Several Chinese defense forums have posted images of the new fighter. The photographs show a combat aircraft, the structural elements of which resemble both the American fifth generation F-22 fighter and the Russian T-50 PAK FA.
The fighter is designed using stealth technology and is equipped with a forward horizontal tail.
Defense analysts are currently at odds as to whether the photographs are a fake, drawn in a graphics editor, or whether this is indeed a highly secretive fifth-generation fighter known by several designations - the J-20, J-14 or J-XX.
The source of the photographs is also questionable. It is not excluded that their appearance is a deliberate "leak of information" initiated by the Chinese special services, since there is severe punishment for disclosing classified information in the PRC.
Aviation Week estimates that even if the images are genuine, the creation of a prototype and even the beginning of taxiing tests should not be a major concern. Based on the assessment of the implementation of similar programs in the United States and Russia, China will need significant time to refine a prototype to a production version. So, the American F-22 made its first flight in 1990, and was adopted 15 years later.
It should be borne in mind that the creation of engines for combat aircraft imported from abroad remains a serious problem for the Chinese aircraft industry. Beijing does not currently have its own engines that can be used to equip a prototype of the fifth generation fighter.
At the same time, China is making vigorous efforts to close the gap in aircraft engine building. Having overcome serious technical problems, the Shenyang Engin Group company began mass production of the WS-10A engine with a thrust of 12-13 tons. At the same time, Chengdu Engin Group is developing the WS-15 engine with a thrust of more than 15 tons. a program to develop an 18-tonne engine that would be comparable to the Pratt & Whitney F135 powerplant on the F-35. In August 2009, Janes, citing Ukrainian sources, reported that Motor Sich was planning to jointly with China implement a program to create an engine with a thrust of 15 tons.
