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China showed off its new stealth fighters at the country's largest airshow, and the images are impressive
China showed off its new stealth fighters at the country's largest airshow, and the images are impressive
Ryan PickrellNov 6, 2018, 23:35 IST
China's K-8 aircraft from the Aerobatic Team "Hongying", meaning Red Eagle, of Chinese PLA's (People's Liberation Army) Air Force, perform during the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China 2018, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Zhuhai city, south China's Guangdong province.AP Photo/Kin Cheung
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China's largest airshow opened Tuesday with a dazzling display by Chinese stealth fighters, a demonstration intended to highlight China's improving air combat capabilities.
The twin-engine Chengdu J-20 made its debut at the 2016 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China during a one-minute demonstration flight. The fighters, rocking a new paint job, returned for this year's Airshow China in Zhuhai.
These impressive photos show the next-generation fighters, as well as a few other Chinese military aircraft, on display at the exhibition.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) kicked off the show with a half-hour demonstration including a six-minute flight featuring three J-20 stealth fighters.
The J-20, a Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group product that made its maiden flight in 2011, was designed to close the gap between American and Chinese air power.
"The J -20 aircraft is China’s own new generation stealth fighter, developed to meet the needs of the future battleground," PLAAF spokesman Shen Jinke said prior to the aircraft's unveiling in 2016. While China claims the aircraft are Chinese designs, the resemblance to certain American aircraft has led to speculation that espionage may have played a role in the fighters development.
The J-20, a "fifth-generation" multirole fighter, reportedly entered military service in March 2017. Combat training began that fall, and it was added to combat units in February 2018.
The fighters are among only a handful of fifth-generation fighters, but some observers argue that the J-20's inferior engines and the reported inability to maintain stealth at supersonic speeds prevent the plane from being worthy of the classification.
Another stunning performance at the Zhuhai Airshow was put on by a J-10B fighter, which demonstrated advanced maneuverability relying on thrust vectoring control capabilities.
The surprise addition to the show is suspected to have flown with a modified version of the Chinese Shenyang WS-10 engine.
Visitors were able to get a closer look at the J-10B on the ground.
Attendees were also able to observe the Xi'an Y-20 military transport aircraft, commonly known as the "Chubby Girl." The aircraft made its first flight in 2013 and entered service two years ago.
The airshow also appears to have featured bombers, as well as Chinese commercial aviation projects.
