence capabilities on board for extreme firepower and maneuverability in dogfights. 

The J-20 may also be able to operate “Loyal Wingman” unmanned craft. These tethered drones could fly ahead and fire weapons, collect intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data, conduct bomb damage assessments, and acquire other targeting information. This data could be used to train artificial intelligence models to make the J-20 a computer in the sky.

Thus, the J-20 is a Day One aircraft in any future war with Taiwan or other U.S. allies. That means it would make the first wave of an aerial attack. The advantages of electronic warfare would help blind Taiwan’s air defenses to clear the way for bombers. 

That could create some problems for Washington in the future. Would the United States intervene in such a move against Taiwan? If so, the Americans would have to depend on F-22s and F-35s, plus F/A-18 E/Fs launched from aircraft carriers.

Let’s Talk About Real Combat

This would mean a force-on-force aerial fight with dozens of J-20s. The Chinese could even keep up to 50 of the Mighty Dragons in reserve for Day Two and Day Three of the war. This is why American battle planners and intelligence analysts have to be alarmed at the J-20’s numbers and capabilities. The airplane may not be fully stealthy but could still sneak through defenses to attack Taiwan. 

Moreover, the J-20 has a hefty payload – almost 28,000 pounds of ordnance. That’s why it could serve as a “bomb truck,” according to Warrior Maven. This does not bode well for Taiwan.

But What About J-20 Pilots? 

One issue I have always had with the PLAAF is the quality of its pilots.

Chinese aviators have no combat experience, and training flights to Taiwan’s ADIZ do not count as real fighting. 

Just 20 years ago, many inexperienced PLAAF pilots would refuse to fly at night and in bad weather.

 Of course, that has changed today, and the J-20 is an all-weather jet, but it still makes one wonder how well China would react to a real fight.

Nevertheless, the J-20 is a quality airplane with stealth characteristics and the ability to be a flying computer. Drones could be tethered to it someday. It has multi-role capabilities for homeland defense and Day One surprise attacks. The radar-evading capabilities are not at the level of an F-22 or F-35, but it would still give Taiwan and its American allies fits. 

The two-seater is a worthy addition that could help better control radar and munitions in a dogfight. Let’s see if the Chinese start using the J-20 in “grey zone combat” operations against Taiwan. 

They don’t want the United States to get a peek at it, but its stealth attributes may make it more challenging to spot.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood 

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: A Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.