China's J-20 will soon operate with an ability to fly with a “naval aviator” in position to support pilot

by Kris Osborn, President, Warrior

The arrival of an F-14 Tomcat-like 5th-generation “two-seat” Chinese J-20 introduces a number of extremely significant questions of great strategic, tactical and technological relevance, as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force seems to have stepped forward in a public way with a new variant of its J-20 which has long been on the radar as a possibility. 

In essence, this means the J-20 will soon operate with an ability to fly with a “naval aviator” in position to support pilot decision-making, identify targets, track threats and potentially even direct strikes.  This possibility, demonstrated for years by the US Navy with its high-speed Tomcat, appears to present significant value-added in a number of respects. At the same time, it also seems to raise questions, to a degree, about the effectiveness of PLA AF AI, targeting and F-35-like “sensor-fusion” ability. 

PLA 2-Seat J-20 in 2021

While numerous press reports now publish pictures and essays about the formal arrival of a  two-seat J-20S, Chinese government-backed newspapers such as the Global Times cited the merits of a two-seat J-20 as far back as 2021, something cited in a  2021 Warrior Maven essay. 

 Aircraft such as the two-seat Tomcat came into existence well before the age of AI-enabled piloting, suggesting that perhaps a two-seat configuration may be less relevant or necessary in today’s advanced AI-empower technological sphere.  

However, Chinese newspapers suggested that the two-seat variant may be engineered for EW and less suited for air-to-air combat or high-speed aerial maneuvering. 

J-20S for EW? 

In 2021, the paper cited several advantages of a “two-seat” variant and aligned this with discussion of its domestically-build WJ-15 J-20 engine. 

“The twin-seat variation of the J-20 could be used for electronic warfare, command of wingman drones or bombing, and the domestic engine means the J-20 is no longer reliant on Russian engines,” the Chinese government-backed Global Times stated in a report in 2021, as reported by Warrior. 

Perhaps the most interesting element of this PLA decision appears to relate to doctrinal consideration and concepts of operation.  Specifically, does the PLA now increasingly align with the belief that “human” decision-making cannot be replicated by computers, despite its well known emphasis upon AI?  AI is known to have advanced to such a level where fully autonomous fighter jets have in some cases out-performed manned pilots in dog-fights, and the speed of AI-empowered information analysis and decision making continues to accelerate. 

Changing Concepts of Operation? 

The US Air Force has, for example, test-launched aircraft with a fully computerized AI-copilot designed to manage and expedite information flow, threat variables, targeting and decision-making in milliseconds.  

Despite this, the Pentagon is still very much of the belief that an “optimal” approach to air combat requires “both” AI-enabled computing “and” those abilities “unique” to human decision-making.  Can AI replicate the intuitive, ethical, emotional elements of human decision making? Will mathematically engineered algorithms ever be able to truly approximate human consciousness?  

This debate pertains clearly and without question to the issue of a “two-seat” fighter aircraft, as it may indicate that indeed the PLA recognizes the added value of additional “human” decision making in a manner that copies Pentagon thinking. 

J-20 as Bomb-truck

There is another critical element of this which may pertain to the “mission” of the J-20. While it is known as a 5th-generation stealth fighter, the J-20 is larger, slower and arguably less stealthy and maneuverable than a US F-22, according to available specs. With round nozzles, an F-22 can hit a very capable thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.37 and is considerably faster than the J-20. The F-22s maximum speed is Mach 2.25, whereas J-20 specs say its max speed is Mach 2.0.  While faster than the Mach 1.6 speed of an F-35, the J-20 seems considerably slower than an F-22. With two wing-like structures on each side, it also appears less stealthy than both the F-22 and F-35.  

Could this mean the PLA Air Force envisions a mission for its J-20 to be more of a “bomb-truck” than “dog-fight” air supremacy platform?  The J-20 is able to massively rev up its bomb carrying capacity and can operate with 27,988lbs of internal and external weaponry, whereas the F-35 “beast mode” only allows 18,000lbs of ordnance.  

This ordnance capacity is  true of the PLA Air Force’s J-20 single seat aircraft, which is now being mass produced at an accelerated pace, may indicate that a two-seat variant further extends this kind of “bomb-truck” capacity. 

Aircraft such as the two-seat Tomcat came into existence well before the age of AI-enabled piloting, suggesting that perhaps a two-seat configuration may be less relevant or necessary in today’s advanced AI-empower technological sphere.  However, Chinese newspaper suggest that the two-seat variant may be engineered for EW and less suited for air-to-air combat or high-speed aerial maneuvering. 

Should the J-20 operate with these kinds of concepts of operation, it would make sense that the PLA Air Force would build a “two-seater” J-20S to optimize air-to-ground targeting and bombing using added “human” input.  Perhaps the PLA AF knew the US Fleet of F-22s is simply much smaller in size than its large fleet of F-35s and built an aircraft intended to rival the F-35 without necessarily challenging the maneuverability or air superiority of an F-22.  The ability of a J-20 to rival an F-35 likely pertains to certain key “unknown” questions such as the range and fidelity of its weapons and sensors and speed of its computing. 

Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.