Sky's no limit

Y-20B strategic transport plane

"Raising the spine is not feasible for previous types of fighter jets because their pilots depend more or less on their bare eyes to spot suspicious objects, so their cockpit canopy should have a 360-degree visual field, particularly in the backward direction.

"Now, thanks to avionics enhancements and sensor improvements, a J-20A pilot no longer needs to turn his or her head to observe situations behind, as several passive electro-optical sensors mounted around the fuselage can give the aviator an omnidirectional view," the editor explained, adding that the redesigned spine also helps to reduce aerodynamic drag.

Another recent addition to the Air Force's stealth arsenal, the J-35A, also took part in the parade.

Designed by AVIC's Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute in Liaoning province, the J-35A is a single-seat, twin-engine stealth multirole fighter with a conventional aerodynamic configuration.

According to its designers, the jet's primary task is to seize and maintain air superiority, with a secondary mission of carrying out air strikes against land and sea targets.

The jet will be used to engage with hostile aircraft, including fighters and bombers, hit down enemy cruise missiles, and eliminate land- and ship-based air defense hardware.

Wang Mingzhi, a senior researcher in the Air Force, said the J-20 series and J-35A will complement each other in air combat in the future.

"The heavy-duty J-20 models will be used to fight for air dominance, while the midsize J-35A will be suitable for various kinds of operations ranging from engaging with hostile fighters to precision assault against land and sea targets," he said.

The J-35A made its maiden public flight at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition last year, shortly after it was declassified by the Air Force.

Following the recent delivery of the first batch of J-35As, China has become only the second nation, after the US, to have two families of stealth fighter jets in active service.

Besides these new fighter jets, the Air Force also sent a re-engined version of its Y-20 strategic transport aircraft to fly in the parade.