The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is set to modify its J-20 stealth fighters by re-equipping them with WS-15 turbofan engines, with the aim of gradually replacing the WS-10 series and Russian-made AL-31 turbofan engines, and has completed its first test flight of the modified fighter. What role would the J-20, which is touted as a fifth-generation fighter and the mainstay of the PLAAF’s air operations, play in the PLAAF’s future combat system?
China has maintained a high level of confidentiality regarding the specific details of the WS-15 engine. Using afterburners, the engine generates approximately 36,000 pounds of thrust, and the ultimate goal is to reach a thrust rating of 40,000 pounds.
However, this is only the minimum standard for US fifth-generation fighters, so it is still too early for China to think it can surpass the US’ advanced engine manufacturing technology.
The WS-15 engine has approximately 4,000 pounds greater thrust than the existing WS-10, providing a significant boost in performance for the PLAAF’s current aircraft.
However, the J-20’s thrust is still inferior to the US’ two fifth-generation fighter jets — the F-22 and F-35.
Nonetheless, for the US, the J-20 is already one of the biggest threats in air combat. US Pacific Air Forces Commander General Kenneth Wilsbach said that as long as the modernization of US air power continues to advance rapidly, the US is not worried about the J-20’s continually improving performance. The US Air Force and US Navy are striving to develop their respective next-generation air dominance initiatives with the aim of obtaining sixth-generation stealth fighters to serve as the next-generation mainstay of air combat.
China has always made good use of external propaganda directed at the international community. It has always tried to create an impression that exerts psychological pressure on its adversaries. Although China has made progress in the production of stealth aircraft and advanced crewed and uncrewed aircraft, its research and development strength in modern high-performance engines still lags behind the engineering technology of its Western peers. This can be seen from recent setbacks in the operation of China’s Comac C919 passenger airliner. With regard to improvements to the Xian Y-20 Kunpeng military transport aircraft, although it has successfully integrated the new Chinese-made high-bypass WS-20 engine, it is still uncertain whether this technology can be applied to other types of aircraft.
The newly modified J-20 fighter jet equipped with a pair of WS-15 engines is a long-awaited step forward for China’s air force and for its aviation industry.
However, while outside observers focus on the efficiency ratio of engines and the extent to which they can be manufactured domestically, Taiwan’s national defense research needs to pay more attention to identifying the battlefield role of China’s J-20 fighters. As China has completed the architecture of its third-generation Beidou navigation satellite system, Taiwan must, before it obtains the full next-generation version of the data link provided by the US, first and foremost get full access to real-time battlefield and defense zone images shared with the US. This way it can prevent China’s new-generation airpower vehicles from carrying out strategic raids on Taiwan. At this moment, this is the most urgent task.
Chang Yan-ting is a retired air force lieutenant general and an honorary emeritus professor at National Tsing Hua University.
Translated by Julian Clegg
The return of US president-elect Donald Trump to the White House has injected a new wave of anxiety across the Taiwan Strait. For Taiwan, an island whose very survival depends on the delicate and strategic support from the US, Trump’s election victory raises a cascade of questions and fears about what lies ahead. His approach to international relations — grounded in transactional and unpredictable policies — poses unique risks to Taiwan’s stability, economic prosperity and geopolitical standing. Trump’s first term left a complicated legacy in the region. On the one hand, his administration ramped up arms sales to Taiwan and sanctioned
The Taiwanese have proven to be resilient in the face of disasters and they have resisted continuing attempts to subordinate Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Nonetheless, the Taiwanese can and should do more to become even more resilient and to be better prepared for resistance should the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) try to annex Taiwan. President William Lai (賴清德) argues that the Taiwanese should determine their own fate. This position continues the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) tradition of opposing the CCP’s annexation of Taiwan. Lai challenges the CCP’s narrative by stating that Taiwan is not subordinate to the
US president-elect Donald Trump is to return to the White House in January, but his second term would surely be different from the first. His Cabinet would not include former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former US national security adviser John Bolton, both outspoken supporters of Taiwan. Trump is expected to implement a transactionalist approach to Taiwan, including measures such as demanding that Taiwan pay a high “protection fee” or requiring that Taiwan’s military spending amount to at least 10 percent of its GDP. However, if the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) invades Taiwan, it is doubtful that Trump would dispatch
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) has been dubbed Taiwan’s “sacred mountain.” In the past few years, it has invested in the construction of fabs in the US, Japan and Europe, and has long been a world-leading super enterprise — a source of pride for Taiwanese. However, many erroneous news reports, some part of cognitive warfare campaigns, have appeared online, intentionally spreading the false idea that TSMC is not really a Taiwanese company. It is true that TSMC depositary receipts can be purchased on the US securities market, and the proportion of foreign investment in the company is high. However, this reflects the
RSS