An echelon of five J-20 stealth fighter jets fly past Tiananmen Square in Beijing during the National Day parade on Tuesday. Photo: CCTV

Photo: CCTV

Five J-20 stealth fighter jets flew in tight formation past Tiananmen Square joining a massive military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in Beijing on Tuesday.

Domestically developed by China, the J-20 is considered one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world.

Two J-20s made their first public appearance at Airshow China in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, which was held in November 2016. Three J-20s joined the military parade at the Zhurihe military training base in July 2017, then four of the jets performed in an aerobatic show at the 2018 edition of Airshow China in November.

The fly-past on Tuesday was the first time five J-20 fighters have been seen in public 

A video released by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force in September showed as many as seven J-20s flying formation.

Chinese military experts told the Global Times that a considerable number of units are probably ready to fly the J-20, given the increasing number of the fighter jets the PLA has been showcasing.

The Chinese military has not disclosed how many J-20s are currently operational.