China officially unveils J-20S

[Zaphod58]

The 2024 Zhuhai Airshow in China has seen the official unveiling of the J-35A for the PLAAF(they're also looking for a STOVL aircraft, possibly another variant of the J-35), as well as the world's first two seat LO aircraft in the J-20S. The J-20S was first seen in 2021 on a test flight. The aircraft at Zhuhai is a mock up however. According to Chinese sources, the S will have outstanding situational awareness, EW and tactical command and control capabilities, as well as combat coordination capabilities for a MUM-T mission. It will have limited ability to act as a small airborne early warning platform.

In addition to the J-35A and J-20S, both were displayed next to PL-10E and PL-15E air to air missiles. The PL-15E is an Active Radar Homing (ARH) missile, and was built with folding fins to allow for carriage in an internal weapons bay. It's believed to have a range of around 150 miles.

https://theaviationist.com/2024/11/12/ch...eat-j-20s/

[UltraBudgie]

Here is the model, in Airshow Grey rather than Sporty Yellow:

[Signal Witch]

Good post.

Chinese government and media sources are saying a lot of the same things. The J-20S is being described as a dedicated two-seat combat platform, not just a modified variant. At Zhuhai, several outlets covering the show, like the military tech segment on CCTV... talked about it being designed for tactical command, electronic warfare, and what they called "manned-unmanned cooperative missions." That tracks with what you're saying about MUM-T.

There's also mention in various reports that it's meant to serve as a "light airborne early warning node." Not a replacement for something like the KJ-500, but it gives the PLAAF a stealthier forward sensor platform that can operate inside contested airspace and feed targeting data back to other assets.

I'm thinking the J-20S is shaping up to be China’s version of a two-seat F-35 only with the backseater riding shotgun over drones, data streams, and battlefield chaos. It's less about flying circles around enemy fighters and more about playing quarterback from inside the fight.

The U.S. hasn’t put a two-seat stealth fighter in the air, (at least not publicly), so it looks like China’s poking at a niche we’ve only sketched out in NGAD proposals. Whether the J-20S can actually do what it’s built to do is still a question mark, but the intent is clear.

Oh, and speaking of intent…

Let’s not forget the B-21. It isn't just a bomber. We all know that, right?  :)

[Zaphod58]

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what the B-21 is capable of. If half of what I’ve heard is accurate, it’s going to be an impressive platform.