Documents
China AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)
J-20
China's first operational stealth fighter, built by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group for long-range air superiority and strike missions against high-value airborne assets. Fields a long fuselage and canard-delta layout optimized for supersonic persistence over the Western Pacific.
In service since 2017 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
2,100
km/h
3,400
km range
20,000
m ceiling
11,000
kg payload
1
T/W
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Chinese state channel
State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.
Channel: State export agency
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2017. Status: active · ~250 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the J-20 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 2,100 km/h |
|---|---|
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 2 Mach |
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 3,400 km |
| Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range. | 2,000 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 20,000 m |
| Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up. On a standalone engine record, this is the engine's own thrust divided by its dry weight, the standard figure of merit for jet engines. | 1 |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts. | 6 |
|---|---|
| Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie. | 11,000 kg |
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Signature reduction Radar cross-section shaping, RAM coatings, IR suppression. Actual RCS values are classified. | Low observable airframe shaping with internal weapons bays; radar-absorbent materials |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 20.4 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 13.01 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 4.45 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 19,391 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 32,092 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 1 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | 2x Shenyang WS-10C afterburning turbofans (WS-15 planned) |
|---|---|
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 2 |
| Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable). | 142 kN |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Turbofan |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | Type 1475 (KLJ-5) AESA |
|---|---|
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | EOTS-89 electro-optical targeting/IRST, distributed aperture system |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 250 |
|---|---|
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
Specifications compiled from public AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor 
Dassault Aviation Rafale F4 Head-to-head comparisons
J-20 vs
Su-57 
Eurofighter Typhoon 
JAS 39E Gripen 
KF-21 Boramae Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 has a maximum speed of 2,100 km/h.
What is the range of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 has a maximum range of 3,400 km.
What is the weapons payload of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 can carry up to 11,000 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 weigh? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 has a combat weight of 32,092 kg.
How many crew does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 require? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 requires a crew of 1.
What engine does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 use? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 is powered by the 2x Shenyang WS-10C afterburning turbofans (WS-15 planned).
What is the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 used for? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 is a fighter aircraft typically used for air superiority, deep strike, multirole combat.
How many countries operate the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 cost? +
AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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