The Chengdu J-20, or "Mighty Dragon", twinjet stealth fighter is called. It was developed by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation to serve the People's Liberation Army Air Force. This stealth fighter aircraft is capable in a variety missions.
WS-15 engine
China is working to create a stronger engine for its J-20 stealth fighter aircraft. The current J-20 engine is inadequate and has a limited life span. The WS-15 engine could be used to replace the current engine and make it a more powerful fighter. The WS-15 will be ready to fly the J-20 in 2020. This engine will be able to overcome the limitations of the J-20. This engine could push China closer to catching up to other leading nations in terms of fighter engine development.
The WS-15 engine is capable of producing a maximum thrust of 180 kilonewtons. This is the equivalent of the F135 engines that power the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The WS-15 can propel a J-20B to Mach 1.8 and 2.2 at cruise speed. This speed would be comparable to the US F-22.
Despite all the problems that the WS-15 engines face, China is working quickly to create a turbofan motor for its J-20s. The WS-15 engine's wet thrust rating is 180kN. China will likely purchase the T-50 engine to accelerate its engine development program. PLAAF has been testing the WS-10/Taihang engine in its initial airframe tests. The engine is being tested on the Y-20 large transport aircraft by the Chinese.
The WS-15 engines have been subject to many tests and trials on the ground. It could be used in the production of J-20 once these trials are complete.
WS-10C engine
China plans to replace the Russian engine on the J-20 'Mighty Dragon Fighter Aircraft with a domestically made WS-10C engine. Chinese engineers believe the engine can be comparable to the Russian AL-31F. The engine has already passed its initial evaluations. Chinese engineers are also working to update the J-20s' engine with thrust vectoring technology. This will make them more comparable to the US F-22 Raptor.
Chinese Air Force confirmed that they will deploy the J-20 fighters to East China Sea, Taiwan Strait. There they will be equipped four brigades with 150 fighters. Simulated dogfight drills will be performed in conjunction with this deployment. These drills are expected to be regular training exercises for PLA fighter jet pilots.
China has upgraded several F-35 stealth fighters using WS-10C engines. Chinese engineers claimed the engines would rival the Pratt & Whitney F119 F-22 Raptor. However, the new WS-10C engine will not be installed in all J-20 aircraft until late 2018.
China's WS-10C will allow it to perform intensive patrols across the South China Sea. This could force claimant nations to respond beyond their ability, which could cause miscalculations as well fatigue and equipment losses. This engine allows the J-20 to launch long-range strikes away from Chinese airbases. Original J-20 prototypes used less powerful engines which made them more susceptible to fighting with US fighters.