China's J-20 Stealth Fighter Jet to Have New WS-15 Engine: Better Combat and Movement Capabilities, Expected

China's J-20 is currently its most hi-tech fighter jet. And now, the combat plane is expected to receive a new engine that would drastically increase its capabilities.

Previously, China confirmed that it finally removed the J-20 or "Mighty Dragon" fighter plane's Luneburg lens. Some rumors claimed that the removal of the lens means that the Asian country's fighter aircraft is already combat-ready.

This aircraft is considered to be the counterpart of the United States' F-22 stealth fighter plane. However, it still falls behind when it comes to combat capabilities and speed.

Now, China will release a new engine called WS-15 for its current J-20 fighter jets. Will this innovation improve the Chinese aircraft?

J-20's new WS-15 engine

According to SCMP's latest report, the new WS-15 is a purpose-built engine. This means that this new technology is specifically built for J-20 only. However, this could still change depending on China's decision if it will still further upgrade it to become compatible with other fighter plan models of the country.

"The development of WS-15 is nearly complete ... or may be finished within one or two years," said an anonymous insider via South China Morning Post.

The unnamed source also claimed that the new engine is on par with the one used by the F-22 Raptor. The U.S. fighter jet's engine is developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation, global security, and aerospace company stationed in Bethesda, Maryland.

On the other hand, Li Gang, the pilot who made the J-20's maiden flight, claimed that the new engine could maximize the fifth-generation fighter's capabilities.

Is it better than F-22's engine?

The EurAsian Times reported that the new engine could be the one upgrade that J-20 needs to surpass the current F-22 Raptor fighter jets of the United States. But, it is still hard to conclude that the new WS-15 model is better than the Lockheed Martin engine.

Nevertheless, there's a high chance that it could offer the same features as F-22's engine. Right now, the U.S. fighter jet still uses the two-dimensional thrust-vectoring nozzles engine. Because the U.S. jet engine greatly improves F-22's performance, China has been trying to copy it or make a model that is similar to Lockheed Martin's engine for the past two decades.

For more news updates about China's J-20 and other advanced fighter jets, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

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Written by: Griffin Davis