J-20 5th Generation Fighter VII

My 2 cents:

1, “They are flying it pretty well" meaning: F35 didn't get the upper hand.

2, "we’re relatively impressed with the command and control associated with the J-20.”
Timely response from KJ-500 pick up F35 to J-20 intercept.

3, “We’re seeing relatively professional flying"
Both parties are flying in a safe manner.

Does J-20 have RAM coating all around or only specific spots?

Rettam Stacf said:

Love to know the circumstance of the encounter. Was it a chance encounter or an interception ?

If it was an interception, the interceptor side probably detected the opponent's stealth fighter, and with what ? The implication is significant.

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Based on the scant information we have:

1) F-35 approached the Chinese airspace, possibly without luneburg lens, to gauge response time and capability of Chinese air defense network.
2) In this scenario, ground-based anti-stealth radar probably picked up the general location at very long range. KJ-500 became airborne to get precise intercept vector.
3) J-20 took off from Wuhu (or Quzhou) for the routine intercept.

Otherwise I don't see why General Wilsbach would focus on the command and control aspect of the intercept.

Global Times reporting on the F-35/J-20 encounter

Judging from the remarks by the US general and the Chinese pilot, it is likely that the US F-35s first entered China's East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone and were picked up by PLA early warning systems, thanks to technologies like China's world-leading anti-stealth radars, a Chinese military expert told the Global Times on Thursday, requesting anonymity.

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Upon detection, the PLA Air Force sortied the J-20s as part of their routine maritime management and control missions, the expert said, noting that since the US sent the stealth-capable F-35s, China needed to deploy aircraft with equivalent or better capabilities, which are the J-20s.

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Shi Lao and Yankeesama claim that J-20 and other PLAAF fighter aircraft have encountered all three variants of F-35.

siegecrossbow said:

Shi Lao and Yankeesama claim that J-20 and other PLAAF fighter aircraft have encountered all three variants of F-35.

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USAF has forward-deployed F-35As in Asia-Pacific?

Helius said:

USAF has forward-deployed F-35As in Asia-Pacific?

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I assume so considering the leak was by an USAF general. The number is not large though, not that it matters since Japan and South Korea both operate sizeable numbers of F-35As.

siegecrossbow said:

Based on the scant information we have:

1) F-35 approached the Chinese airspace, possibly without luneburg lens, to gauge response time and capability of Chinese air defense network.
2) In this scenario, ground-based anti-stealth radar probably picked up the general location at very long range. KJ-500 became airborne to get precise intercept vector.
3) J-20 took off from Wuhu (or Quzhou) for the routine intercept.

Otherwise I don't see why General Wilsbach would focus on the command and control aspect of the intercept.

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Thanks, @siegecrossbow.

One more question. If China was able to detect and vector the F-35, why would PLAAF send a J-20 instead of other fighter and give away the radar signature and performance data of the J-20 ? Is China changing her operation procedure and puts the J-20 up front and center out in the open in her coastal defense ?

Rettam Stacf said:

Thanks, @siegecrossbow.

One more question. If China was able to detect and vector the F-35, why would PLAAF send a J-20 instead of other fighter and give away the radar signature and performance data of the J-20 ? Is China changing her operation procedure and puts the J-20 up front and center out in the open in her coastal defense ?

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Wuhu not longer has any Su-30MKKs left. If they were the closest base to the action then they have to send what they've got. Also, if situation does get intense (very unlikely but possible), would you rather confront an F-35 in a Flanker or a J-20? For routine intercept missions it is also possible to mask your signature with luneburg lens, provided that you fly higher than hostile AWACs.

Also keep in mind that J-20 has entered mass production phase and even non-elite frontline units will start fielding them. Stealth on stealth intercepts will only get more common as legacy fighter aircraft get phased out.

siegecrossbow said:

Based on the scant information we have:

1) F-35 approached the Chinese airspace, possibly without luneburg lens, to gauge response time and capability of Chinese air defense network.
2) In this scenario, ground-based anti-stealth radar probably picked up the general location at very long range. KJ-500 became airborne to get precise intercept vector.
3) J-20 took off from Wuhu (or Quzhou) for the routine intercept.

Otherwise I don't see why General Wilsbach would focus on the command and control aspect of the intercept.

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I don't think 1) and 2) are necessarily a given.

Command/control of an encounter can mean anything from intercepting F-35s in a timely way, or J-20s (with or without other friendly Chinese aircraft) in the region being observed in the relevant space coordinating in a manner that is brisk, efficient and silent/difficult to listen in on by their passive sensors.

Or any combination thereof.

There is also nothing about anti-stealth radar or KJ-500 described in the specific encounter with J-20 --- the part of the video about KJ-500 that is mentioned, is done so in a more general sense, describing part of the role in which KJ-500 plays in the PLA.



IMO, the only thing that we can infer from the statement that such an encounter occurred, is that such an encounter as indeed occurred.
I.e.: US F-35s have had at least one close encounter with PLA J-20s over the ECS.
I don't think we can confidently extricate or speculate as to any other information from the statements in the video.