The following piece first appeared on Warrior Maven, a member website of the Military Content Group.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force appears to have publicly moved forward with the introduction of a new version of the J-20, which has long been seen as a possibility.
Essentially, this means that the J-20 will soon be able to fly “naval aviators” in position to support pilot decision-making, identify targets, track threats, and possibly conduct direct attacks. It means becoming.
This potential has been demonstrated for many years by the US Navy’s high-speed Tomcat, and appears to offer significant added value in several ways.
At the same time, it also appears to cast some doubt on the effectiveness of the PLA Air Force’s artificial intelligence (AI), targeting, and “sensor fusion” capabilities like the F-35.
With all that in mind, what should we make of this new J-20S? What does its future hold in the skies, and is it a threat to the U.S. military and its allies?
People’s Liberation Army 2-seater J-20 2021
Currently, many reports are publishing photos and essays about the official arrival of the two-seat J-20S, but Chinese government-run newspapers such as the Global Times have mentioned the advantages of the two-seat J-20 as far back as 2021. There is. Mentioned in the 2021 Warrior Maven essay.
The following piece first appeared on Warrior Maven, a member website of the Military Content Group.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force appears to have publicly moved forward with the introduction of a new version of the J-20, which has long been seen as a possibility.
Essentially, this means that the J-20 will soon be able to fly “naval aviators” in position to support pilot decision-making, identify targets, track threats, and possibly conduct direct attacks. It means becoming.
This potential has been demonstrated for many years by the US Navy’s high-speed Tomcat, and appears to offer significant added value in several ways.
At the same time, it also appears to cast some doubt on the effectiveness of the PLA Air Force’s artificial intelligence (AI), targeting, and “sensor fusion” capabilities like the F-35.
With all that in mind, what should we make of this new J-20S? What future does it have in the skies, and is it a threat to the U.S. military and its allies?
People’s Liberation Army 2-seater J-20 2021
Currently, many reports are publishing photos and essays about the official arrival of the two-seat J-20S, but Chinese government-run newspapers such as the Global Times have mentioned the advantages of the two-seat J-20 as far back as 2021. There is. Mentioned in the 2021 Warrior Maven essay.
Two-seater Tomcat-like aircraft have existed long before the era of AI-powered piloting, making two-seater configurations less relevant or necessary in today’s realm of advanced AI technologies. suggests that it is possible.
However, Chinese newspapers suggested that the two-seater version may be designed for electronic warfare (EW) and may not be well-suited for air-to-air combat or high-speed air maneuvers.
J-20S for EW?
In 2021, the paper listed several advantages of the “two-seat” version and aligned this with arguments for the domestically produced WJ-15 J-20 engine.
The Chinese government-backed Global Times said, “The J-20’s twin-seat version could be used for electronic warfare, command of wing drones, and bombing, and the fact that it is equipped with a domestically produced engine means that the J-20 will no longer be powered by a Russian-made engine. This means that it does not depend on the Said in a 2021 report, as reported by Warrior Maven.
Perhaps the most interesting element of this PLA decision appears to be related to doctrinal considerations and operational concepts.
Specifically, despite the PLA’s well-known focus on AI, is it increasingly aligned with the belief that “human” decision-making cannot be replicated by computers?
AI is known to have advanced to the point where fully autonomous fighter jets can, in some cases, outperform manned pilots in air combat, and the speed of AI-enabled information analysis and decision-making continues to accelerate.
Will the concept of operation change?
For example, the U.S. Air Force test-fired an aircraft equipped with a fully computerized AI co-pilot designed to manage and expedite information flow, threat variables, targeting, and decision-making in milliseconds. I did.
Despite this, the Pentagon still strongly believes that an “optimal” approach to air combat requires “both” of “AI-enabled computing” and “capabilities unique to human decision-making.” There is.
Can AI reproduce the intuitive, ethical, and emotional elements of human decision-making? Can mathematically designed algorithms ever truly approach human consciousness?
This discussion is clearly related to the issue of “two-seat” fighters, as the PLA recognizes the added value of additional “human” decision-making in a way that mimics the Department of Defense’s thinking. may indicate.
J-20 as a bomb truck
Another important factor in this may be related to the J-20’s “mission.” According to the available specifications, this fighter is known as a 5th generation stealth fighter. It is larger, slower, and probably less stealthy and maneuverable than the US F-22.
With its circular nozzle, the F-22 has a very good thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.37, making it significantly faster than the J-20.
The maximum speed of the F-22 is Mach 2.25, while the fighter jet specs indicate a maximum speed of Mach 2.0. Although the J-20 is faster than the F-35’s Mach 1.6, it appears to be significantly slower than the F-22. It appears to be less stealthy than the F-22 or F-35 because it has two wing-like structures on each side.
Does this mean that the PLA Air Force envisions the J-20’s mission as more of a “bomb truck” than an “air combat” air superiority platform? It can carry 27,988 pounds of internal and external weapons, but the F-35’s “Beast Mode” can only carry 18,000 pounds of weapons.
This weapon load is actual for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s J-20 single-seat aircraft, which is currently being mass-produced at an accelerated rate. This could indicate that a two-seater variant will further expand the capacity of this “bomb truck”.
Two-seat Tomcat-like aircraft have been around long before the era of AI-powered pilots, and the relevance and necessity of two-seater configurations in today’s advanced AI-enabled technology realm has continued. This suggests a low probability.
However, Chinese newspapers have suggested that the two-seater version is designed for electronic warfare and may not be well-suited for air-to-air combat or high-speed aerial maneuvers.
J-20 and J-20S fly to the future
If the J-20 were to be operated in this type of operational concept, the PLA Air Force would use a “two-seat” J-20 to optimize air-to-ground targeting and bombing with additional “human” input. It makes sense to build a -20S. .
Perhaps the People’s Liberation Army Air Force knows that the U.S. F-22 fleet is much smaller than the massive F-35 fleet, and without necessarily challenging the F-22’s maneuverability or air superiority, it could They probably built an aircraft that was meant to be comparable.
The J-20’s ability to match the F-35 is likely related to certain key “unknown” issues, such as weapon and sensor range and fidelity and computing speed.
