China’s state-run aviation manufacturer has revealed the cockpit and radar-absorbent coating of its J-20 stealth fighter jet for the first time.
The warplane, built by Beijing to rival top U.S. fighter jets the F-22 and F-35, is shown off in a new promotional video. The pilot’s helmet, control stick, high-speed data antenna, infrared detection system and aerial refuelling flap are also featured in the footage, according to Chinese news outlet Sohu.
Video: Details revealed of brand-new Chinese J-20 stealth fighter plane
J-20 is a fifth-generation fighter jet and China’s first domestically built stealth warplane. It was developed by the country’s aviation and aerospace experts together, reported Sina Military. It is manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, an affiliation of state-run Aviation Industry Corporation of China. Dubbed as ‘Beijing’s new secret weapon’, the prototype of the military aircraft made its maiden flight on January 11, 2011.
During last year’s Zhuhai Airshow in November, two J-20s were paraded to the public in a flyby. The duo opened their cargo bay doors and revealed four missiles in its fuselage and one on either side of the aircraft. Top Chinese officials said at the time that the demonstration displayed the J-20’s superiority to the F-22 and F-35 from the United States, according to the Global Times.
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Sources from military recently revealed that J-20 was likely to be chosen as the main fighter jet for Beijing’s next-generation aircraft carriers, reported South China Morning Post. China has so far produced more than 10 of those advanced warplanes and has announced its plan to put the aircraft into mass production.
In a new documentary, CCTV revealed J-20’s futuristic hanger for the first time. The facility is said to have unchanging temperature around the year in order to store the planes which sport radar-absorbent materials.
Observers have claimed that the hanger is situated in People’s Liberation Army’s Dingxin Military Air Space in Gansu Province.
According to Chinese military expert Song Zhongping, the four missiles in the J-20’s fuselage are long-range air-to-air missiles, while the two on the sides are short-range combat missiles meant for aerial combat. He also claimed that the J-20 would ‘engage with rivals in the future who dare to provoke China in the air.’
CCTV reported that the J-20 was equipped with four PL-15 mid-range air-to-air missiles and one PL-10 short-range ‘combat’ missile on either side.
PL-15 was a 5.7-metre-long (18.7-foot-long) wing-less missile. It is said to boast an impressive range of 400 kilometres (249 miles) and could help J-20 out-perform F-22.
PL-10, on the other hand, has exceptional abilities to intercept other missiles.
Video: J-20 jet soars through the sky during Zhuhai airshow
When the aircraft was shown to the public, there were claims to suggest that it had been built in part from plans of US war planes, particularly the F-22 Raptor, obtained by Chinese hackers jailed last year.
Beijing has firmly denied the theory as it insists that J-20 had been developed and built solely with the Chinese technology. Military analysts have said that it was still too early to tell if the jet could match the capabilities of the U.S. F-22 Raptor.
Rare footage reveals never-before-seen details of China’s J-20 stealth fighter jet
Source: dailymail
