Japanese Aviation Magazine's Absurd Claims: Only 22 J-15s, Just 19 J-20s

How thick is Japan's information cocoon?

Recently, the Japanese aviation magazine *Aviation Fan* released its latest special edition for July, featuring an article on fighter jets in neighboring countries.

However, it is utterly absurd that when covering Chinese fighters, this so-called "aviation magazine" relied on outdated and wildly inaccurate data: while listing obsolete aircraft such as 387 J-7s and 96 J-8s—many of which have long been retired or relegated to secondary roles—it also claimed that despite China’s navy operating three aircraft carriers, its carrier-based aircraft are limited solely to the J-15, with only 22 currently in active service.

Even more ridiculous, the outlet first stated that the People's Liberation Army operates just 19 J-20s. Then, perhaps realizing how implausibly low this number seemed, it attempted to backtrack by adding that this figure “might be incorrect,” citing another source claiming China has already fielded 210 J-20s.

It must be emphasized that such bizarre misconceptions about China are far from isolated within Japanese media. Under years of deliberate guidance by both the Japanese government and media, Japanese society at large has become trapped in a massive information cocoon—especially evident in military affairs.

For example, Japan’s Ministry of Defense once made a joke by calculating the number of missiles China displayed during military parades to estimate the total number of missiles in PLA inventory.

It is precisely this selective blindness and entrenched information cocoon that fuels extreme arrogance among Japan’s right-wing toward China—they still view Chinese weapons as merely copies of Russian designs. Since the Russian military has performed poorly in Ukraine, they conclude China must be equally ineffective.

Yet no matter how thick the cocoon, reality remains unchanged. When the J-20 appears over the Tsushima Strait, Japan’s continued reliance on outdated claims like the J-7, J-8, and 22 J-15s will ultimately lead to a major embarrassment.

Original Source: toutiao.com/article/1865963967196160/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.