On April 12, Beijing time, the press conference for the 71st anniversary of AVIC and the large symphonic choral concert “Blue Sky Salute” was held in Beijing.
According to the official WeChat account of J-20’s manufacturer AVIC, at the conference, Ren Yukun, head of the discipline inspection group and a member of the party group in AVIC, said that the J-20 has been replaced with a Chinese “heart” and that combat patrols in the East China Sea and alert patrols in the South China Sea had become the training norm.
Ren Yukun said in his speech that the performance coincided with the important moment of welcoming the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the 71st anniversary of the development of the new Chinese aviation industry, which is of profound significance.
In 2021, AVIC fully completed all assessment tasks, scientific research and production were balanced, equipment delivery created a new high, and won the excellent achievement of “double A” in the assessment of operating performance and party-building by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council of China.
Six types of 71 aircraft developed by AVIC flew over Tiananmen Square in Beijing, paying tribute to the centenary of the Communist Party of China in a way unique to aviation people.
Ren Yukun said, J-20 replaced with Chinese “heart”, battle patrol East China Sea police patrol of the South China Sea has become a training norm; transport-20 cross-continent and cross-ocean to carry out non-war military operations, sending the Chinese people to the world people’s love and support for the prevention and fight against epidemics; straight-20, “wing dragon ” unmanned aerial vehicles went out against the odds in the Henan rainstorm disaster, sending much-needed supplies, highlighting the irreplaceable and huge role of aviation equipment in emergency rescue.
At the Zhuhai Air Show on September 28, 2021, the J-20 was replaced with a WS-10C “Taihang” series of Chinese-made engines and publicly displayed for the first time.
It is reported that the WS-10C engine has improved the combustion chamber, thrust is greater than the previously used AL-31, with higher fuel efficiency, which can improve the acceleration performance of the J-20. But the WS-10 series is only a transitional model of the J-20 engine. The future goal is to change the WS-15 large thrust engine, so that the J-20 supersonic cruise capability to catch up with the U.S. F-22, to reach full technical status.
WS-15 thrust vectoring turbofan engine, is the Chinese aviation industry’s strongest thrust, the highest overall technical performance indicators, with the world’s advanced level of a turbofan engine. It is developed for China’s fifth-generation stealth fighter with a small culvert ratio thrust vector turbofan engine.
The WS-15 is currently in the final stages of related onboard and long-term operational testing. It is speculated that it may be equipped on the J-20 around 2025.