Naypyidaw, Sep 24 (NationPress) China has been eager to present the Chengdu J-20 as evidence that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) possesses a fifth-generation stealth fighter of international caliber. However, an analysis focusing on essential criteria for advanced air combat — including engine maturity, genuine low observability, avionics and sensor integration, maintenance, and operational doctrine — indicates that the J-20 uncovers significant structural flaws within China’s aerospace industry and the PLA’s modernization efforts, according to a recent report.

Visually, the J-20 is striking: a substantial, long-range twin-engine aircraft characterized by a canard-like design and internal weapon bays. Nevertheless, a thorough examination of technical data, operational trends, and publicly available information reveals that the J-20 serves more as a symbol of political and industrial achievement rather than a transformative force on the battlefield. Evaluating it against critical metrics vital for high-end air combat — including engine maturity, genuine low observability, avionics/sensor integration, maintenance, and operational doctrine — highlights its exposure of weaknesses within China’s aerospace domain and the PLA’s haste to modernize,” reported Mizzima, a Myanmar-based news outlet.

A contemporary fifth-generation fighter necessitates an engine that not only provides thrust but also ensures long-term reliability, effective thermal management, and low upkeep requirements. The struggle to develop such an engine represents the J-20’s most evident technical weakness. Initial models of the J-20 relied on Russian AL-31 derivatives or Chinese WS-10 variants, while Beijing’s domestically produced WS-15 — touted as the “solution” — has encountered multiple delays and concerns regarding durability, alongside reports of premature wear during endurance evaluations.

Public perception regarding the WS-15-equipped J-20 has developed gradually, with open-source analysts and defense reports continuing to express uncertainty about the actual number of operational J-20s outfitted with advanced domestic engines versus inferior alternatives, the report stated. These engine limitations directly impose constraints on uninterrupted supersonic flights, reduce mission frequencies, elevate maintenance needs, and increase vulnerability during prolonged high-intensity engagements.

Experts have repeatedly indicated that the J-20's larger structure compared to the F-22 and F-35 designs, along with its external shaping, results in a more significant Radar Cross-Section (RCS) in key characteristics than its Western counterparts. Moreover, PLA deployments and publicly shared flyovers, combined with unintentional imagery leaked to observers, have provided adversaries with adequate baseline data to improve counter-stealth sensor capabilities. Essentially, China’s rush to publicly validate the platform has diminished the secrecy that true stealth aircraft rely on for surprise. In high-stakes penetration missions, where milliseconds can make a difference, an increased RCS and predictability reduce the J-20’s supposed advantages.

According to open-source analyses and Western technical evaluations, while the J-20’s sensors are progressing, China remains behind in achieving fully developed, resilient sensor fusion, integrated data networking, and electronic warfare resilience that have been proven in battle. Effective sensor fusion necessitates extensive experience, a solid software development framework, fortified supply chains, and abundant flight hours across complex scenarios — all sectors where China is making strides but has yet to match the US programs that have benefited from decades of iterative combat testing and coalition data sharing. Consequently, the J-20’s situational awareness and performance in contested electromagnetic environments may be less dependable in real combat situations than official narratives suggest,” wrote Sun Lee, a pseudonymous author specializing in Asian and geopolitical affairs, in the Mizzima report.