How Many J-20 Jets Does China Have?

China's J-20 fighter is a stealthy, fifth-generation air-superiority fighter that frequently draws comparisons to other fifth-gen fighters the F-22 Raptor or the F-35A Lightning II. The J-20 — or the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon — first flew in 2011 and entered service for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in 2017. Since then, it has become one of the mainstays of the PLAAF. But just how many of these fighters does China have? 

Pinning it down to precise numbers is always difficult, especially with a country as secretive as China. However, some data published by Janes gives us a good idea of the number of J-20s China has. According to the report, China was believed to have only about 40 J-20 jets in its arsenal as of 2022. Move forward a couple of years, though, and the picture was radically different. The PLAAF began introducing J-20s at a faster pace starting in September 2022. By 2024, it had an estimated 195 J-20s spread across 12 PLAAF air brigades, three of which use the jet exclusively.

There are also ongoing production numbers to consider. Satellite imagery revealed that more than 70 J-20s were added to the fleet between July 2023 and May 2024, indicating a production rate of roughly 6.5 aircraft per month. If that rate has remained steady, it's plausible that the total number of J-20s has continued to rise — potentially bringing China's fleet to over 270 aircraft by mid-2025.

Designed and built by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, the J-20 "Mighty Dragon" is a fifth-generation fighter that has the NATO designation of FAGIN. The J-20 is not a small jet, with a wingspan of 44 feet, a length of 67 feet, and a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 81,660 pounds. This makes it one of the biggest fighter jets in the world. For comparison, the F-35A has a 35-foot wingspan, is 51 feet long, and has an MTOW in the 70,000-pound class. 

While early models of the J-20 used twin Russian AL-31FM2 engines — based on the engines that powered the Russian Sukhoi Su-27 — later models switched to Chinese WS-10B powerplants as part of a wider transition of China's fighter fleet to domestically produced engines. The J-20 has also been seen testing a new and more powerful WS-15 engine. With WS-10 engines, the JS-20 has a maximum speed of Mach 2. 

The jet is capable of carrying a multitude of weapons systems, including the very long-range PL-15 missile, PL-21 long-range missile, and the LS-6 precision-guided bomb. There is also a two-seat variant of the plane under development. Unveiled in November 2024, the J-20S is a long-range, multi-role, stealthy fighter jet that can also team up with unmanned drones and aircraft. Only time will tell whether this variant will make the Mighty Dragon mightier, but the plane's performance and versatility mean it's set to be a mainstay of the PLAAF for years to come.