5th generation fighters have some common features like stealth capabilities, the ability to fly at subsonic speeds without afterburner, and advanced radars, avionics, and computers that provide the pilot with complete awareness in the sky.
In papers, a 5th generation fighter is almost invisible against other systems or aircraft, and it can attack from a great range.
Today, the most modern Air Forces fly 4th generation aircraft like the US F-16 and F/A-18, the Russian Su-30, the European Typhoon, the French Rafale, the Swedish Grip, and more.
In terms of technological demonstration, these aircraft are dated back to the '70s and '80s, even if most of them have received many upgrades since then.
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How does the J-20 compare with them? First of all, J-20 is for sure the better aircraft of the Chinese Air Force, but that's not a really important achievement. The next better ones are the J-10 that started developing in the '80s and the J-11, a Chinese version of the Su-27 that flew for the first time in the '90s.
Even if these aircraft were upgraded a lot over the years, J-10 and J-11 are almost 4th generation jets. In dogfights versus other aircraft of the same kind, with the best-trained pilots (like the Taiwanese-16 or the Japanese F-15), the Chinese aircraft struggle significantly.
So, the Chinese Air Force needs J-20. Based in the Center of Strategical and International Studies (CSIS), J-20 is an advanced stealth multirole fighter that can perform air-to-air and air-to-land missions.
CSIS repeat in 2016 what the Secretary of Defense told: "J-20 is a critical step for China in their attempt to develop an advanced aircraft for their power projection in the area and strengthen their capabilities of striking regional aerial bases and facilities."
A report of the US Naval War College added that as soon as it starts serving, the Chinese J-20 will be the most advanced fighter of the Asian power.
Till now, we don't know many things about the aircraft. For example, we know a few things about its promising stealth capabilities. Something we know for sure though is that the aircraft is huge with a length greater than 2 meters (even bigger than the Raptor) and with a canard design for improved agility. Both of these features make the J-20 more detectable on radars.
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Additionally, the J-20 looks like it hasn't devices that reduce its infrared signature that comes from the engine's exhaust. So, J-20 may be stealth only from its front side, according to expert Richard Aboulafia.
J-20 is probably inferior to Chinese expectations in terms of power. Newer variants use a Russian engine that was later replaced by the Chinese WS-20 turbofan. However, this engine had its own issues. As a result, it's a possibility that J-20 can't perform the constant hypersonic flight.
Plus, we can't be sure about anything we haven't seen. More specifically, we have no idea about its radars, sensors, avionics, and computers in the internal of the aircraft.
CSIS states that J-20 carries powerful and capable systems like the AESA radar, an infrared/electro-optic sensor, and a passive electro-optic targeting system that will provide a 360 degrees spherical coverage to the aircraft. This estimation happens with the perception that J-20 carries systems equalizing to that of F-35.
But, it's impossible to know how good are the J-20 systems. It's likely that avionics, and especially sensors, are inferior to these of F-35 and F-22.
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As a result, analysts like Aboulafia and John Venable believe that the 5th generation American fighters can easily win over the J-20 in air-to-air combat that would be based on which aircraft would detect its enemy first.
"F-22, with its superb stealth capabilities, its advanced radars, and its precisive weapons, it would destroy J-20 instantly," according to Abnoulafia.
It's possible that China knows about the issues with J-20 and that's why it only produced limited units. But, it's surely dangerous to underestimate its potential.
The Chinese Air Force has achieved to reduce the technological gap between the West for the last 20 years. It's necessary for the West to continue developing in order not to be caught from the East.
