China’s J-20S Mighty Dragon Stealth Fighter: Better Than F-22 or F-35?

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Key Points: China’s upgraded J-20S Mighty Dragon stealth fighter, now equipped with WS-15 engines and a twin-seat configuration, could significantly challenge U.S. air superiority in the Pacific. The WS-15 enables supercruise capabilities, enhancing speed, fuel efficiency, and stealth.

-Debuting at the Zhuhai Air Show, the J-20S supports a co-pilot/weapons officer for optimized combat operations and could potentially act as a drone mothership in advanced scenarios.

-Although not as stealthy as the F-22 or F-35, the J-20S’s improvements in speed, maneuverability, and mission flexibility are raising concerns, particularly as China prepares for possible military action over Taiwan by 2027.

China’s J-20S Stealth Fighter: A New Threat to U.S. Air Superiority?

Is this Chinese warbird on par with the F-35 or F-22?

The Chinese certainly think so. China’s stealth J-20S Mighty Dragon fighter has just received new engines and now offers a two-seat model for a co-pilot/ weapons officer. 

The new engines could make it a dominant fifth-generation warplane that could challenge American primacy in East Asia. 

The J-20S engines are known as the WS-15, and they are meant to kick-start Chinese jets entirely so that they can rival the best fighters in the West. 

The WS-15 is a beauty and will likely make the J-20S an true hot rod. The new powerplant is “a high-thrust afterburning turbofan engine reportedly capable of generating 18 to 20 tons of thrust. 

This places it on par with, or potentially exceeding, the performance of the Pratt & Whitney F119 engines that power the F-22 Raptor, according to BulgarianMilitary.com.

Look for More Advancement with the Prototype

Video and images on X of the J-20S reveal that the airplane in question is painted in yellow or gold primer, signifying it is still an experimental prototype. 

If testing and evaluation go well, the Chinese Air Force could install the WS-15 in other fighters that could improve performance and maneuverability for an entire fleet of modernized jets.

Supercruise Is a Worthy Achievement

One of the standout features of the WS-15 is the ability of the J-20S to achieve supercruise – above MACH 1 speed without afterburners. This can help the warbird save fuel and reduce the chance of radar detection due to a lower level of infrared signature.

Older J-20 models had either Russian-made AL-31F engines or Chinese-made WS-10C, which lacked the power and thrust ratio of the WS-15. These new power plants will make the J-20S a better dogfighter.

J-20S Is a Hit at Famous Air Show 

The J-20S twin-seater was first unveiled and flown at the Zhuhai Air Show in November. It’s the first twin-seat stealth fighter in the world. The J-20S jets flew in a tight formation, displayed some maneuvers, and then landed to allow attendees a better look. 

The co-pilot and weapons officer in the back seat can control navigation, scope the radar and sensors, plus be Johnny-on-the-spot while launching missiles and dropping bombs. The main pilot can then focus better on flying the high-performance jet. 

Could It Be a Drone Mothership?

The J-20S is a multi-role interceptor that has a diverse mission set. It can use electronic warfare to spoof and blind enemy air defenses. It could someday control a “Loyal Wingman” unmanned aircraft tethered to the J-20S that can be used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The J-20S “mothership” could then fly out of range of enemy surface-to-air missiles and utilize the combat drone for better firepower and situational awareness. 

The J-20S is 67 feet long, with a wingspan that is 44 feet. It weighs 19,000 pounds empty. The top speed is MACH 2, but that was before the new WS-15 engines, so look for it to travel faster now. 

The fighter can launch short-, medium-, and long-range air-to-air missiles, plus drop precision-guided bombs. 

It has infrared search and track sensors and an electro-optical targeting system. The J-20S will be a prominent airplane in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fleet. 

The U.S. Department of Defense Predicted the New Engine

This week, the Pentagon released the 2024 China military power report called the “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China.” The J-20 is mentioned ten times in the 182-page document.

“The PLAAF is preparing upgrades for the J-20, which may include increasing the number of AAMs the fighter can carry in its low-observable configuration, installing thrust-vectoring engine nozzles, and adding supercruise capability by installing higher thrust indigenous WS-15 engines.”

The Department of Defense thus did a good job predicting what would happen with the J-20. This bird is on the DOD’s radar, but the report did not discuss how it can be mitigated.

The J-20S is not as stealthy as the F-22 or F-35, but it has just enough radar-evading capabilities to take seriously. The new engines will make it that much more lethal and give American battle planners pause as they analyze the threat environment versus China. 

The J-20S could easily sneak across the Taiwan Strait and drop its precision-guided munitions over the island, perhaps as soon as 202,7 when Xi Jinping wants his military to be ready to annex or blockade Taiwan. 

If those contingencies arise, this warplane will be a fixture on Day One of the battle.

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.