J-20... The New Generation Fighter II

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SampanViking

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First Off - Cpt Underpants - you need to curb your enthusiasm and take care to observe the strict and strictly enforced rules of the forum pertaining to inter member courtesy and obvious bad information.

Otherwise - congratulations to CAC for a job well done.

I am going to stick my usually conservative neck out and say that although full development of the plane will take some time, there is a case; assuming that there is no major problem in the design, for building say a squadron of MK1 planes to fill a gap while development continues and that aforementioned squadron could be operational within a few years.

Dangerous I know, but a plane with partial capability is better than none.
 

andyhugfan

Banned Idiot
Th moment I heard the beast was up in the air i was like:

What a beauty, what a masterpiece!!!

Well done China!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Martian

Senior Member
Beautiful pictures of China's J-20 Stealth Fighter in the air

02700.jpg


8912r.jpg


Note: Thank you to "maozedong" and "dingyibvs" for the pictures.
 

KYli

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By JEREMY PAGE

BEIJING—Images and witness accounts posted online Tuesday appeared to show that China's stealth fighter prototype had made its first test flight, even as Robert Gates, the U.S. Defense Secretary who has downplayed China's stealth aircraft capability, was meeting Chinese civilian leaders in Beijing.

The J-20, which has been undergoing runway tests for the last two weeks or so, took off from an airstrip at the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute just before 1 p.m. local time and flew for about 20 minutes, according to several witness accounts posted by Chinese bloggers.

Photographs of the twin-engine plane in flight appeared on several unofficial Chinese defense-related websites, which have also posted dozens of still and video images of the J-20 making the runway tests over the last couple weeks.

Accounts of Tuesday's flight couldn't immediately be directly verified.

China's Defense Ministry, Air Force and the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute have all declined to comment on previous J-20 images, and their spokespeople were not immediately available for further comment Tuesday.

Asked about the test flight at a routine briefing Tuesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei didn't confirm or deny it had taken place. But he said that "as technology develops, and in accordance with the needs of national defense, it is natural for countries to upgrade their weapons equipment. The development of China's weapons equipment is completely based on the needs of its own security, and it is meant to protect China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. It is not aimed at any country or specific target."

Chinese authorities, who routinely delete politically sensitive material and detain those who produce it, have allowed the J-20 images to be circulated, in what military experts say is a clear sign that the People's Liberation Army wanted them made public.

The images and accounts of the apparent test flight Tuesday were also re-produced by xinhuanet.com, the more commercial arm of the state-run Xinhua news agency, and by huanqiu.com, the website of the state-run Global Times newspaper.

The images suggest that China is making faster-than-expected progress in developing a potential rival to the U.S. F-22—currently the world's only fully operational stealth fighter.

The timing of the test flight also appears to be designed to send a clear message that China is pressing ahead with its military modernization program despite growing concerns about it among the U.S. and its Asian allies.

That message undercuts the symbolism of Mr. Gates' visit, which is designed to smooth military relations ahead of a state visit to the U.S. next week by Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Mr. Gates arrived in Beijing Sunday on a three-day mission to deepen and stabilize military exchanges that China has repeatedly suspended for political reasons, most recently in January 2010 over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

But China's military appears to be doing the bare minimum to revive military ties and ensure Mr. Hu's visit goes smoothly, while at the same time showcasing its growing firepower before a domestic and international audience.

On Monday, Mr. Gates' Chinese counterpart, Gen. Liang Guanglie rebuffed a U.S. proposal for a clear timetable of deeper strategic defence talks, and made it clear that it would suspend military ties again if the U.S. sold more arms to Taiwan.

As word of Tuesday's test flight was surfacing Tuesday, Mr. Gates was holding meetings with Mr. Hu and Yang Jiechi, China's Foreign Minister.

During brief remarks together in front of reporters, neither Mr. Hu nor Mr. Gates mentioned the J-20. Mr. Hu said that the U.S. defense secretary's visit "will be very helpful in promoting mutual understanding and trust, and facilitate improvement and development of military-to-military relations between our two countries."

Mr. Gates thanked the Chinese leader and expressed "appreciation for the extraordinary hospitality of my Chinese hosts during this visit," which he said was helping advance the "long-term improvement" in the relationship between the U.S. and the Chinese military.

Pentagon officials had suggested that China's civilian leaders were more anxious than their military colleagues to stabilize defense relations. But even if that was the case, Tuesday's meetings have now been upstaged by the apparent test flight.

The message for Mr. Gates is also the more pointed as it was he who cut funding for the F-22 in 2009, predicting that China would not have any such planes by 2020 and only a handful by 2025.

A few months later, He Weirong, the deputy head of China's air force, announced that China's first stealth fighters were about to undergo test flights and would be deployed in "eight or 10 years."

U.S. defense and intelligence officials now say they expect China to start deploying the aircraft by around 2018.
 

Mith252

New Member
Re: Beautiful pictures of China's J-20 Stealth Fighter in the air

Darn, missed the whole thing. Really appreciate the guys posting all the pics. I have to say, it is quite a day for Chinese military aviation. Let's see how the development would progress from here. :)
 

KYli

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Dr.Gates said that Hu confirmed the maiden flight of J20 and stressed that the test flight is pre-scheduled and isn't intentionally target him.
蓋茨:胡錦濤證殲20試飛 (17:51)
美國國防部長蓋茨周五與中國國家主席胡錦濤會談後表示,胡錦濤證實了殲-20隱形戰鬥機試飛。

蓋茨表示,胡錦濤向他提到殲-20試飛是早已安排,並非針對他今次訪問。

內地網站稱,殲-20今天12時50分在成都首次試飛,一些軍事網站張貼了幾張試飛照片。

內地的網站稱,試飛的殲20於12時48分1秒開始滑向跑道,12時50分起飛,13時7分11秒降落。起飛時,現場觀察人員十分激動。

加拿大軍事雜誌漢和月刊創辦人平可夫表示,中國製造的殲-20戰機今天12時50分在成都首次試飛,過程順利。在試飛時,有國產的殲-10戰機伴飛。

這次試飛原定於7日進行,但因當天天氣不好而延期。

平可夫說:「這次試飛並不單純,顯然是向美國展示實力。」

(路透社、中央社)
 
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