China deploys J-20 stealth jets for patrolling in East and South China Sea

Asia-Pacific, News April 19, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

China has deployed its most advanced J-20 stealth fighter jets, in the East and South China Sea region to conduct patrolling operations.

The recent design update of the J-20 stealth jet replaced the Russian-made engines with China’s indigenously produced twin engines. The updated version of the J-20 stealth jets with Chinese engines was shown at last year’s Airshow China held in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province.

According to the Chinese state-owned media outlet, the deployment of the most advanced jets in the East and South China Sea would assure the safety of China’s airspace and maritime interests in the region.

The latest move from China comes as a response to the U.S.’s deployment of its state-of-the-art F-35 and F-22 Raptor fighter jets in the region through the U.S. Pacific Air Force Command. The U.S. Pacific Air Force Commander General Kenneth Wilsbach revealed in March 2021 that U.S. Air Force F-35 stealth fighter jets had close encounters with the Chinese J-20 jets in the aerial vicinity of the East China Sea.

China has been increasing its military presence in the South and the East China Sea, especially amid the ongoing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. China started to build military bases on the Islands in the East and the South China Sea in 2013. By 2018, China started deploying its navy, coast guards, and military forces on these bases. Earlier in 2020, China also started to deploy patrol aircraft on military bases but did not deploy any fighter jets until recently.

*^{China’s most advanced J-20 stealth fighter jet. (Image Credit: CCTV)}*

According to reports China has supplied its aviation brigades with at least 150 J-20 fighter jets. Over the next five years, China plans to deploy J-20 fighter jets in every military command in order to execute its ‘Five Strategic Directions’ defense plan.

China’s J-20 stealth jet is comparable to the U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jet. While commenting on the recent event where China’s J-20 jets came close to U.S. Air Force’s F-35 jets, U.S. Air Force Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, Commander of US Pacific Air Forces said that the U.S. pilots were “impressed” with the Chinese J-20s.

General Wilsbach stated that “We got relatively close to the J-20s along with our F-35s in the East China Sea, and we’re relatively impressed with the command and control that was associated with the J-20.” He also said that the Chinese pilots were flying the J-20 fighter jets “pretty well”.

The two jets share a lot of common design characteristics, especially in the outer body stealth design.

Apart from J-20s, China has also deployed another member of its ‘20’ series aircraft, the Y-20 logistic airplanes, in the East and South China Sea region. Chinese Air Force’s ‘20’ series is considered to be the top-tier aviation at the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. Its deployment towards the East and the South China Sea shows how much importance China gives to this region.