J-20 Mighty Dragon

The J-20 fifth generation stealth fighter program has epitomised China’s rise from a laggard in combat aviation into a potential world leader. J-20 Mighty Dragon: Asia’s First Stealth Fighter in the Era of China’s Military Rise details the J-20’s technologies, capabilities, production timeline, design priorities, roles, evolution, and the formations and locations where it has been deployed, the ways other countries have responded to it, and how the last 30 years of China’s industrial and technology sector's modernisation positioned the country to produce what may well now be the world’s top air superiority fighter.

The J-20 program is the most high-profile indicator of a turning point in the balance of power between China and the United States, and has produced by far the most capable fighter that America or its allies could face in a potential conflict. An assessment of the history of Chinese air superiority capabilities, and how the Korean War in particular has influenced the country to place a very strong emphasis on the need to field a leading fighter for air-to-air combat, thus provides an important deeper understanding of the program.

Important context to understanding the J-20’s significance and its current global standing is provided by brief assessments of the positions of the Russian and American fighter industries. The parallel development of supporting assets from aerial tankers to electronic warfare planes is also explored for a better understanding of the much-transformed Chinese fleet which J-20s are being inducted into.

The program is also shown to have had a particularly significant influence in the United States, ranging from placing discourse on the F-35’s modernisation and on sixth generation fighter development in an entirely new context, to stimulating the formation of new counter-stealth aggressor training units, development of new air-to-air missiles, and the acquisition of E-7 ‘flying radar’ aircraft among many other responses to the new challenge. J-20 Mighty Dragon: Asia’s First Stealth Fighter in the Era of China’s Military Rise is the fi rst volume in the new Technology@War series and is extensively illustrated with colour photographs throughout and specially commissioned colour artworks.

“This book is intended for someone that wants a serious, in depth look at the J-20’s developmental rationale, performance compared to other fifth generation fighter aircraft, and the response of the United States in the Asian/American arms race. I can highly recommend this book if you are interested in a comprehensive look at China’s military and technological advances over the past 30 years.” IPMS/USA

“As you'd expect from a book like this, you are provided full background and development of the aircraft. …a very interesting read on an equally interesting aircraft…” ModelingMadness.com

“The book covers the aircraft specs, technical development, and all the subsystems such as stealth, avionics, engines, and weaponry. It also covers variants, supporting aircraft, and drones.” Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

“… a must read for anyone concerned about how the Chinese have appeared to surpass the United States in technical development.” Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation