The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is set to modify its J-20 stealth fighters by re-equipping them with WS-15 turbofan engines, with the aim of gradually replacing the WS-10 series and Russian-made AL-31 turbofan engines, and has completed its first test flight of the modified fighter. What role would the J-20, which is touted as a fifth-generation fighter and the mainstay of the PLAAF’s air operations, play in the PLAAF’s future combat system?
China has maintained a high level of confidentiality regarding the specific details of the WS-15 engine. Using afterburners, the engine generates approximately 36,000 pounds of thrust, and the ultimate goal is to reach a thrust rating of 40,000 pounds.
However, this is only the minimum standard for US fifth-generation fighters, so it is still too early for China to think it can surpass the US’ advanced engine manufacturing technology.
The WS-15 engine has approximately 4,000 pounds greater thrust than the existing WS-10, providing a significant boost in performance for the PLAAF’s current aircraft.
However, the J-20’s thrust is still inferior to the US’ two fifth-generation fighter jets — the F-22 and F-35.
Nonetheless, for the US, the J-20 is already one of the biggest threats in air combat. US Pacific Air Forces Commander General Kenneth Wilsbach said that as long as the modernization of US air power continues to advance rapidly, the US is not worried about the J-20’s continually improving performance. The US Air Force and US Navy are striving to develop their respective next-generation air dominance initiatives with the aim of obtaining sixth-generation stealth fighters to serve as the next-generation mainstay of air combat.
China has always made good use of external propaganda directed at the international community. It has always tried to create an impression that exerts psychological pressure on its adversaries. Although China has made progress in the production of stealth aircraft and advanced crewed and uncrewed aircraft, its research and development strength in modern high-performance engines still lags behind the engineering technology of its Western peers. This can be seen from recent setbacks in the operation of China’s Comac C919 passenger airliner. With regard to improvements to the Xian Y-20 Kunpeng military transport aircraft, although it has successfully integrated the new Chinese-made high-bypass WS-20 engine, it is still uncertain whether this technology can be applied to other types of aircraft.
The newly modified J-20 fighter jet equipped with a pair of WS-15 engines is a long-awaited step forward for China’s air force and for its aviation industry.
However, while outside observers focus on the efficiency ratio of engines and the extent to which they can be manufactured domestically, Taiwan’s national defense research needs to pay more attention to identifying the battlefield role of China’s J-20 fighters. As China has completed the architecture of its third-generation Beidou navigation satellite system, Taiwan must, before it obtains the full next-generation version of the data link provided by the US, first and foremost get full access to real-time battlefield and defense zone images shared with the US. This way it can prevent China’s new-generation airpower vehicles from carrying out strategic raids on Taiwan. At this moment, this is the most urgent task.
Chang Yan-ting is a retired air force lieutenant general and an honorary emeritus professor at National Tsing Hua University.
Translated by Julian Clegg
A high-school student surnamed Yang (楊) gained admissions to several prestigious medical schools recently. However, when Yang shared his “learning portfolio” on social media, he was caught exaggerating and even falsifying content, and his admissions were revoked. Now he has to take the “advanced subjects test” scheduled for next month. With his outstanding performance in the general scholastic ability test (GSAT), Yang successfully gained admissions to five prestigious medical schools. However, his university dreams have now been frustrated by the “flaws” in his learning portfolio. This is a wake-up call not only for students, but also teachers. Yang did make a big
As former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) concludes his fourth visit to China since leaving office, Taiwan finds itself once again trapped in a familiar cycle of political theater. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has criticized Ma’s participation in the Straits Forum as “dancing with Beijing,” while the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) defends it as an act of constitutional diplomacy. Both sides miss a crucial point: The real question is not whether Ma’s visit helps or hurts Taiwan — it is why Taiwan lacks a sophisticated, multi-track approach to one of the most complex geopolitical relationships in the world. The disagreement reduces Taiwan’s
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is visiting China, where he is addressed in a few ways, but never as a former president. On Sunday, he attended the Straits Forum in Xiamen, not as a former president of Taiwan, but as a former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman. There, he met with Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning (王滬寧). Presumably, Wang at least would have been aware that Ma had once been president, and yet he did not mention that fact, referring to him only as “Mr Ma Ying-jeou.” Perhaps the apparent oversight was not intended to convey a lack of
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) last week announced that the KMT was launching “Operation Patriot” in response to an unprecedented massive campaign to recall 31 KMT legislators. However, his action has also raised questions and doubts: Are these so-called “patriots” pledging allegiance to the country or to the party? While all KMT-proposed campaigns to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers have failed, and a growing number of local KMT chapter personnel have been indicted for allegedly forging petition signatures, media reports said that at least 26 recall motions against KMT legislators have passed the second signature threshold
RSS