China Claims Air Supremacy With Its New J-20 Stealth Fighter

Business Insider (Link) - Robert Johnson (May 10, 2011)

A close look at China�s J-20 stealth fighter, by Washington think tank The Jamestown Foundation, calls the plane a �game changer,� that will render all air defense in the region obsolete.

With no refueling of the J-20, Japan, South Korea, and former Air Force bases in the Philippines will all be open to attack; with refueling, United States operations in Guam become easily acquired targets.

This capability allows China to take full control of both �island chains� that form the country�s self-defined, maritime defense perimeter.

The study suggests that J-20s will be the tactical equal of U.S. F-22A Raptors as well as F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, and be capable of delivering large �glide bombs� that will �remain unseen through the whole delivery maneuver, effecting complete surprise.�

With no radar arrays capable of picking up a stealth fighter, the J-20 will be undetectable to all air defense systems in the U.S., and on all its allied bases in the Asia-Pacific region.

U.S. options for dealing with the J-20 in the air are limited to the 158-plane, F-22 fleet that has been grounded since May 3 due to faulty oxygen systems that cause pilots to lose consciousness at high altitude.

There is currently no allocation in the defense budget to develop �counter stealth� radars in the U.S. �