At the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s, the Chinese air forces were equipped in great majority of devices of local manufacture with the performances much lower than those of the Western devices like the F15, F16, F18 or Mirage 2000, or Soviet like the Mig 29 or the Su27. Chinese industry could only produce devices that were at least one generation behind compared to the technological standard of the moment. In the space of a generation, Chinese-made devices showing performance comparable to the most modern devices in service with the American or European air forces entered service, and now appear to be able to challenge Western technological supremacy.
In 2019, the Chinese air force and naval air force implemented 6 models of national-made combat aircraft that could be qualified as "modern":
Chengdu J-20
The first non-American “5th Generation” aircraft to enter active service (2018), the J-20 from Chengdu is in many ways the symbol of the change in status of the Chinese military aviation industry, but also of the Chinese air force. which, until now, had always had to source in Russia for its most modern devices, like the Su-35S and the Su-30MKK before. With a maximum takeoff weight of 36 tons, a length of 20 m for a wingspan of 13 m, the aircraft is very imposing. Despite its duck plans, and what was often said and written when the device appeared, it seems that the stealth of the J20 in the frontal sector is there, even if this is not the case across or in the sector. back. The thirty or so aircraft in service are still powered by Russian AL31 reactors, but tests are reportedly underway to equip it with locally produced engines equipped with vector thrust.
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