STEALTH FIGHTER J-20 ENTERS AIR FORCE SERVICE

China’s TV channel has reported that Chengdu J-20, China’s independently developed fourth-generation stealth fighter, has entered service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force on March 9, 2017. Early in 2011, the J-20 stealth fighter made its maiden flight in Chengdu and in November 2016, it made its public debut at the Zhuhai International Air Show. The J-20 stealth fighter features a single-seat, twin-engine, twin

outward canted all-moving fins and diverterless supersonic inlet. Its canard design helps provide good supersonic performance, excellent supersonic and transonic turn performance as well as improving short-field landing performance. The J-20 fighter has an internal weapons bay, making targeting beyondvisual-range air-to-air and short-range missiles possible. With camouflage paint, the fighter also has a low observability.