Advertisement
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
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
25
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.
Advertisement
“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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement