China’s J-20 Stealth Fighter Is Operational

September 29, 2017

Popular Mechanics:

According to a Chinese military spokesman, China’s first stealth fighter, the Chengdu J-20, has officially entered service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. First revealed in 2011, the J-20 is only the third stealth fighter to enter service with any air force, after the F-22A Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, made the announcement on September 28th in Beijing. The aircraft was known as the J-20 during development, but the operational aircraft is apparently called the J-20A. This mirrors the development of the F-22 Raptor, which was labelled the F-22A Raptor when it entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 2005.

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