Chinese Stealth?

[Jay Beckman]

Images of the recently reported Chinese J-20

LINK

Real or No Real?

[Joe Copalman]

Several sources have been all over this today, so I can't imagine it's fake.  Doesn't look like it's built to maneuver too well, and those don't look like vectoring nozzles.  Looks like a MiG-31 or 144 at the rear and an F-22/35 hybrid up front.  Best speculation I've read on it is that it's designed as an AWACS-killer - fast as hell and stealthy to get in, shotgun a load of missiles at an E-3, and get the hell out. 

[John B.]

Best speculation I've read on it is that it's designed as an AWACS-killer.

I had seen the image but hadn't read that--but it would certainly make perfect sense as a tactic.  We are mostly helpless without AWACS--and I am not sure what an AWACS can do to defend itself in the way of electronic countermeasures.  I've never read or asked if there is a defensive jamming suite of electronic gear on board an E-3 Sentry.

[cpasley]

Joe of your right im wondering why they just dont put those resoureces into missle tech.... ,I mean all that for a unecesarry interceptor

[Joe Copalman]

Missile systems would make more financial sense, but think about the air defense networks of Baghdad in 1991 or Belgrade in 1994 and 1999.  The United States is very good at neutralizing the enemy's capability to use SAMs against our aircraft.  Even if the missile itself were stealthy, the launch vehicles and radars needed to locate and track the targets prior to launch are next to impossible to hide.

[Bubak]

http://china-defense.blogspot.com/

[Rob Silliman]

Video of 1st flight - http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/01/dont-panic-chinas-new-stealth-jet-takes-to-the-air/

[BillOz]

Interesting Chinese video at the following link.  Appears to be some sort of look at a few designs, and some doctored F-22 photos to look like the Chinese Stealth.

On the side of the video frame appears to be the ubiquitous ads for either Chinese Viagra or Chinese porn sites.

http://www.56.com/u72/v_NTc2NTk3NzM.html