China's J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighter jet has achieved a leap from single-aircraft fighting to systematic fighting, and is developing new combat functions, said a senior engineer at the Changchun Air Show in northeast China's Jilin Province.
Hosted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force, the aviation open-day activities run from September 19 to 23, with the air show taking center stage.
Designed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, an Aviation Industry Corp of China subsidiary in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the J-20 is China's first stealth-class combat aircraft and so far the largest and heaviest fighter in military service.
The PLA Air Force placed a J-20 fighter jet on static display, enabling spectators to see the jets up close.
This is the first time that members of the public are allowed to have a close look at the radar-evading fighter, which features world-class technology and capability.
Gong Feng, deputy chief designer of the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, said that the J-20 has outstanding features in both appearance and combat capabilities.
"This is the first time for me to see the J-20 in such a static state at an air show. Personally, I like the front of the J-20 most, because its front canard is very majestic, and the nose is diamond-shaped for the sake of stealth functions, making the look of the fighter jet very dreamy with sci-fi elements," Gong said.
"We cannot see the J-20's stealth capabilities at the air show. It has a very small reflection area on the radar, meaning that it has advanced infrared stealth characteristics. The fighter jet can therefore quietly pierce a net like a needle. It can also conduct a series of systematic operations with other aviation equipment, such as early warning aircraft and drones, thus achieving a leap from single-aircraft operations to systematic fighting," he said.
In addition to the performance and display of the real J-20 fighter jets, the model of J-20S, the latest model of J-20 series, is also displayed at the aviation industry exhibition area at the air show.
"J-20 has kept developing its series. As the world's first and currently only stealth two-seater, the J-20S has fundamentally different rear cabin functions from traditional trainer aircraft. The combat capabilities of its rear cabin have sparked widespread discussion among military fans. Their expectations also provide a direction for our designers' efforts," Gong said.
J-20 fighter jet to explore more functions around systematic fighting: designer
