Sky's no limit

J-20S twin-seat stealth combat plane

Enhanced variants

The J-20S, like other members in the J-20 family, was designed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, an Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) subsidiary in Sichuan province. It was declassified in November last year, appearing in the form of a small-scale mock-up at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.

According to designers at AVIC, the J-20S is a heavy-duty radar-evading fighter with long-range operation and multifunction capabilities.

The twin-seat plane is characterized by its supreme ability to seize air superiority in combat, to carry out precision strikes against land and sea targets, and in its battlefield situational awareness, electronic jamming, as well as in tactical command and control operations.

In addition to conventional tasks, the J-20S can coordinate with unmanned aircraft in combat, designers said.

Naval unmanned helicopter

Fu Qianshao, an aircraft researcher who served in the Air Force for decades, said the jet is likely to be tasked with conducting electronic warfare operations or guiding unmanned aircraft to hit enemy targets.

"The additional operator in the backseat is responsible for controlling electronic warfare instruments or coordinating the jet's own strike operations and attack drones'. His or her work can enable the J-20S to better use precision-guided munitions and connect with airborne early-warning and control systems," he said. "It is better to have an operator to focus on these extended functions because a single pilot would be too busy to take care of all of those tasks in real air combat."

The extra seat will bring more than just these benefits, the veteran researcher added.

"The twin-seat variant can have a backup flight-control system installed for the backseat operator to use in case the main system malfunctions or is damaged in action, or if the front-seat pilot is incapacitated.