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.

Max speed

2,100 km/h

Range

3,400 km

Payload

11,000 kg

💲 Unit cost not publicly disclosed

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

25th pct in class
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.: 2 Mach

33th pct in class
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

42th pct in class
Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.: 2,000 km

92th pct in class
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 20,000 m

83th pct in class
Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.: 1

25th pct in class

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.: 6

0th pct in class
Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.: 11,000 kg

83th pct in class

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

58th pct in class
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

50th pct in class
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

0th pct in class

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.

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.