China launches most advanced fighter jets for first time in drills
(Baonghean.vn) - In an announcement on January 12, the Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army deployed its most advanced combat aircraft, the J-20 stealth fighter, to participate in exercises with other modern aircraft.
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| Two J-20 fighter jets conduct a drill. Photo: THX |
According to the announcement, some J-20 aircraft participated in a series of combat exercises with less modern aircraft including J-16 and J10C. The exercises took place over the past nine days at an undisclosed air base.
This is the first time the air force has confirmed that the J-20 has participated in combat exercises. Last July, the air force sent three J-20s to a parade at the Zhurihe training base in Inner Mongolia, and used the opportunity to publicly show some details of the fighter’s cockpit for the first time.
Wu Peixin, a Chinese aviation observer, said that sending J-20s to combat exercises not only helps pilots get familiar with the aircraft as soon as possible, but also helps pilots hone their skills on how to operate this cutting-edge 5th-generation aircraft in real combat.
According to expert Wu, China is currently facing a major challenge in Asia-Pacific airspace from the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II stealth aircraft deployed by the US and Japan.
Mr. Duong Vi, who participated in designing the J-20, predicted that this fighter will be the "backbone" of the Chinese air force within the next 20 years./.
