Could drone pairing be the future for China’s twin-seater J-20 fighter?

The new warplane could be used for longer-range missions and a surrounding swarm of UAVs would greatly enhance its firepower

The twin-seat version of the jet, known as the Mighty Dragon, could be used for reconnaissance, surveillance or strike missions, a magazine article suggests

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A prototype of the twin-seat J-20 was unveiled last October. Photo: Weibo

Published: 12:00pm, 25 Sep 2022

The twin-seat version of China’s most advanced fighter jet, the J-20, could be paired with drones to boost its firepower, a Chinese military magazine has suggested.

“As Yang Wei, the chief designer of the aircraft, has already said the purpose of building such a twin-seat J-20 is not to treat it simply as a trainer, its major role then will almost certainly be to coordinate with drones,” the article in Ordnance Industry Science Technology said.

China’s air force presented a computer-generated picture of the twin-seat version of the J-20, also known as the Mighty Dragon, in a video in January last year, marking 10 years since the aircraft’s first flight. A prototype model of the twin-seat J-20 was unveiled in October.

US efforts to develop a two-seat stealth fighter stalled in the 1990s, when a variant of the F-22 was dropped to save money.

Compared with a single-seat aircraft, which is generally smaller and more agile, a twin-seat aircraft is heavier and can be deployed to conduct multi-role operations over a longer range.

When paired with drones, technically known as manned-unmanned teaming, a twin-seat J-20 can perform coordinated reconnaissance, coordinated strike and coordinated command missions, according to the article.

“As a manned aircraft, the J-20 can act as the commander of the drone swarm,” said the article.

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