CCTV's military channel aired the "Lijian" program on June 29, revealing a notable aerial confrontation: foreign military aircraft formations approached China's East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone and even its airspace. The Chinese Air Force's "Wang Hai Detachment" quickly deployed multiple J-20 stealth fighters, successfully repelling the foreign aircraft after several intense rounds of combat.

According to CCTV, at the time of the incident, foreign military aircraft approached China's airspace, forcing the Chinese Air Force to transition rapidly from training to combat status. As the first unit to be fully equipped with the J-20, the "Wang Hai Detachment" responded swiftly, with multiple J-20s taking off in succession to confront the enemy. Pilot Yang Juncheng described the air situation as "continuously escalating, very fast," and the Chinese aircraft maintained a favorable position after several rounds of engagement, eventually repelling the foreign aircraft.

Notably, the J-20, as China's most advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter, has rarely been involved in interception missions before, usually being handled by the fourth-and-a-half generation J-16. The high-profile deployment of the J-20 in this incident indicates the Chinese Air Force's serious assessment of the event and a strong signal to the outside world. Generally, the deployment of the J-20 would involve foreign aircraft possibly being the US F-35 stealth fighters. This speculation aligns with recent repeated "close encounters" between the US and China in the East China Sea airspace, implying that there may be deeper military maneuvering behind the incident.

This incident is not isolated but reflects the long-term confrontation between the US and China in the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone. Since China established the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone in 2013, the US and its allies have frequently dispatched military aircraft into the area, attempting to test the Chinese Air Force's response speed, command and control capabilities, and the actual performance of its aircraft.

Since its service in 2017, the J-20 has become a core equipment for the Chinese Air Force to gain air superiority. By dispatching F-35 stealth fighters to approach China's airspace, the US aims to collect data on the radar reflection characteristics, electronic signal characteristics, and tactical maneuvers of the J-20 to assess its performance in real air combat environments. In 2022, Kenneth Wilsbach, the commander of the US Pacific Air Forces, publicly admitted that the F-35 had "close encounters" with the J-20 in the East China Sea, and expressed "impression" at the J-20's command and control system and pilot professionalism.

The operational effectiveness of the J-20 highly depends on the KJ-500 early warning aircraft, ground command systems, and data links. The US attempts to detect the efficiency of the Chinese Air Force's command and control, the detection range of the early warning aircraft, and the anti-interference capability of the data link through frequent close-range reconnaissance. This J-20 interception incident indicates that the confrontation in the air combat field between the two countries has never ceased.

The J-20, as an air superiority fighter, emphasizes beyond-visual-range combat and maneuverability, while the F-35 is positioned as a multi-role combat aircraft, emphasizing information fusion and multi-domain strike. However, in the close-range standoff in the East China Sea, the J-20 gained an advantage due to its home-field operational advantages (support from early warning aircraft and ground radar). The US E-3 early warning aircraft could not effectively detect the J-20, highlighting the J-20's stealth performance advantage.

Foreign media claimed that the annual production of the J-20 has exceeded a certain number, and the total number in service has surpassed the F-22. Additionally, with the mass production of the J-35, China's stealth fighter fleet is approaching the scale of the F-35. Simulations conducted by Northwestern Polytechnical University show that the J-20 has a near 100% win rate against the F-22, reflecting progress in China's radar, optical-electronic systems, and missile technology. Moreover, after upgrading to the WS-15 engine, the J-20's maneuverability has further improved, surpassing the F-22 in some indicators. These developments indicate that the modernization level of the Chinese Air Force has already surpassed that of the US.

The US has long led in air combat theory and technology, but since the end of the Cold War, it has not experienced a balanced air battle between major powers, leading to strategic indecision. The single-engine design and limited supercruise capability of the F-35 make it inferior to the J-20's dual-engine design in high-threat environments. Furthermore, the F-35's engine defects and logistical issues result in low readiness rates, limiting its combat effectiveness. The US shows clear anxiety about the J-20's rapid deployment and integrated combat capabilities, trying to find countermeasures through frequent probes.

This J-20 interception incident highlights the tense confrontation between the US and China in the East China Sea airspace and reveals potential risks. The "sword-to-sword" style of confrontation in the air is prone to misjudgment and escalation of conflict, especially in such a sensitive area as the East China Sea. The professionalism of both sides' pilots prevented direct conflict, but future confrontations may intensify due to geopolitical tensions. The air combat capabilities represented by the J-20 are becoming a key force for maintaining national sovereignty and regional stability. This hidden aerial competition is far from over.



Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7525730305748091433/

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