The Chengdu J-20 or "Mighty Dragon" is a twinjet all weather stealth fighter aircraft. The Chengdu Aerospace Corporation developed it for the People's Liberation Army Air Force. The next generation of stealth fighters is capable of performing many missions.
WS-15 engine
China is working to create a stronger engine for its J-20 stealth fighter aircraft. The J-20 engine's current life span is very short and it is inefficient. The WS-15 engine could be used to replace the current engine and make it a more powerful fighter. The WS-15 engine will be ready for use in the J-20 by 2020. This engine's superior performance and maneuverability will make up for any shortcomings in the J-20. China may be closer to developing a fighter engine that is as powerful and reliable as other world leaders.
The WS-15 engine is capable of producing a maximum thrust of 180 kilonewtons. This is comparable to the F135 engine which powers Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The WS-15 engine can propel a J-20B at Mach 1.8 or 2.2 cruise speed. This speed would make it comparable to the US F-22.
Despite all of the challenges that the WS-15 motor faces, China is rapidly developing a turbofan-powered engine for its J-20s. The WS-15 has a 180kN Wet Thrust rating. China will buy the T-50 engine to help speed up its engine-development program. PLAAF has been testing the WS-10/Taihang engine in its initial airframe tests. This engine has also been tested by the Chinese using their Y-20 large transportation aircraft.
The WS-15 is a mature engine that has had many trials and testing on the ground. Once these trials are complete, it could be incorporated into the production of the J-20.
WS-10C motor
China plans to replace Russian engine in J-20 Mighty Dragon’ fighter aircraft with a domestically produced WS-10C. Chinese engineers believe this engine will be able to match the performance of Russian AL-31F engines. Chinese plans to update their J-20 engines this year using thrust vectoring technology. This will allow them to be closer to the US F-22 Raptor.
Chinese Air Force has confirmed that the J-20 fighters will be deployed to East China Sea and Taiwan Strait. They will be equipped with four brigades consisting of 150 fighters. This deployment will likely include simulated dogfight drills. These exercises are supposed to be regular training for the pilots of PLA fighter jets.
China has already installed WS-10C engines on some F-35 stealth planes. Chinese engineers claimed the engines would rival the Pratt & Whitney F119 F-22 Raptor. However, the new WS-10C will not be fitted to all J-20 planes until late 2018.
China's WS-10C will allow it to perform intensive patrols across the South China Sea. This could make it more difficult for claimant states to act beyond their abilities, which could result in miscalculations, fatigue, and equipment loss. This engine allows the J-20 to launch long-range strikes away from Chinese airbases. The original J-20 prototypes had less powerful engines that left them vulnerable to dogfights with US fighters.