A new photograph of the Chinese PLA Air Force’s (PLAAF) J-20 Mighty Dragon powered by the indigenous WS-15 engine has surfaced on social media, providing the best and most impressive view of this combination to date.
The photograph started appearing on social media on September 7 and 8. However, several social media users who follow the Chinese military noted that it had first been published in mid-July.
The J-20A prototype, serial number ‘2052,’ can be seen on an unidentified runway in China. Military watchers said that the location may be the primary test airfield used by the manufacturer Chengdu in Chengdu city. Since several doctored images of the aircraft frequently appear on social media, even aviation experts have been very careful in analyzing the aircraft in the latest photograph.
The aircraft has been photographed in a way that allows for a close-up view of the twin WS-15 turbofan nozzles.
The J-20A fighter is seen in a distinctive yellow color scheme that precedes the final paint design. Chinese military aviation specialist Andreas Rupprecht, who also published the image on his X account, said that if the image was just two months old, it was surprising that it had not received its final paint scheme since the particular aircraft first appeared in 2022.
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Subsequently, another photo of a J-20A, serial number 2053, was published, which Rupprecht stated also had the WS-15 engines.
I know we have to be careful since we were fooled much too often, but at least it looks fine at first sight:
If legit the first clear image of the improved J-20A prototype no. 2052 powered by two WS-15 engines. pic.twitter.com/JfbSUcO3iC
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) September 8, 2024
Experts tracking the PLA suggested on social media that the J-20A, which has been captured in images featuring two WS-15 engines, is a single-seat variant that includes an enhanced design characterized by a higher cockpit, possibly a new radome, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and an upgraded electronic warfare system among a host of new features.
Although the images of a J-20A powered by WS-15 were published last year, the recent photos provide the clearest view—allowing military watchers to point to the serious capability upgrade given to the Mighty Dragon.
Pictures of China’s J-20 flight testing powered by what was “claimed” to be a WS-15 aero-engine appeared in April 2023. At that time, reports indicated that the engine was being tested on one of the six J-20 prototypes
Despite scant information, the latest photo confirms that China is making significant strides in bolstering its stealth fighter jet fleet. Equipping the J-20A with the domestically made WS-15 is also significant, given that the engine has faced several technological and production hurdles since its development.
According to reports, the first flight of the Chinese J-20 stealth fighter equipped with WS-15 engines took place on June 28, 2023, from Chengdu’s primary test airfield.
Earlier, the initial prototypes of the J-20 were powered by the Russian-supplied AL-31 engines. However, to reduce its dependency on Moscow, Beijing has been working hard to develop and master the jet engine technology.
The Russian AL-31 engines powering the J-20 were replaced by the domestically-produced thrust-vectoring WS-10C engines that also power the PLAAF’s J-10, J-11, J-15, and J-16 fighters.
The PLAAF has not wavered in its determination to equip the J-20 stealth fighter with the WS-15, which has been painstakingly modified to meet the Mighty Dragon’s requirements.
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China has spent US$129 billion in the last 15 years developing jet engines, which are considered the most valuable and specialized aircraft technologies. The only countries that have developed the whole spectrum of engineering skills in developing aircraft engines are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Russia.
The WS-15 Will Make The J-20 ‘Supercruise’
Like most Chinese military programs, the development and progress of the WS-15 engine have been closely guarded and shrouded in secrecy, leaving the public with limited information about its exact capabilities. No pictures of a working prototype or full-scale mockup of the engine have been released.
Nonetheless, certain reports suggest that the engine’s power rating surpasses 180 kilonewtons which should provide the J-20 with exceptional supercruise capabilities.
Supercruise capability is the ability of an aircraft to maintain supersonic speed for a long period. Chinese scientists and officials have been working relentlessly on providing the J-20 with this capability, which will be crucial for the kinds of missions that the J-20 is anticipated to carry out.
Moreover, the vehicle’s ability to travel at supersonic speeds without using its afterburner will reduce fuel consumption.
The J-20 would greatly benefit from the WS-15’s thrust, which could propel the J-20A into the select group of modern fighters able to supercruise well over Mach 1. This would also confirm the previous US prediction that the PLAAF has been working on supercruise capability to add more teeth to its stealth aircraft’s power.
According to the Pentagon’s annual China Military Power Report, published in mid-October last year, the PLAAF “is preparing upgrades for the J-20, which may include increasing the number of air-to-air missiles (AAM) the fighter can carry in its low-observable configuration, installing thrust-vectoring engine nozzles, and adding supercruise capability by installing higher-thrust Indigenous WS-15 engines”.
Chinese analysts have long projected the J-20 as an answer to the US F-22 Raptors. Chinese engineers have been working tirelessly to improve their Mighty Dragons so they can compete with the Raptors, the first fifth-generation stealth aircraft known for its super-maneuverability. The WS-15, according to analysts, would be a big step in that direction.
Some experts believe that the WS-15 would be comparable with the F-119 engine that powers the F-22 Raptor, especially because of its thrust-to-weight ratio. This will essentially put the Chinese stealth jet on par with the Raptors from the United States even though the US remains skeptical of other characteristics, such as stealth, of the J-20.
In April 2023, an official from the Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC), Zhang Yong stated that China’s WS-15 engine has cleared all manufacturing obstacles and is now prepared for mass production. He emphasized that all technical issues pertaining to the production of WS-15 have been settled. However, analysts believe that the engine would likely need more trials and testing.
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