The confrontation between the two most advanced stealth fighters of China and the U.S. J-20 and F-22 is of great interest to military experts.
Many weapons experts have stated that the U.S. F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II fighters outperform china’s Chengdu J-20 and are able to defeat them in mid-air combat. But Chinese fighters were likely given slightly different missions.
Expert Smriti Chaudhary – the author of an article published by the Journal Eurasia Times, commented on the subject. The Chengdu J-20 is considered the fifth-generation fighter of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Its distinctive capabilities were revealed by the main designer of this fifth-generation stealth fighter – engineer Yang Wei. This Revolutionary Fighter of China is characterized by its long-range, fast, decisive speed, and heavy firepower. According to some analysts, it is ideal for destroying American tankers and reconnaissance aircraft.
According to London-based analyst Justin Bronk, the J-20 has the most impressive stealth capabilities among fighters currently in production or testing. It can carry a large amount of fuel inside. Also, supplies can be stored in four barrels of oil that integrate external gas on pylons.
On what basis Bronk analysts concluded, however, that the J-20’s greatest stealth capabilities among fifth-generation fighters in the world were an open question.
At the same time, he believed that due to its heavyweight and low manometry, the J-20 could not effectively withstand the F-22 Raptor’s versatility in open combat but could defeat it with a special tactic.
Chinese fighter jets will have no chance in the limited space of the region operating in Europe, but the PLAAF will never appear
there. Most likely, they will engage in pacific waters, where conditions show the advantage of range. If the F-22 were limited to a radius of about 800 km, the Chinese fighter
would have more than 1,100 km. Besides, the J-20 to defeat the F-22 would not have to participate in the face-to-face confrontation but rather destroy the tankers. The F-22 would then run out of fuel. They would not be able to return to base and fall into the water, while the J-20 would still have fuel supplies during operation.
When classifying the Chinese Chengdu J-20 fighter, some experts suggested that it belonged to the 4.5 generation, noting that its characteristics did not yet reach the fifth generation
standard.