F-35 copycat features on China's J-20 stealth fighter

The Chinese Air Force released new, high-definition images of the J-20 stealth fighter on August 1, to mark the anniversary of the founding of the Chinese military. However, the photos also revealed some details showing that China has applied many features of the American F-35 super fighter to the J-20 line, according toTask and Purpose.

In the photo, the J-20 has just completed a test flight, its canards and control surfaces lifted up for inspection. The aircraft only has a yellow base coat, not yet a complete gray stealth coating. The gray details are composite materials, and the dragon head symbol on the tail wing was added on the computer, not on the actual aircraft.

The most notable feature is the electro-optical reconnaissance and guidance system (EOTS) located under the nose of the aircraft, which is used to detect targets and guide smart weapons without the need for radar. Experts say that the J-20's electro-optical system has many similarities, possibly a copy of the EOTS cluster on the F-35 fighter.

Previous J-20s were not equipped with the EOTS system, they only had a plastic shell to simulate the drag of the complete system. This is the first time China has publicly displayed the EOTS system on the J-20 fighter.

The two systems have similar shapes, both installed under the nose of the fighter, unlike the EOTS design located on the nose, in front of the cockpit of Russian and NATO fighters. It seems that the J-20's sensor cluster is optimized for ground attack and air interception missions. However, it is assessed to have a lower viewing angle and operating range than the equipment on the F-35 fighter.

Experts predict that the J-20 will still use the Saturn AL-31F engine equipped on the Russian Su-27 fighter. Beijing has installed the domestic WS-10B engine on the J-20, while waiting for the more modern WS-15 variant to be completed. The J-20's fuselage uses many design solutions from the US F-22 stealth fighter, but the wings and air intakes are different, affecting its stealth capabilities.

China has put the J-20 into service since the beginning of this year, but this is considered a hasty attempt to come up with a solution to deal with the US F-22 and F-35 duo. Military experts say it will take China a long time to develop weapons that can confront the US stealth fighters.

In 2007, Chinese hackers stole technical documents for the F-35 from Lockheed Martin. Australian defense contractors involved in the F-35 project have also been targeted by Chinese hackers in recent times. These are examples of China increasingly stealing foreign technology secrets to apply to its domestic weapons programs.