A few new close-up photos on X (formerly Twitter) show screws and rivets on the production variant J-20’s airframe, raising questions about China’s longstanding propaganda claim regarding the aircraft’s stealth characteristics. This is the first close-up photo disclosed in the media, and it depicts the fighter jet’s actual condition.
J-20 was detected off the coast of Korea and Japan
Korean and Japanese reports also suggest that Patriot AN/MPQ‑65 and THAAD’s AN/TPY‑2 radar have detected Chinese J-20 fighter jets on patrol off the coast of Japan and Korea. The THAAD radar is officially called the AN/TPY‑2, a powerful X‑band, phased‑array radar built by Raytheon.
Multiple 2025 news reports indicate that China’s J‑20 “Mighty Dragon” fighter flew through the Tsushima/Korea Strait—the narrow waterway between Japan and South Korea— Patriot and THAAD battery detected by South Korean and Japanese radar networks. These reports come primarily from Japanese and Korean media, and CCTV did not comment on the matter.
Performance analysis
Evidence‑based breakdown of the main problems associated with China’s J‑20 stealth fighter, drawing directly from the latest reporting and analysis. The issues fall into several categories: engines, stealth, avionics, pilot training, and combat readiness.
Engine Performance & Reliability
The J20’s engine limitations are among the most widely discussed and well-documented challenges in its development. For most of its service life, the J‑20 has flown with WS‑10C engines—an improved but still transitional powerplant.
Limitations of WS‑10C
- Not powerful enough to unlock the J‑20’s intended performance envelope
- Struggles with supercruise (sustained supersonic flight without afterburners)
- Lower reliability and shorter service life compared to Western engines
- Higher infrared signature, which reduces stealth
This engine was never meant to be the final solution; it was a stopgap until the WS‑15 matured.
The J‑20 variants relied on underpowered and unreliable engines, limiting supercruise and overall performance. China’s advanced WS‑15 engine has faced long development delays, preventing the aircraft from reaching its intended performance envelope.
The WS-15 and WS-19 engines achieve only a thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.54; they are far from mature.
Engine shortcomings also reduce stealth effectiveness because the use of afterburners increases the infrared signature.
Stealth Limitations
The J-20’s exposed engine nozzles and large airframe compromise its radar-evading profile relative to U.S. fighters such as the F-22 and F-35. Analysts note it is not believed to be as stealthy as its American counterparts.
A close-up photo of a Chinese J-20 reveals the same screws and rivets as those on the Russian Su-57. Screws and rivets are clear evidence that China is using commercial off-the-shelf materials to fasten the airframe and applying automotive spray paint instead of radar-absorbent material.
Avionics & Sensor Fusion Gaps
Whatever appeared on the airframe, the problem lies beneath the surface. The aircraft’s avionics and sensor fusion are assessed as inferior to U.S. fifth-generation fighters. The actual avionics is derived from the home-made mix of J-10 and JF-17 development.
This affects situational awareness, targeting, and survivability in high-end air combat. The radar was also derived from the Soviet-era hybrid PESA-based KLJ-5A radar, which was internally developed from the NIIP BAR radar.
The NIIP BAR radar has sustained failover and overheat issues with its legacy component and is unreliable during tracking mode.
Pilot Training Limitations
Flying an aircraft and combat training are two distinct skills. The PLAAF struggles to train enough pilots to fully exploit the J‑20’s advanced systems, creating a major operational vulnerability.
This gap reduces the platform’s real‑world effectiveness, regardless of hardware improvements. China sent its pilots to South Africa to train with pilots flying Gripen fighter jets. China also relied on American pilots, who established training schools in South Africa to train Chinese pilots in exchange for substantial financial benefits.
Former US Marine pilot Dan Duggan was arrested in Australia in 2022 after US authorities sought his extradition over allegedly illegally training Chinese pilots in South Africa in 2012. Mr Duggan appeared in person at his Federal Court hearing to contest extradition.
TFASA was founded in 2003 with the support of the South African government to facilitate cooperation with China. According to its website, “TFASA Flight Test Services” trained Chinese military pilots for fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) training standards.
The United States has filed a civil forfeiture complaint to seize two anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission crew trainers that were intercepted while being shipped from South Africa to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced on January 15, 2026.
Dogfighting & Maneuverability Concerns
The J‑20’s large size makes it a poor dogfighter relative to smaller, more agile fighters. Its design favors long‑range interception rather than close‑in air combat.
No Combat Experience
The J‑20 has zero real combat experience, meaning its performance remains unproven and largely theoretical. In contrast, U.S. fifth‑generation fighters have extensive operational histories.
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