Although far from being battle proven, the sensation of the presence of a stealth fighter jet can increase the deterrent effect, especially if there is no adequate match in the area in question. And recently there was news that the Chinese Air Force has started to engage the Chengdu J-20 “Mighty Dragon” fighter in patrol activities in the East China Sea and South China Sea.
Quoted from Janes.com (18/4/2022), the Chengdu J-20 has begun patrolling the East and South China Seas as part of a routine training mission. The announcement was made by Ren Yukun, head of the inspection and disciplinary supervision team at the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
In a press conference on April 12, Yukun said that it has become a training routine for the Chengdu J-20 to fly "combat patrol" missions in the East China Sea and "standby patrol" in the South China Sea. Both the East China Sea and the South China Sea are disputed zones, tensions in the East China Sea are related to Taiwan, while tensions in the South China Sea are related to China's friction with the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.
Yukun added that patrol activities were carried out after the J-20 switched to using domestically developed engines. The J-20 was initially powered by the Russian-made 2x Saturn AL-31FN-series (145 kN) engine.
Then the Saturn AL-31FN-series engine began to be replaced by the locally developed Shenyang-Liming WS10C turbofan engine from at least September 2019. The Chinese-made engine is said to offer superior thrust compared to the Saturn.
The improved Shenyang-Liming WS10C was tested and displayed on the J-20 that competed at the Zhuhai AirShow 2021 aerospace show last September. The J-20 manufacturer, namely Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group Co Ltd, has stated that it will increase the production capacity of the J-20, after there are no obstacles to engine supply.
For the record, 2x Shenyang WS-10C afterburning turbofans, have a power of 147 kN with afterburner. While the newest, 2x Shenyang WS-15 afterburning turbofan, has a power of 181 kN with afterburner. With two external fuel tanks (non stealth mode) the Chengdu J-20 has a range of 5,500 km, while the combat range of this fighter is 2,000 km.
The question of endurance and cruising distance can still be increased, by using air refueling. The Chengdu J-20 adopts the probe and drouge technique for aerial refueling.
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