It is clear what China intends to do with the J-20 Stealth Fighter when it first flew. The primary role is to destroy the support craft of the US Navy.
Beijing's strategy will be the only chance to lessen the possibility of Immense American airpower from bearing down on Chinese forces.
One assumption is that the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLA AF) will go into aerial engagements in the frontlines in coastal areas. Most Chinese forces will be limited, but the Mighty Dragon will be one tasked to engage in the western Pacific Ocean, reported Forbes.
Their objective is to reach and take out aerial tankers, surveillance planes, and airborne command posts within their range. The Chinese air force realizes that the US needs these aerial units as support for its jets, bombers, and intel that is an inherent advantage over numerically dependent Chinese forces.
More stealth US fighters like F-22, F-35, are far superior compared to the large and less maneuverable J-20. Proponents of the F-22 will and can smoke the Mighty Dragon in a dogfight with its proven prowess.
According to Justin Brook, connected with the London-based Royal United Service Institute, remarked the Mighty Dragon is the most Chinese military technology produced close to western technology. The PLAAF has 50 of them with the possibility of getting more of them. But the variant has several issues to resolve before it is considered better.
In an October report, quoting what Bonk said, "The J-20 is the largest [low-observable] fighter design currently in production or known testing, with an impressive internal fuel capacity and ability to carry up to four external fuel tanks on jettisoning able under-wing pylons."
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It functions as a long-range intercept whose primary task is to find any American support plane near its range. Chinese planners know the damage America's stealth enables planes can wreak on pinpoint strikes. One of the limitations of American aerial assets is range; destroying even one of the aerial tankers will impact the overall strategy of the US Forces.
The analyst remarked the J-20 is not meant to be a good dogfight like the F-22 Raptor, one of the top combat planes in the 5th generation rung. The Shining Dragon will not be able to keep up with the nimbler plane.
Several disadvantages spell trouble for the J-20 stealth fighter, like its limited stealth that is not as advanced as the F-22s and F-35. Designers of the plane were only able to emphasize stealth on its nose. The planes forward canards are not stealthy but compromises the design.
One glaring flaw is engines that have no serrated nozzles; these are the Russian AL-31 series engines. The plane is underpowered and probably no supercruise. Another is the butt of the planes sticks out in the radar cross-section, making detectable. The Chinese are hoping it will be in the radar clutter to allow the aircraft to move to target near China Air space, concealing it.
One sure threat of the Shining Dragon is its long-range PL-15 missiles picking off aerial tankers or even Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. The more stealth J-20 will present a problem to even the F-22 escorts guarding support plane.
The problem is that J-20 Stealth Fighter can be shot down by F-22s easy, but if tanker gets shot down, so do F-22s.
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