Summary and key points: With tensions rising between China and the West, particularly over Taiwan, the comparison between China’s J-20 and the US F-22 is crucial. The J-20 poses a formidable challenge with its longer range and slightly superior thrust and speed.
– However, the F-22 outperforms the J-20 in terms of missile payload because it can carry more air-to-air missiles and has a cannon, which the J-20 lacks.
– Although the J-20 has the edge in some performance parameters, the F-22’s proven reliability and advanced capabilities, as well as US air superiority strategies, suggest that the Chinese fighter is still not able to dominate the skies.
J-20 vs. F-22: How China’s fighter jet stacks up against America’s best
As tensions between China and the West escalate over flashpoints in the region, especially Taiwan, planners and analysts regularly compare the armed forces of the People’s Liberation Army and the U.S. Department of Defense.
While both countries’ navies are undoubtedly essential to any conflict that may arise, air forces will play an equally, if not greater, role. Given the vastness of the Pacific Ocean and the relatively long transit times of ships, modern fighter jets and bombers are an important means of projecting power in a region. Missile developments that allow China to deploy large stockpiles of “ship-killer” missiles deep inland, denying the U.S. Navy passage through the South China Sea, further underscore the need for air superiority.
But how do US and Chinese fighter jets compare? The J-20 “Mighty Dragon” is China’s fifth-generation answer to the F-22 and F-35. Its rapid pace of development and perceived capabilities give the impression that it is more than a match for the F-22 Raptor, the US Air Force’s main air superiority platform. Here’s how the two compare.
payload
An aircraft that is the best dogfighter in the world and can easily lock into a Bandit’s “six” is virtually useless if it can’t actually shoot down its opponent. Modern fighters rely heavily on missiles, and more missiles obviously mean more firing options. This can happen in a single engagement – a missile may fail to arm, or the Bandit could use consumables to deflect the shot – or it can allow the fighter to stay in place longer and engage more enemies. Arming fifth-generation fighters like the J-20 and F-22 is complicated because the missiles must be housed within the aircraft’s fuselage to maintain a stealth profile.
Here, the F-22 has the edge, as it can accommodate six AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9X Sidewinders in its weapons bay, while the J-20 only has room for four beyond visual range (BVR) and within visual range (WVR) missiles. Additionally, the F-22 has a cannon, while the J-20 reportedly does not. While missiles are king, as many F-4 Phantom pilots discovered during the Vietnam War, dogfights often end within gun range. Even if you’ve seen an opponent fire all of their missiles, knowing they can still get close and get a shot off makes any pilot wary.
reach
Range is a key part of the strategy in the Pacific theater. The Mighty Dragon dominates this area, being able to travel over 1,000 nautical miles on internal fuel, almost twice as far as the F-22, which can manage just under 600 nautical miles. However, this status quo could soon change, as Lockheed Martin is reportedly developing stealth fuel tanks for the F-22 that could significantly increase its range.
J-20 Performance
A plane’s performance can be affected by numerous factors, but three key numbers are very telling: thrust, speed and ceiling. In all three categories, the J-20 narrowly beats the F-22, with some caveats. Each of the Mighty Dragon’s WS-15 engines produces about 1,000 pounds more thrust than the Raptor’s Pratt & Whitney F119s. The Chinese jet’s engines, however, are newly designed and have yet to face any real challenges or lifetime wear and tear. In contrast, the USAF and Lockheed Martin have spent years ironing out all of the F119’s shortcomings and have solid maintenance and operational best practices in place.
Airspeed equals energy, which is one of the key concepts in air combat. Again, the J-20 narrowly beats the F-22, reaching Mach 2.55 to the Raptor’s Mach 2.0. Both are capable of supercruise – flying supersonic without using fuel-intensive afterburners. The final metric is service ceiling, which can be a significant advantage if a fighter can fly much higher. The J-20 can reportedly reach 65,000 feet, while the F-22 maxes out at 50,000 feet. However, the actual number is classified and in all likelihood the two are comparable in ceiling altitude.
On paper, the J-20 has some advantages, while the F-22 has others. In practice, however, said Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, head of U.S. Air Forces Pacific, “I don’t think (the J-20) is a dominant aircraft right now compared to what we have.” While the Chinese aerospace industry is undoubtedly making great strides in producing modern aircraft, the U.S. still has the edge.
About the author: Defense expert Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin is an analyst at the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has been featured in numerous publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
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