China flexes military muscle with rare pictures of its latest stealth fighter jet which is said to be built based on US war plane plans 'stolen by hackers'

  • China's Air Force released pictures showing four J-20 jets next to each other
  • Never before had pictures shown so many J-20, China's latest stealth fighter
  • The military aircraft was officially commissioned into military service recently
  • Some suggested that J-20 had been built in part from plans of US war planes
  • Beijing has firmly denied the claims saying the jet was 100 per cent homemade 

China's Air Force has recently released pictures of four J-20 stealth jets flying next to each other as Beijing flaunts its growing military power.

Never before had so many J-20s - China's latest war plane - been seen together in the same picture.

When the aircraft was shown to the public at an air show in China last November, there were claims to suggest that it had been built in part from plans of US war planes, particularly the F-22 Raptor, obtained by Chinese hackers jailed last year.

China's Air Force has recently released rare pictures (above) of four J-20 stealth jets together

China's Air Force has recently released rare pictures (above) of four J-20 stealth jets together

Never before had pictures of so many J-20, China's latest stealth fighter, been published

Never before had pictures of so many J-20, China's latest stealth fighter, been published

J-20 made its first public flight at the Zhuhai Airshow in China last November (pictured)

J-20 made its first public flight at the Zhuhai Airshow in China last November (pictured)

There were claims to suggest that J-20 had been built in part from plans of US war planes, particularly the F-22 Raptor (pictured), obtained by Chinese hackers jailed last year

There were claims to suggest that J-20 had been built in part from plans of US war planes, particularly the F-22 Raptor (pictured), obtained by Chinese hackers jailed last year

Beijing has firmly denied the theory as it insists that J-20 had been developed and built solely with the Chinese technology.

THE J-20 STEALTH FIGHTER 

China's new war plane made its first flyby in November 2016.

The fighter jet is swift, stealthy, and armed with long-range missiles.

Its design is similar to US fighter jets, stoking concerns that the Chinese military used 'stolen' plans obtained by hackers to develop the stealth plane and further drive its military ambitions.

Experts have said that the plane represents a leap forward in China's ability to project power in Asia, and will compete with US military technology.

China is set to overtake the US as the world's top aviation market in the next decade.   

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Military analysts previously said it was still too early to tell if the jet matches the capabilities of the US F-22 Raptor.  

China's latest J-20 stealth fighter jets were confirmed to have been commissioned into military service recently, reported state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Wu Qian, a spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense said at a press conference on September 28 that flight tests were being conducted by the Chinese Air Force.

On October 20, China's Air Force released on its social media account two pictures, which apparently show four J-20 stealth fighter jets flying next to each other.

Although pictures of the medium and long-range fighter jets had been released in the past, never before had they shown so many J-20 at the same time. 

Along with the pictures, China's Air Force showcased its military might with its captions: 'China's Air Force is flying into a new chapter' and 'in the five years, a stronger and more prosperous army has created a new era'. 

As China's fourth-generation fighter jet, J-20 made its maiden flight in 2011. Last November, it made its first public flight at the Zhuhai Airshow in Guangdong Province.

On July 31, the stealth jet attended its first military parade at northern China's Zhurihe to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

A video released by tv.81.cn, the TV channel of the PLA, captured the impressive fly-past. 

According to China Central Television Station (CCTV), J-20 is capable of carrying multiple types of air-to-air missiles. It's said to be powered by a made-in-China engine and possess similar combat capabilities to America's F-22 Raptor.

CCTV also said when multiple J-20 are fighting as a fleet, one of them could use its radar to detect multiple targets before transferring the data in secret to other aircraft whose radars remain switched off - a strategy F-22 jets often use.

It has been pointed out in the past that the controversial J-20 could be a copy of America's F-22 and was built using hacked US military blueprints.

Last year, a Chinese national, 51-year-old Su Bin, was sent to prison for his part in stealing US military plans and sending documents to Beijing.

The documents were reported to include plans for the F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, which would have enabled the Chinese military to rapidly catch up with US capabilities. 

China's newest warplane, the J-20 stealth fighter (pictured), has been put into military service

China's newest warplane, the J-20 stealth fighter (pictured), has been put into military service

Pictured above is America's F-22 which bears a similar design to the J-20. China is set to overtake the US as the world's top aviation market in the next decade

Pictured above is America's F-22 which bears a similar design to the J-20. China is set to overtake the US as the world's top aviation market in the next decade

China is set to overtake the US as the world's top aviation market in the next decade. 

Experts say China has been refining designs in hopes of narrowing a military gap with Washington.

Cao Qingfeng, an aircraft engineer at the 2016 Zhuhai Airshow, said J-20's 'stunning' display was a show of China's strengthening aircraft industry and manufacturing - and Western officials agreed.

'This shows they now have confidence to put it out in public,' said a Western industry official who has monitored the biennial show from its inception 20 years ago.

'This is the airplane for China in the way that the J-31 is not; this is the one they develop for themselves,' he added.

Despite the impressive show of aerial military might, some foreign observers have questioned its stealth capabilities. 

CHINA'S J-20 

Top speed: 1,305 mph

Range: 2,113 mi

Length: 67′

Wingspan: 42′ 0″

Weight: 43,000 lbs

Engine Type: Xian WS-15 turbofan engines

Cost: $110m 

Manufacturer: Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group

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AMERICA'S F-22 

Top speed: 1,498 mph

Range: 1,839 mi

Length: 62′

Wingspan: 44′ 0″

Weight: 43,430 lbs

Engine type: Pratt & Whitney F119

Cost: $130m 

Manufacturers: Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

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