Already flies with badges of an operating unit

It is not the first time that we see a J -20s flybut this time there is a key difference. According to Newsweek and The War Zoneseveral recent images Posted on Chinese platforms They show the biplaza model with five -digit license plates and the National Badge in Fuselage. And everything indicates that this unit has been assigned to the 172 .. Air Brigade. For China, what He has been preparing his technological leap in defense for decadesthis could be a very important step.

Badges, dark paint and improved sensors appear

The images not only show the J -20s with a darker body, close to black, but also reveal structural changes. Under the nose, a redesigned version of the monitoring electrooptic system is appreciated, with a more compact dome and 360 degree coverage, Similar to Eots of the F – 35.

The new paint scheme keeps without covering edges of mobile surfaces, air intakes and tip of the radome. Although Beijing has not offered details, everything points to a Improvement in the furtive properties of the planeperhaps with new radar absorbent coatings.

The existence of J -20 Biplaza was confirmed in 2021, When a prototype was caught performing high -speed shooting tests. From the first moment has been compared to F -22 Raptordue to its poaching and Air-Aire combat orientation. But the appearance of a two -seater version, such as the one that the images show now, introduces an element that no western fifth generation hunting today has in service. Nor the F -22nor the F – 35nor the Its -57 Russian have a variant of two seats in their operational fleets.

This opens a remarkable difference. While the United States and its allies have opted for caps with network interoperability, China apparently wants to expand the skills combat with this model with a second operator, Coordinate drone swarms or assume advanced tactical tasks from the plane itself. It is a different approach, which still has no direct response in the West.

From the first flight of the J -20s prototype, at least five more units have been documented, the last one in March of this year, says War Zone. Everything indicates that China has been refining the design Before climbing your production. The big question is now what proportion this biplaza version will occupy within the total fleet of J -20 – and what will be its exact role within the real operations. At the moment, we know of its existence.

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