Overview
- CCTV and Global Times detailed Chengdu’s recent systematic test flights of newly built J-20A jets across five locations and multiple aircraft types, including manned‑unmanned collaboration and end‑to‑end combat process checks.
- Recent imagery of yellow‑primer J-20As suggests larger avionics volumes and possible WS‑15 engine integration, though officials have not confirmed these upgrades.
- Separate reporting shows the J-35/J-35A advancing through testing and low‑rate production, with the land‑based variant positioned for PLAAF multirole use as the naval version equips future carriers.
- Video posted January 30 shows a fourth J-36 prototype in flight, indicating a fast-paced sixth‑generation effort that Chinese authorities have not formally acknowledged by name.
- Think‑tank assessments project steep J-20 family growth toward roughly 1,000 aircraft by 2030, even as experts highlight ongoing gaps in engine reliability and sustainment compared with U.S. standards.