J-20 can command a drone fleet! China unveils concept of the stealth fighter and combat drone group

Chinese state media recently showed a computer generated video of the J-20 two-seat fighter in action coordinated with combat drones, sharing the first glimpse of the concept of the J-20 working with a loyal wingman.

The latest CCTV report, which showed a demonstration of a J-20S two-seat fighter commanding several “loyal wingmen,” has sparked widespread discussion. The video seems to confirm that the latest two-seat J-20S, developed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation, has the ability to command combat multiple drones in coordinated missions.

In recent years, the United States, Russia and China have been actively building a combination of sixth-generation stealth fighters to work in tandem with “loyal wingmen,” but China appears to be making the fastest progress. One prominent difference is that China is the first country to develop a two-seat stealth fighter jet, and the stealth-capable Strike 11 combat drone entered service as early as 2019. That means China is far ahead of the US and Russia in both aspects. In the field of fighter working with loyal wingman, the Chinese military has already had a mature performance of equipment, that is raising the bar in this field. In contrast, the United States and Russia are only in the early stages of prototype test flights and subsystem trials.

In this video, some analysts also pointed out that in the United States, the challenge can be significant, if China be the first effective combines stealth fighter and stealth combat drone, for example the J-20 can effective command multiple stealth drones in complex operations, it will change the balance between Chinese and American air combat capability.

China has long been a competitor with the United States in combat drones. From highly sophisticated high-altitude surveillance drones to attack drones that can use missiles and bombs to hit enemy targets, China has a variety of drone models comparable to the U.S. military.

In the recent war in eastern Europe, as well as after battle of Iraq, Afghanistan, Armenia, combat drones have confirmed their integral value, and the air force in all countries are noticing the trend. All these confirmed the next development milestone is to combine stealth fighter and combat drones effectively, it will inspire major upgrade to capabilities of a significant magnitude, become one of the key methods to defeat a powerful opponent.

At this stage, J-20S is the only two-seat versions of stealth aircraft in the world, that means China has taken the lead in developing and producing a two seat stealth fighter ideal for commanding drones.That is why the J-20S has become another world first for China’s military industry. According to the report, the J-20S is not just adding a pilot, but data the information capability, and have made a huge leap in battlefield situational awareness, that is why it needs two pilots, because the new improved radar and photoelectric systems, data link, the battlefield awareness data processing system, can be better collected, processed and outputted. This also required a second pilot for the J-20S to be able to better manage the massive increase in data. Obviously, this also makes the J-20S better prepared to serve as a command platform for multiple combat drones, it can then assign larger amount, more complex, and more dangerous engagement tasks to these drones and conducting operations in the form of a tactical strike cluster. This would be a fundamental improvement over a single J-20, or several J-20s or a combination of other conventional fighters.

It is generally believed that the Attack 11 combat drone has a flying wing layout, the engine inlet on the back, the engine nozzle is effectively covered, so there is considerable stealth capability, with its own radar equipment, so several Attack 11 can form a powerful reconnaissance, tracking and attack network around the J-20S, And the high degree of information makes the combat effectiveness of these aircraft is at a level never imagined before. Drones can perform the most dangerous tasks, such as going deep into an enemy’s well-protected area to find out what’s going on, or dogfighting with the enemy’s most advanced stealth fighters, or flying closer to a target for reconnaissance. This could vastly improve the survivability of the J-20S fighter and other UAVs and manned aircraft.

Chinese Military News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIRTFwkOjzw&list=PLofQNsLszRLLmrmgQO6Lt4qnWZUaYx6ls
China Air Force: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uYlcS-a_HI&list=PLofQNsLszRLKAqgLS90Cn_hzZjg_IuSWm
Chinese space exploration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJaDP7cRxx4&list=PLofQNsLszRLJvyUJ9_1AJ7uSqZPcdDZRu

Photo and video: Wiki common, Yangshipin site, Yangshijunshi weibo, PLADaily weibo

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