One of the main Chinese military hardware on display at the 15th Airshow of China being held in Zhuhai at South China's Guangdong province is the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter, developed by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
Also known as 'Mighty Dragon', this twin-engine aircraft, designed primarily for air superiority and precision strike capabilities and incorporating advanced stealth features and cutting-edge technology, appears to have impressed former Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots and defence analysts in India.
According to a IDRW report, Sameer Joshi, a retired Mirage-2000 pilot, observed that the appearance and build quality of J-20 fighter jet were impressive.
A former IAF official has been quoted as saying that the "build quality of J-20 exhibited at the airshow is top-not manufacturing and now at scale."
China's commitment to self-reliance has been cited as the reason for the improved build quality of the fighter jet, which is expected to outperform the F-16 of the US.
According to the former IAF pilots, the strategic investments China made and the improvements made in the past two generations are paying dividends as the fighter jet now has a major role in operations across contested regions such as the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Reports suggest that China is replacing J-11s and Su-27s with J-20s.
Satellite imagery analysis by Janes, an open-source intelligence company specialising in military, national security, aerospace and transport, showed that up until July 2023, PLAAF had at least eight air brigades equipped with this fighter jet.