How Good a Fighter Plane Is China’s J-20 Mighty Dragon?

Harrison Kass

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Whereas the US relies on a boutique fleet of F-22s, the PLAAF seems to be bent on fielding hundreds of J-20s—a scale that promises to overwhelm US and allied forces in the region.

China’s Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon is a much-hyped fifth-generation fighter—the centerpiece of a rapidly modernizing air force built to challenge US supremacy in the skies of the Indo-Pacific. First flown in 2011, and entering service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in 2017, the J-20 is now an operational system that reflects China’s industrial advancement and its wider strategic ambitions.

While the J-20’s performance, relative to Western counterparts like the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, has not been established, it is clear that the J-20 represents a significant technological leap over China’s legacy fighters.

The J-20 Mighty Dragon’s SpecificationsYear Introduced: 2017

Number Built: Estimated 200+ in service as of 2024 (production ongoing)

Length: 69 ft 7 in (21.2 m)

Wingspan: 42 ft 9 in (13.0 m)

Empty Weight: ~43,000 lb (19,500 kg)

Maximum Takeoff Weight: ~80,000 lb (36,000 kg)

Engines: Two Shenyang WS-10C turbofans (27,000 lbf each with afterburner); future variants expected with WS-15 (~35,000 lbf)

Top Speed: ~Mach 2.0 (est.)

Range: ~700 nmi (1,300 km) combat radius; ~2,000 nmi ferry range

Service Ceiling: ~66,000 ft (20,000 m)

Loadout: Internal bays for long-range PL-15 and short-range PL-10 air-to-air missiles; precision-guided munitions in internal bays; external stores possible, at cost to stealth

Aircrew: 1

Assessing the J-20’s Capabilities

The J-20’s full capabilities have not been disclosed, but the aircraft obviously incorporates features associated with fifth-generation fighters: stealth shaping, internal weapons bays, advanced avionics, and sensor fusion. The J-20’s long, chined fuselage and canard-delta wing configuration provide a distinct silhouette that seems to combine low observability with maneuverability and range. Coated with radar-absorbent materials (RAM), the J-20 is presumed to be very stealthy, especially from the front, which should allow for some degree of penetration in contested air spaces.