CHINA’S J-20 fifth?generation fighter jet “has outstanding stealth capability and can easily penetrate enemy air?defense networks,” China Daily quoted a senior designer as saying. “The J-20’s radar signature is extremely low, and its infrared characteristics are tremendously good. It can penetrate the adversaries’ air?defense networks like a needle,” Gong Feng, deputy chief designer at the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute — a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China based in Sichuan Province — said at a People’s Liberation Army Air Force open?house event in Changchun, Jilin Province. Radar signature (often expressed as radar cross?section) and infrared characteristics are measurable physical properties that determine how readily an aircraft can be detected by radar and heat?seeking sensors. Lower values for these signatures make an aircraft harder to spot when it enters the scanning range of enemy aircraft or ground?based air defenses. Gong said that stealth is only one aspect of the J?20’s capabilities. “Its flight range is very long, which means the operational scope is substantially larger than that of fourth?generation planes,” he said, adding that the jet carries an advanced active phased?array radar that provides target detection ranges well beyond those of older fighters. He also highlighted the J?20’s sensor and weapons integration. “Multiple kinds of sensors can work together perfectly and complement each other, allowing for multidimensional situational awareness and accurate identification of targets. Moreover, its missiles have a long range. Together with smart strike management systems, they promise the J?20 a hit success rate much higher than that of previous jets,” Gong said. The designer noted that the fighter can operate as part of a broader combat system, teaming with airborne early warning aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles to expand its reach and effectiveness. “The J?20’s deployment enables the Air Force to carry out not only defensive tasks but also offensive operations. The jet’s excellent solo and team combat power has resulted in the creation of new fighting tactics by the Air Force,” he added. Gong also pointed to the aircraft’s integrated aerodynamic configuration, characterized by a lifting body and two fully movable foreplanes (canards), describing it as a pioneering design. Code?named the Mighty Dragon, the J?20 made its public debut in 2016 at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong. It entered service with the Air Force later that year, becoming the third stealth fighter in operational service after the United States’ F?22 Raptor and F?35 Lightning II. (SD-Agencies) | 