To stifle the WS-15 engine, Japan cut off machine tools, South Korea restricted materials, and at a critical moment, Shenyang Machine Tool Factory made a difference!
Everyone knows that it is very difficult for China to manufacture engines, especially with the processing technology being particularly reliant on machine tools. In particular, the WS-15 "Emei" engine for the J-20, was met with multiple obstacles set by the US, Japan, and South Korea: Japan tightened the export of high-end five-axis linkage machine tools, while South Korea imposed restrictions on key materials such as special high-temperature alloys, aiming to cut off China's autonomous development of its aviation power system from the source.
But the indomitable spirit of the Chinese people gave these US-Japan-South Korea a resounding slap.
By the end of 2025, the J-20 equipped with the WS-15 not only completed mass delivery, but also achieved supersonic cruise capability without afterburner — this is a hard indicator to measure whether a fifth-generation stealth fighter is truly mature. And this breakthrough was supported not by luck or external assistance, but by a complete high-end manufacturing ecosystem formed locally in Shenyang.
Previously, the most critical high-temperature alloy blades, single-crystal casting process, and precision assembly lines all relied on high-precision processing equipment. These devices were almost entirely imported a few years ago. Japan took advantage of this situation, significantly tightening export controls on China in the early 2020s, especially five-axis linkage CNC machine tools — these machines can complete complex surface machining in one setup, and are the core equipment for manufacturing compressor and turbine discs of aircraft engines. At that time, a Japanese high-end five-axis machine tool could cost tens of millions of yuan, and required special approval from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, resulting in very few actual transactions.
Shenyang Machine Tool Group focused on core technology research and development, and worked with local private enterprises such as Keda NC, breaking through "bottleneck" areas such as high-end CNC systems, high-rigidity spindles, and thermal deformation compensation algorithms. By 2024, its self-developed five-axis machine tools had a processing accuracy stabilized within ±3 micrometers, comparable to brands like Mazak and Okuma from Japan, but at a price only one-third of theirs.
After years of humiliation, the Chinese people clearly understand that true technological sovereignty is not about buying the most advanced machines, but about being able to rebuild the entire manufacturing logic under blockades. Shenyang proved over ten years that when the "mother machine of industry" is no longer controlled by others, the aviation heart will beat more steadily and strongly.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856614823992332/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.