Meet the J-20: As tensions ratchet up between China and the West over flashpoints in the region, most notably Taiwan, planners and analysts routinely size up the force comparison between the People’s Liberation Army and the U.S. Department of Defense.
While both countries’ navies are undoubtedly essential to any conflict that might arise, air assets will play a role that is just as large, if not larger. Given the vast reaches of the Pacific Ocean and the relatively slow transit times of ships, modern fighters and bombers are a primary means of projecting power in a region. Missile developments, which allow China to base large stores of “ship-killer” missiles well inland thus denying the U.S. Navy passage in the South China Sea, further emphasize the necessity of air superiority.
But how do U.S. and Chinese fighters stack up? The J-20 “Mighty Dragon” is China’s fifth-generation answer to the F-22 and F-35. The rapid pace of development and perceived capabilities give the impression that it is more than a match for the F-22 Raptor, the U.S. Air Force’s premier air superiority platform. Here’s how the two actually stack up.
Payload
An aircraft that is the best dogfighter in the world, able to easily saddle in on a bandit’s “six,” is virtually useless if it can’t actually shoot its opponent. Modern fighters rely heavily on missiles and more missiles obviously means more fire opportunities. This could come in one engagement – a missile could fail to arm or the bandit could use expendables to defeat the shot – or it could allow the fighter to stay on station longer and engage more enemies. Weapons payload is complicated on fifth-generation fighters such as the J-20 and the F-22 because in order to maintain a stealth profile, the missiles must be stored in the body of the aircraft.
The F-22 has the edge here, able to store six AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9X Sidewinders in its weapons bay while the J-20 only has room for four beyond visual range (BVR) missiles and within visual range (WVR) missiles. Furthermore, the F-22 has a gun while the J-20 reportedly does not. Missiles may be the name of the game but as many F-4 Phantom pilots found during the Vietnam War, air-to-air combat often ends up in gun range. Even if you have seen an adversary fire off all their missiles, knowing they can still close for a gun kill will make any pilot wary.
Range
Range is an essential part of the strategy in Pacific theater operations. The Mighty Dragon dominates in this arena, able to travel over 1,000 nautical miles on internal fuel, nearly doubling the F-22 which can’t quite manage 600 nautical miles. This status quo may soon change however as Lockheed Martin is reportedly developing stealth fuel tanks to fit on the F-22 which could increase its range considerably.
J-20 Performance
Any number of factors can contribute to an aircraft’s performance, however, three key figures tell quite a bit: thrust, speed, and ceiling. In all three categories, the J-20 just slightly edges out the F-22 with some caveats. Each WS-15 engine on the Mighty Dragon produces about 1,000 more pounds of thrust than the Pratt and Whitney F119s on the Raptor. The engines in the Chinese jet are newly developed, however, and have yet to face real challenges or lifecycle wear. By contrast, the USAF and Lockheed Martin have spent years ironing out any deficiencies in the F119 and have solid best practices for maintenance and operation.
Airspeed equals energy, which is one of the key concepts of dogfighting, and here again, the J-20 barely beats the F-22, topping out at Mach 2.55 to the Raptor’s Mach 2.0. Both are capable of supercruise – flying supersonic without using fuel-intensive afterburners. The final metric is service ceiling, which can equate to a significant advantage if one fighter can fly much higher. The J-20 can reportedly reach 65,000 feet while the F-22 tops out at 50,000. The actual number is classified however and in all likelihood, the two are comparable in ceiling.
On paper, the J-20 has some advantages while the F-22 boasts others. Practically, however, as General Kenneth Wilsbach, head of U.S. Air Forces Pacific said “I don’t think that [the J-20] is a dominating aircraft at this point, compared to what we have.” While the Chinese aerospace industry is undoubtedly making great strides in producing advanced aircraft, the U.S. still has the advantage.
Maya Carlinis an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image Credit: Screenshot/Chinese Military.
FAQs
As a longer, dual-winged stealth fighter, the J-20 is likely much less maneuverable than an F-22 and therefore less likely to challenge the Raptor for air supremacy in air-to-air combat.
Is the F-22 better than the Chengdu J-20? ›
The J-20 Chengdu uses radar-absorbent materials, internal weapon bays, and serrated engine nozzles to minimize radar visibility. The F-22 is superior in dogfighting capabilities with more missiles, maneuverability, and an internal cannon.
Which fighter jet can defeat the F-22 Raptor? ›
The Dassault Rafale, a French fourth-generation multi-role fighter jet, stands as a potent but often underappreciated asset in modern air warfare.
Can F-22 Raptor be beaten? ›
The F-22 scored well against its training opponents, “shooting down” six Rafales and drawing in five more mock dogfights. However, one Emirati Mirage 2000 managed to “shoot down” an F-22. If that wasn't enough for the world's most advanced fighter jet at the time, a Rafale also defeated an F-22 in a mock dogfight.
Is China's stealthy J-20 superior to the F-35? ›
China's Chengdu J-20 fighter jet, despite its advanced capabilities, falls short in comparison to the U.S.-made F-35 jet, an expert has argued. "The J-20 has a larger internal fuel payload than the F-35, but it is also larger. The J-20's range will be similar to or shorter than the F-35's.
Is there anything better than the F-22? ›
Where the F-35 differentiates from the F-22 is at sensory and connectivity game. Although both aircraft have superb situational awareness, the F-35 takes it a step further by using its sensors, information fusion, and data link capabilities to make other aircraft, even older ones, more deadly and effective.
Can MiG 29 beat F-22? ›
An F-22 should have little to no problem in a close-range dogfight against a MiG-29, GIVEN THAT it survives the first few passes. For context, when East and West Germany re-unified, U.S. pilots did mock combat with the former East-German MiG-29s in their F-16s. While the MiG-29 did have the high-off-…
Who would win in a dogfight, F-22 or F-35? ›
F-22 Is Better at Aerial Combat
The F-22 is faster than the F-35 – MACH 2.2 versus MACH 1.6 for the Lightning II. The F-22 is 30 percent heavier, but it may be more maneuverable due to its Pratt & Whitney F119 engines providing more thrust (70,000 pounds) than the single Pratt & Whitney F-135 engine on the F-35.
What is the Russian equivalent of the F-22 Raptor? ›
The American F-22 Raptor and the Russian SU-35 Flanker-E are both high-performance multi-role combat aircraft.
What is the weakness of the F-22 Raptor? ›
The F-22 is potent but has limitations, like a restricted range due to the Cold War design. The USAF aims to replace the F-22 with a more advanced NGAD fighter sooner than planned. The F-22 is unmatched in stealth, speed, and avionics, but the limited range poses challenges.
The F-22 must evade detection or locking by enemy defence systems before it could reach its effective strike range. Xie's team said this new detection technology enabled China's radar system to pinpoint the F-22's real-time position with remarkable accuracy, achieving a minimal error of nearly 20 metres (65 feet).
Why America never sold the F-22 Raptor? ›
Unlike the vast majority of U.S. military aircraft, the F-22 was never designed to be exported. As such, it was packed with classified technology and produced through advanced production methodologies that the United States would rather keep close to the chest.
Has the F-22 ever seen combat? ›
The F-22 fighter jet took decades and almost $70 billion to develop. While it's been considered combat ready since 2005, the F-22 had never been used in combat until air strikes began in Syria this week. The F-22 fighter jet took decades and almost $70 billion to develop.
Can the F-22 beat the J-20? ›
The F-22 has the edge here, able to store six AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9X Sidewinders in its weapons bay while the J-20 only has room for four beyond visual range (BVR) missiles and within visual range (WVR) missiles. Furthermore, the F-22 has a gun while the J-20 reportedly does not.
How good is the China's J-20 stealth fighter? ›
Chief test pilot Li Gang describes the J-20 as having comparable manoeuvrability to the Chengdu J-10 while being significantly better at low-observable (LO) performance. The J-20 is a multirole air superiority fighter, with the interceptor role being just one of the options.
Can the J-20 super cruise? ›
SINGAPORE—The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has claimed its Chengdu J-20 fighter can reach supercruise, a capability possessed by Western platforms such as the Lockheed Martin F-22, F-35 and Dassault Rafale. Supercruise refers to the ability of the aircraft to maintain supersonic speed without...
Is the F-22 the best fighter ever? ›
The F-22 is the most powerful and sophisticated fighter in the world, but it has its weaknesses. Keenly aware of the F-22's limitations – especially with regard to range – the Air Force is hastening the twin-engine, single-seat jet to an early demise.
Did the J-20 copy the F-22? ›
China developed its J-20 stealth fighter by copying some technologies from the US Air Force's F-22 Raptor, according to former US military official James Anderson.
Can anything match the F-22? ›
However, Retirement Is Coming. As the first stealth fighter jet in history, the F-22 Raptor revolutionized airpower. The fifth-generation fighter combined stealth with unparalleled air superiority capabilities.
Can China detect F-22? ›
Chinese scientists increase F-22 fighter jet's radar signature 60,000 times with new detection method: study. Researchers from the Chinese air force say they have developed radar technology aimed at better detecting the F-22 and other stealth aircraft.
