USAF Initiates Training F-35 Squadrons To Face Chinese J-20 as Tensions Rise in the Indo-Pacific

The United States Air Force (USAF) will be training an F-35 squadron to familiarize pilots with the J-20 Mighty Dragon of China as more contact between these forces is expected.

Both stealth craft is in service now, with the Russian Su-57 not that prominent yet; overall, a 4th and 4++ generation fighter is less capable.

US-Chinese Stealth Craft Competes Since 2010

Both aircraft were in service during the middle 2010s, for now, it's only them in enough numbers to field for possible combat at the squadron level, reported View60s.

Mighty Dragon was upgraded by the PLAAF when it was commissioned in 2016, these improvements added to its capabilities.

It is one of the few assets of China's increasing military power, including more stealth planes to challenge the US. However, it has other 4++ capable fighters to back it up.

In a hypothetic combat situation, the newest J-20, launched in 2021, has supercruise that the F-35 Lightning II does not have. Flying at Mach 1+ with no afterburners longer than its US counterpart lacks.

The advanced Mighty dragons prompt the USAF to train its own in fighting this threat, with US stealth fighters taking the spearhead role to engage them.

On June 9, 2022, the formation of the 65th F-35 aggressor squadron flew with the US stealth fighter. This unit is tasked with teaching tactics to deal with them in the Indo-Pacific.

F-35 Lightning II Relevance to Aggressor Training

According to Air Combat Command Chief General Mark Kelly, the aggressor units are essential, stressing that the PRC has a fifth-generation and sixth-generation in development that needs an aggressor unit with advanced jets to teach counter-tactics, cited Defense Blog.

Commander of the 57th Operations Group Colonel Scott Mills added that the Aggressors are experts on matters like China and Russia.

The 65th Aggressor Squadron focuses on China and its doctrine, training, and capabilities so that when the unit is flying, it is close to replicating the pacing challenging task as possible, as cited by Military Watch.

US stealth fighters are the only plane that can teach how to survive a J-20 or defeat it. Aggressor squadrons at Nellis Air Force Base are important to air force aviation, said Mills. Chinese development of its 5th and 6th gen craft should not be ignored, as only the US and China have them.

If the Chinese have their 6th gen fighter online, it would be a significant concern for the US. The J-20 is equipped with the PL-10 and PL-15 air-to-air missiles in its internal weapons bay.

One drawback is the model used by the 65th is early, not a recent and more expensive model, with many problems. It might also be said they cannot fully replicate J-20 tactics.

The J-20 and the JSF stealth fighter are not the same, and the Mighty Dragon has two engines for air superiority, while the American stealth fighter has one engine and is used for ground attack missions.

Can an F-35 squadron acting as aggressors that lack the speed and power of a dedicated J-20 air superiority fight be replicated successfully like in the Indo-Pacific? It might not be so, and an older F-35 version could be lacking.