Two J-20 stealth fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade of the PLA Air Force take off for a flight training exercise in early February of 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Liu Weipeng)

 

The Chinese military has confirmed that its J-20 stealth fighter jet can easily reach supercruise, which experts said on Monday can bring significant tactical advantages and reflect the power of China's domestically developed engines.

The J-20, a "Cross-Straits Lethality" weapon, is characterized by a high stealth capability that allows it to effortlessly penetrate a hostile air defense system, a high mobility that allows it to easily reach supercruise, and a high situational awareness that allows it to quickly identify targets and perform precision strikes, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said in a social media post on Sunday evening.

The J-20 is a sharp sword in the sky; a vanguard that leads to victory, and a go-to option in breaking down hostile defenses, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said.

In a countermeasure against Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's separatist inaugural speech made on May 20, the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted the Joint Sword-2024A exercises surrounding the island from Thursday to Friday, and that was when it released a set of posters themed "Cross-Straits Lethality," depicting some of its weaponry aimed at "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces, including the J-20.

Among the PLA Eastern Theater Command's descriptions of the J-20, observers highlighted the phrase "easily reaches supercruise."

Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times that the J-20 can perform supercruise and has subsonic super maneuverability thanks to its unique aerodynamic design of a lifting body with strakes and canards, plus domestically developed engines.

Supercruise means that an aircraft can reach supersonic flight for an extended period without using an afterburner, another military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Monday, noting that this brings important advantages in combat, including reaching advantageous combat positions faster and giving the enemy little time to react.

Being able to perform supercruise easily indicates that China's domestically developed engines are powerful, and the J-20s equipped with them now have even stronger combat capabilities, analysts said.

The J-20's conversion to use domestically developed engines was revealed at the China Airshow 2021 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province. Earlier J-20s were reportedly equipped with Russia-made engines that analysts said did not support supercruise.