Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon vs AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20
Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon and AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 are both fighter aircraft, compared here on public specifications. The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 leads on weapons payload (11,000 vs 7,700 kg). Several China-origin figures here are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, so treat this comparison as directional.
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Full data
Full spec sheet
 Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon
Wins 6/10 |  AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20
Wins 4/10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| Max speed (km/h) | 2,120 km/h ✓ | 2,100 km/h |
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | 2 Mach | 2 Mach |
| Range (km) | 4,220 km ✓ | 3,400 km |
| Combat radius (km) | 550 km | 2,000 km ✓ |
| Service ceiling (m) | 15,240 m | 20,000 m ✓ |
| Rate of climb (m/s) | 254 m/s | N/A |
| Thrust-to-weight | 1.1 ✓ | 1 |
| Firepower | ||
| Hardpoints | 11 ✓ | 6 |
| Weapons payload (kg) | 7,700 kg | 11,000 kg ✓ |
| Physical | ||
| Length (m) | 15.06 m | 20.4 m |
| Empty weight (kg) | 9,207 kg | 19,391 kg |
| Combat weight (kg) | 19,187 kg | 32,092 kg |
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
| Propulsion | ||
| Thrust (kN) | 129 kN | 142 kN ✓ |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | $63,000,000 | N/A |
| Units built | 4,600 ✓ | 250 |
| Operator countries | 25 ✓ | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster, Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon and AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20? +
The Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon is the fastest of the 2 compared here, at 2,120 km/h.
Which has the longer range? +
The Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon has the longest range at 4,220 km.
Which carries the larger weapons payload? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 carries the largest weapons payload at 11,000 kg.
Which is cheaper? +
The Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon has the lower public unit-cost figure at 63,000,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Which has the higher max speed (mach)? +
The Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon has the higher max speed (mach) at 2 Mach.
Which has the higher combat radius? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 has the higher combat radius at 2,000 km.
Is the Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon better than the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20? +
On the public specs we track, the Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon leads on 3 of 6 headline metrics, see the full spec sheet for the metric-by-metric breakdown.
Where does this comparison data come from? +
Every figure in the table is sourced from public manufacturer pages, defense-ministry releases and reference publications, and is verifiable on each system's spec page. WeaponSpecs does not accept vendor placement.
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