In the early morning of January 29, 2024, seven J-10C fighters of the Chinese Air Force's Bayi Air Show Team flapped their wings and roared, and the sound of cutting through the sky was like playing a new melody. The heroic flying team will fly 4,000 kilometers to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, for the second Saudi International Defense Exhibition, which will be held from February 4 to February 8. This is not only a simple air show, but also a vivid portrayal of the rapid rise of China's aviation industry.
Normally, such a long-haul flight would require a stopover, but this time it was a game-changer. Seven J-10C fighters, accompanied by tanker-20 tankers, made a historic breakthrough by flying non-stop to Riyadh all the way. This not only shows the strong strength of China's leading aviation industry to continuously innovate and improve, but also allows people to witness the independent long-range combat capability of the Chinese Air Force.
Fighter jets have always been a symbol of a country's air force, and China's rise in this area has undoubtedly caught the world's attention. Tied with the United States, it has become the only country in the world that can independently design and manufacture fifth-generation stealth fighters. Although Russian Su-57 fighters exist, their stealth performance has long been questioned and their number is limited. In contrast, China and the United States have a huge number of J-20 and F-35 fighter jets, forming an unprecedented fierce competition pattern.
China has not only achieved a leading position in terms of quantity, but also achieved fruitful results in terms of technology. In recent years, China has launched a series of medium-sized four-and-a-half-generation fighters, such as the J-10C, which has successfully broken its dependence on imported fighters. It is worth mentioning that in the air confrontation exercise in Qatar, the J-10C won an astonishing 9:0 and became the new favorite of the Pakistan Air Force. This not only shows that China's four-and-a-half-generation fighters are comparable to similar European products in terms of performance, or even surpass, but also highlights the rapid rise of the Chinese Air Force.
What was once a shortcoming has now been filled by technological innovation. The mass production of the Y-20 strategic transport aircraft has made China one of the top three in the world in the manufacture of large military transport aircraft. Previously, only the American C-17 and the Russian Il-76 were the only ones in the world, but now the Y-20 has surpassed the Il-76 and is close to the C-17. The Y-20 not only successfully met the needs of our Air Force, but also demonstrated strong competitiveness in the international market.
What is even more remarkable is that the Y-20 has also been replaced with a WS-20 engine, and its performance has been greatly improved. This means that future transportation and airdrop missions will be more efficient and reliable. The rise of the Y-20 marks another breakthrough in China's aviation industry, and also brings new choices to the international arms trade market.
It has always been a shortcoming of aviation, but the emergence of the Z-20 has completely changed this situation. The Z-20 general purpose can spread its wings vigorously in the plateau and the sea frontier, and the performance has surpassed the introduction of the Black Hawk armed Z-10 to fill the previous shortcomings, so that our army has also embarked on a new stage of development in this field.
This new development not only provides the armed forces with more powerful mobile support, but also brings a completely new choice to the international arms trade market. The rise of the field has opened a new chapter for the diversified development of the aviation industry.
The core technology of the military aviation industry lies in the engine, and China's WS series engines have emerged. The WS-10 "Taihang" series of engines has become the driving force for almost all third-generation fighters in our country. The WS-15 "Emei" and WS-19 engines provide strong power support for China's new generation of fighters. In the field of transport aircraft and ***, the WS-20 engine is also a trend-setting existence.
This means that China no longer relies on imports and has the ability to independently design and manufacture high-performance engines. In the future, China's innovation in the field of engines will lay a solid foundation for the sustainable development of the military aviation industry.
In February, the Dynamic Incentive Program Despite the tremendous achievements, there are still many challenges for the aviation industry. The fields of strategic transport aircraft and vertical short take-off and landing aircraft still need to be further developed. However, this will not stop the footsteps of the aviation industry. I believe that in the near future, we will usher in more surprises.
The rise of the military aviation industry is not only an improvement in technology, but also a symbol of national strength. China's aviation industry will continue to work hard, and is committed to constantly surpassing and becoming an important support for global military power. Under this vast blue sky, the soaring of the aviation industry will surely spread its wings and fly to a more ambitious future.