The Chengdu J-20 or "Mighty Dragon" is a twinjet all weather stealth fighter aircraft. It was developed by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation to serve the People's Liberation Army Air Force. This stealth fighter aircraft is capable in a variety missions.
WS-15 Engine
China is currently working on an engine that will be more powerful for the J-20 stealth-fighter plane. The J-20 engine's current life span is very short and it is inefficient. The WS-15 engine could be used to replace the current engine and make it a more powerful fighter. The WS-15 engine will be ready for use in the J-20 by 2020. The improved performance and maneuverability of this engine should make up for the J-20's limitations. China may be closer to developing a fighter engine that is as powerful and reliable as other world leaders.
Maximum thrust produced by the WS-15 engine can reach 180 kilonewtons. This thrust is equivalent to that produced by the F135 motor, which powers Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. A J-20B can be driven by the WS-15 engine at Mach 1.8 to 2.2. This speed would be comparable with the US F-22.
Despite all the problems that the WS-15 engines face, China is working quickly to create a turbofan motor for its J-20s. The WS-15 has a 180kN Wet Thrust rating. China will likely purchase the T-50 engine to accelerate its engine development program. PLAAF is already using the WS-10/Taihang WS-10/Taihang motors in its initial airframe testing. This engine has also been tested by the Chinese using their Y-20 large transportation aircraft.
The WS-15 engine is a mature engine with several trials and tests conducted on the ground. Once these trials are complete, it could be incorporated into the production of the J-20.
WS-10C Engine
China plans to replace Russia's engine in the J-20 Mighty Dragon' fighter plane with a domestically manufactured WS-10C motor. Chinese engineers believe this engine will be able to match the performance of Russian AL-31F engines. Chinese engineers plan to upgrade their J-20s' engines with thrust vectoring technology in the coming year. This will enable them to compete with the US F-22 Raptor.
Chinese Air Force confirmed they would be sending J-20 fighters into the East China Sea or Taiwan Strait. The fighters will be equipped in four brigades of 150 fighters. This deployment will likely include simulated dogfight drills. These exercises are intended to be regular training for PLA fighter jet pilots.
China has already fitted WS-10C engines to some F-35 stealth jet fighters. Chinese engineers claimed the engines would rival the Pratt & Whitney F119 F-22 Raptor. The new WS-10C engines will not be installed on J-20 aircraft until the latter part of 2018.
China's WS-10C engine will enable it to carry out intensive patrols over the South China Sea. This could make it more difficult for claimant states to act beyond their abilities, which could result in miscalculations, fatigue, and equipment loss. Also, the J-20 can carry out long range strikes far away from Chinese air bases thanks to the new engine. Original J-20 prototypes used less powerful engines which made them more susceptible to fighting with US fighters.