[SpeavaJap]

2012-05-09 14:20 (China Military News)

In mid-March, the Chinese Air Force successfully carried out a test flight for its new fifth-generation J-20 “Mighty Dragon” fighter-jet.
So what’s the meaning of the new test? According to a Canadian Internet news site, the J-20 uses an engine similar to the American
twin high thrust turbofan, which negates the rumor of a Russian-made engine. Whatever might be the specific performance of the J-20,
its fight test was meant to show the world that China had solved its major technical hiccups, and that it won’t be long before the fighter
jet was up in the air.

This should seriously influence the fate of America’s F-35, which has faced a tortuous development process and constant rising costs.
The J-20 test flight will definitely have an impact on the sales and deployment of its American counterpart. Because of the delay in the
F-35’s development, the American military has decided to postpone buying the plane. Consequently, this has also affected the
determination of various American allies such as Italy, Australia, Britain and, in particular, Japan to purchase the aircraft. Japan’s defense
minister, Naoki Tanaka, has said that if the United States can’t solve delay problems and limit the jet’s price increases, his country will
probably cancel its contract and chose another model. If Japan cancels its purchase of the F-35, production of the fighter jet will become
more difficult and its price will rise even higher. Japan might try to buy the F-22 fighter, something the United States has rejected up to now.

Now that China and Russia have both tested their fifth generation combat jets successfully, the state of equilibrium in the world’s skies will go
from unbalanced to balanced. This is something America isn’t looking forward to. The U.S Air Force is aiming for a total of 200 F-22
stealth fighters, but the jet’s technology is very complex and advanced. Flight accidents are frequent and the plane is very expensive. America
is hoping to persuade its allies to buy a simplified version of the fighter. This would help American strategic interests in Europe and the
Asia-Pacific region, while reducing the economic pressure on America.