J-20 Has the Numbers Edge over F-22: Though the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is arguably the world’s most “superior” air superiority fighter, by the end of this year China will likely have more of its Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragons in service.
Beijing has ramped up production of its domestically-built fifth-generation fighter, and the inventory of the J-20A will overtake the United States Air Force’s F-22, according to a report from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) launched a few months ago.
John Chipman, director-general and chief executive of IISS, told reporters via an online launch event back in February for The Military Balance 2023 that China’s combat aircraft inventory has dramatically increased over just the past five years.
“China’s military modernisation remains the principal area of concern for Washington. China’s defence spending increase of 7.0% in the 2022 budget, over 2021 figures, is its largest in absolute terms. While the new aircraft carrier attracted headlines, its investments in additional and more complex naval vessels continues apace while its air force is also improving its capabilities: numbers of J-20A combat aircraft have increased further and China has begun to field advanced military aircraft with domestically produced jet-engines,” IISS announced in advance of its report.
“In Asia, as in Europe, China’s military modernisation and concern over security policy is hastening military modernisation plans by regional states,” IISS added.
More J-20 Fighters Coming
The Military Balance database currently shows that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) across all branches has 150 J-20A fighters in service.
“If deliveries continue at the same speed, in 2023 the number of J-20As will eclipse the inventory of the U.S. Air Force’s other fifth-generation combat aircraft, the F-22,” Chipman explained.
Of course, it is worth noting that the production of the F-22 Raptor – the world’s first fifth-generation fighter – was scaled back due to its high cost. A total of 195, including eight test and 187 operational aircraft, were produced but significantly fewer than the 750 that the U.S. Air Force had originally planned to acquire.
Shift to F-35
The United States shifted its resources to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, which is considered more affordable but also far more versatile. Though the Air Force has begun to retire some of the oldest F-22s, the platform is still expected to remain in service into the 2030s.
The U.S. has been increasing the number of F-35s being produced, but Chipman warned, “The pace of China’s defense industrial output means it is catching up.”
J-20 to 6th Gen
To date, only the United States, China, and Russia have developed “fifth-generation” fighters. In addition to America’s F-22 and F-35 aircraft, and China’s J-20, Russia has also produced the Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name “Felon”).
J-20 Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
J-20 stealth fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
J-20 Stealth Fighter. YouTube Screenshot.
J-20 Stealth Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
However, as previously reported, some military aviation experts have questioned whether either the J-20 or Su-57 can truly be considered fifth-generation – and neither is considered as capable as the Raptor and Lightning II.
Several nations – including the United States and China – are now developing sixth-generation aircraft.
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Author Experience and Expertise:
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
Duane
April 30, 2023 at 9:45 am
This post is misleading. The author says today there are 150 J-20s, across all branches of China’s forces, but compares it only to F-35A in the US AF using a very outdated number, which today alone has about 283 F-35As (about half of all 635 F-35s produced to date) and growing continuously. Which just by itself is way more than the number of Chinese J-20s produced to date.
There are already way more than four times as many F-35s in service with the US and our allies (635) than the number of J-20s. Lockheed Martin is producing in excess of 153 F-35s per year. These aircraft either belong to the US or to our treaty allies, including NATO – which is pledged by Article Five to always come to the aid of any other NATO member – plus regional allies in Japan, ROK, Australia, and Singapore. It will never be a war of China vs. only the US – it will essentially be a war of China vs. most of the rest of the world that has any significant military assets.
By the time F-35 production is finished in around 15 years or so, more than 4,000 of them will have been produced and all will be in service with US treaty allies.
Brad
May 1, 2023 at 7:04 am
It is true the US will have produced more than 4,000 F-35s in 15 years. The last batch of F-35s will be much more sophisticated that the 1st batch.
The software used to create the F-35 will be much more sophisticated than it is now. Will F-35s become printed with additive manufacturing?
Plug and play features?
If the US has not tightened up its security, that means more of the hard won secrets of the US will be spied away. That is another sulbject.
The US’s will always maintain a lead, as long as it can stay ahead in manufacturing. 6th gen is on the way. Who knows what 7th gen will produce? An airplane in a suitcase? Transformers? Perhaps that’s 8 gen.
The key thing is the US dollar. Right now the Chinese are establishing their currency as a new international currency. If the US can recover the dollar, then they maintain their lead.
But back to airplanes. As manufacturering and production gets better and better, hopefully, the US will be able to produce designs faster a cheaper, and that the production of airplanes won’t take years and years.
P Kreiner
May 3, 2023 at 11:12 am
The numbers game is just that a game.
The real war is in the hearts and minds of the pilots, their training, and their willingness to fight for their beliefs. China and Russia do NOT have militaries that are willing to fight for communism, see Russia vs Ukraine. China might invade Taiwan but will never invade any other country for fear of getting their asses kicked by India, Japan, Australia, and the US.
People fight for freedom not communism!
If I were Jin Ping And had several hundred Gen 5 fighters I would forever be very concerned that several in the ranks would want to take out the entire power group in China, life at the top of a dictatorship is sure to be stressful as someone or group is always wanting to kill you.
sean wade
May 3, 2023 at 5:43 pm
This is one of the worst article yet. First the J-20 isn’t really stealthy. Second like the others point out in following years we will have more and better F-35’s, F-22’ss and I would put an F-15 ex upgraded against anything China had alone! So tired of the exaggerated articles like this that are constantly coming out. Most of them are pure lies. Hell an updated F-16 is in a fight the J-20 in real life. Quit sensationalized China’s Military, especially the Naval and air components!
sean wade
May 3, 2023 at 5:47 pm
Buy the way, we all know now the SU 57 is a disaster
Quit with the propaganda and right a real story