American Think Tank: China's Twin-Seat J-20S Fifth-Generation Fighter is a Game-Changer Against the United States

The American think tank website 'The National Interest' published an article titled "China's Twin-Seat J-20S Fifth-Generation Fighter is a Game-Changer Against the United States" on October 5. The author is Brandon J. Vechet. Here is the translation of the article:

The design objective of the J-20S is to gain air superiority, conduct beyond-visual-range (BVR) combat, and conduct precise strikes against ground and maritime targets.

Network-centric warfare has become the mainstream of modern warfare. From coordinating drone swarms to using nearby friendly aircraft and warships as sensor nodes to enhance situational awareness, all major armies are committed to making networked warfare the future direction.

Preventing opponents from accessing their key networks is equally important.

The Chinese latest fifth-generation fighter, the J-20S, is a variant of the Chengdu J-20 "Wolverine" air superiority/attack fighter, which is the most challenging for Beijing. It represents the comprehensive adoption of network-centric air combat methods by the Chinese military. This twin-seat fifth-generation fighter, developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Company (CAC) for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), set a record as the world's first operational twin-seat fifth-generation fighter, representing a significant advancement for the Chinese Air Force.

About the J-20S Fighter

Long before 2018, rumors about the J-20 twin-seat variant began circulating in China. The first prototype was eventually discovered during taxi tests at the Chengdu Aircraft Company facility at the end of 2021. The aircraft made its maiden flight in November 2021, and it is expected that at least six prototypes will be manufactured by early 2025, including improvements such as enhanced optical-electronic systems and new paint schemes.

The J-20S was publicly unveiled at the 2024 Zhuhai Air Show. By July this year, some J-20S aircraft with combat markings (such as those belonging to the 172nd Aviation Regiment of the People's Liberation Army Air Force) indicated that the J-20S had transitioned from the testing phase to active service. This rapid development aligns with China's strategy to advance the capabilities of fifth-generation and above fighters, which places more emphasis on drone integration and multi-role flexibility.

China's J-20S retains the core stealth architecture of the single-seat J-20 but has been improved to accommodate the twin-seat configuration. As mentioned earlier, the J-20S features a twin-seat design. The pilot sits in the front seat, while the weapons systems officer (WSO) or operations officer sits in the rear seat, allowing the WSO to handle sensor fusion, electronic warfare, and command tasks without burdening the pilot. This enables the aircraft to make real-time decisions in complex environments (e.g., assigning targets from onboard airborne early warning and control, AEW&C, aircraft, or drone swarms).

The Chengdu Aerospace Group redesigned the front fuselage to accommodate the second seat, expanded the tail fin for increased stability, and redesigned the nose to accommodate an upgraded active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which may use gallium nitride (GaN) technology to improve power and efficiency. It uses a deep gray (nearly black) radar-absorbing coating to enhance stealth performance.

An advanced electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) located under the nose provides 360-degree coverage, similar to the DAS on the F-35, for passive detection and threat tracking. This avionics system supports high situational awareness and can act as a mini-electronic warfare aircraft on the battlefield - essentially a mothership.

The aircraft is powered by two Shenyang WS-10C turbofan engines and may be upgraded to a more powerful WS-15 engine to achieve supersonic cruise capability.

J-20S Intends to Lead the Drone Armies

The design objective of the J-20S is to gain air superiority, conduct beyond-visual-range (BVR) combat, and conduct precise attacks on ground and maritime targets. In the rear seat, the operator can control "loyal wingman" drones to perform reconnaissance, jamming, or strike missions, thereby enhancing combat power in the contested airspace.

The J-20S is designed to conduct jamming missions, act as a tactical data processor, and serve as a command center for networked assets (including other fighters, drones, and AWACS platforms). This fighter can integrate with the People's Liberation Army Air Force system to deal with chaotic battlefield situations, breaking through enemy defenses undetected with the support of electronic warfare aircraft like the J-16D and drone swarms.

The aircraft's armaments include internal bays capable of carrying up to six PL-15 and PL-21 long-range air-to-air missiles, PL-10 short-range missiles, and precision-guided munitions. External hardpoints can be used for a so-called "beast mode" configuration, carrying up to 12 missiles for non-stealth missions.

In a potential conflict between the US and China, the J-20S could enhance threats by coordinating drone swarms, overwhelming the opponent's defense systems and interfering with auxiliary equipment such as refueling aircraft and AWACS, while providing real-time tactical surveillance - which could change the aerial dominance situation in regions such as the Taiwan Strait. The production scale of the J-20S is expanding, and it is expected that dozens of J-20S will be put into use later this year, supplementing the broader J-20 fleet.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845200367437834/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.