China’s J-20 Stealth Fighter Enters Mass Production after Domestic Engine ‘Puzzle’ Solved

China’s J-20 stealth jet has entered mass production after all technical issues concerning the domestically-made WS-10 engine having been solved; state-media reported quoting a statement from Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group Co.

The company is a subsidiary of state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China. Since the start of the fourth quarter, it had been facing challenges in research and development, production and delivery missions, as multiple users were waiting to receive delivery of many aircraft. In this period, the company completed several key test flight missions, and indexes related to aircraft delivery have broken record highs, Chengdu said in a statement on its social media account.

The statement had 7 pictures attached depicting test flights of the J-20 and another showing test flight of J-10.

“This could be an indication that the production of the J-20 is being ramped up,” Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, was quoted as saying by the Global Times today.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force displayed J-20s equipped with domestically developed engines at Airshow China 2021.

The switch to domestically made WS-10 engines from imported ones has made mass production possible, Fu said, noting that other systems on the J-20, including the avionics system, radar system and weapons systems, were already domestically developed.

“Now that there is no limitation caused by the import of engines, and the homemade WS-10 engine has been tested on other aircraft like the J-10, J-11, and J-16, the J-20 is in a position to start mass production,” Fu added.

Fu noted that other systems on the J-20, including the avionics system, radar system, and weapons systems, were already domestically developed.