China's J-20 Has One Major Advantage Over Western Fighter Jets

The US, Russia, and China have all developed fifth-generation fighter jets. While the US has developed incredible machines like the F-22 Raptor and the F-35A Lightning — two of the fastest planes in the US military — China has also developed its own fifth-generation stealth fighter, the J-20 "Mighty Dragon." The Mighty Dragon is no featherweight, weighing in with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 81,660 pounds, and boasting a length of 67 feet, with a wingspan of 44 feet. This is similar to the F-22 Raptor, which has a wingspan of 44 feet and 6 inches, is 62 feet in length, and has an MTOW of 83,500. However, it's substantially bigger than the F-35 which has an MTOW in the 70,000-pound class, a wingspan of 35 feet, and a length of 51 feet.

Primarily, any advantage the J-20 has isn't about performance; it's about something that China is very good at — manufacturing. While the consensus remains that fifth-gen Western fighters outperform their Chinese counterpart, the country's ability to turn its manufacturing expertise to military aircraft is a concern, with a production run of over 1,000 aircraft well within the bounds of possibility. 

China is a manufacturing powerhouse that has grown from producing 3% of the world's exports in 1995 to 20% in 2020. It's this expertise that's being translated into an impressive ability to manufacture military hardware like the J-20 at scale. However, manufacturing fighter jets is neither cheap nor simple. A point demonstrated by America's F-22 Raptor program, the production of which was shelved due to high costs, with only 187 of the planes reaching operational status. This leaves the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as the main fifth-generation fighter still produced by the US. The jet was cleared for full-rate production in 2024 — four years later than planned — and production is expected to be about 156 aircraft per year. 

While the F-35 production rate is likely currently outperforming the J-20 production numbers, there are signs that the Chinese production cycle is on the rise. Pinning down how many J-20s China has is challenging. The plane entered service in 2017, and five years later, there were only an estimated 40 in service. However, by 2024, the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) was thought to have a healthy 195 J-20s at its disposal. Further satellite intelligence suggests that production is now at least 78 planes per year, and is possibly as high as 100 – 120. These numbers are consistent with the widespread belief that the PLAAF is targeting a fleet of over 1,000 J-20s by the 2030s. 

While the weight of sheer numbers is undoubtedly advantageous in any conflict situation, it's by no means the only factor. History is scattered with David and Goliath moments. So, while the Chinese may ultimately outproduce the West, factors like tactics, training, technology, and performance all have a bearing to play. Additionally, it is believed that Western fifth-generation fighters like the F-35 have a lower radar cross-section than the J-20. 

In terms of sheer speed, the J-20 is on a par with the F-22 Raptor, both being rated as being capable of Mach 2. However, this does give it an edge over the F-35 Lightning II, which is rated at a relatively pedestrian Mach 1.6. It also holds a performance edge when considering range. The J-20 is believed to have a range of over 3,700 miles, for comparison the similarly sized F-22 boasts a mere 1,850 miles. 

It isn't without its flaws, though. The J-20 has a larger radar cross-section when compared to fifth-generation US fighters, making it more susceptible to detection. It also has inferior engines, which are thought to be at least 10 years behind Western engines in terms of technology. The story is similar with avionics. While they are advanced, there are doubts about the efficiency of the system. Of course, the current development of the curiously named sixth-generation F-47 fighter may well also have a bearing to play in the ongoing arms race to maintain air dominance.