Title:
Something's up!The J-20 two-seater version made its debut, and history panicked!
On September 27, 2022, at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, the J-20 "two-seater version" once again stole the limelight and attracted global attention. This time, the United States panicked and was particularly sensitive to the emergence of a "two-seater version". So, what is the mystery of the "two-seater" fighter?The radiant debut seemed to be a challenge to the global military stage.
It can be traced back to 2011, when Robert Gates, then US Secretary of Defense, visited China, he unknowingly witnessed the first test flight of the J-20. The American ** is obviously not calm about this, and his anger is overflowing, and he interprets the test flight as a "muscle-flexing" behavior, and even as a provocation. China's actions came as a surprise to the West and challenged Gates' disparagement of China's creativity.
At that time, the United States generally believed that China would not be able to complete the first test flight of the 5th generation ** fighter in 2011. In a public speech by Robert Gates, he boasted that China would not have its own fifth-generation fighter before 2020, and threatened that by 2025, the gap between Chinese and American fighter technology will widen. However, far from the truth, China's innovative power in the development of the J-20 has dwarfed the arrogance and empiricism of the United States.
In January 2011, the first test flight of the J-20 caused doubts in the West, and even doubted whether the choice of the test flight date was deliberately provocative. But China's demonstrated technological prowess and speed of research and development make these doubts seem somewhat ridiculous. Robert Gates' distrust is reflected not only in his doubts about the test flight date, but also in his underestimation of China's ability to innovate. This scene has become a microcosm of China's innovation ability, and it also reveals the West's misjudgment of China.
In the development of the J-20, it has been controversial because of its huge size. Compared with the American F-35, the J-20 is a whole circle, which has caused criticism from the United States. However, the article points out that this large size has significant advantages in real combat. The large wing and large load can ensure the flight stability and maneuverability of the fighter, and increase the fuel and ammunition load. Although the size of the J-20 is considered its shortcoming, the article notes that this is not an insurmountable problem. When flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters, the huge size is no longer important, as long as the J-20 can maintain stealth in the radar system, this huge fuselage is no longer a problem.
Another technological breakthrough is the introduction of the J-20 with the "canard" pneumatic system, which the United States does not dare to use. The United States once considered this technology to be inferior, but the article explains the role of "canards" in making up for the lack of performance of aircraft engines. While the U.S. has a strong aircraft engine prowess, Chinese innovation has made the Canard a useful addition. The article points out that Chinese researchers have solved the stealth interference term that may be caused by the "canard wing" on the J-20, and at the same time improved maneuverability through an all-optoelectronic digital flight control system.
In November 2023, the J-20 may have already achieved WS-15 assembly work, which will further improve the performance of the J-20. This is highlighted in the article in order to break American doubts about the size and engine performance of the J-20.
And what is even more eye-catching is the appearance of the J-20 "two-seat version". The article revealed that the "two-seat version" is not simply to install one more person, but to adapt to the future multi-aircraft cooperative operation of the Chinese Air Force. The article notes that the two-seater fighter was originally designed to reduce the operational pressure on pilots and allow them to focus more on information gathering. This design allows the Chinese Air Force to enter a multi-belt combat mode and efficiently cooperate with the first fighter and UAV.
The article ends with the latest report of the US Department of Defense, pointing out that the US Department of Defense believes that the J-20 has combat capabilities that are not inferior to the F-22, which has aroused the attention of the international community to the competition of future fifth-generation aircraft. Finally, the article leaves an expectation for the future, calling on readers to wait and see, because in this era of rapid technological development, a new chapter of the J-20 may bring about a great change in the global military landscape.