The PLA Air Force (PLAAF) has officially reached a milestone of 300 J-20 stealth fighters in service, confirmed during the Changchun Air Show in Jilin Province between September 12–14, 2025. Serial number 63106, belonging to the 19th Air Brigade, was identified as the 300th airframe, confirmed by its construction code “CB10300.” Three other J-20s (63005, 63101, 63201) also joined the air show, with one set on static display for the first time.

The fleet figure highlights intense production momentum, with at least 50 new J-20s delivered since June 2024. This pace demonstrates Beijing’s prioritisation of stealth aviation to challenge U.S. and allied air power in the Indo-Pacific.


The U.S. Air Force fields 180 F-22 Raptors and over 500 F-35A Lightning IIs, supported by Navy F-35Cs and Marine Corps F-35Bs. Altogether, the U.S. has about 600 stealth jets, although global deployments and maintenance sharply reduce operational availability. The PLAAF, with 300 J-20s, is catching up faster than anticipated, supported by hundreds of advanced 4th/4.5th generation fighters like the J-16, Su-35, J-10C, and upcoming J-35 carrier fighters.

U.S. Air Force test leadership warned earlier in 2025 that the PLA is positioned to outnumber the United States by 2027 by ratios as steep as 12:1 in modern fighters, 5:3 in fifth-generation jets, and 3:1 in bombers and maritime patrol aircraft. At sea, Beijing will also surpass the U.S. in carriers by hull count, leveraging Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian.

China now operates at least three identified versions of the J-20. The original bubble-canopy variant, followed by the enhanced J-20A with avionics and fuel upgrades, and the twin-seat J-20S/AS designed for combat support, electronic warfare, or command roles. The J-20A and J-20S/AS are recognisable by darker coatings and enhanced stealth detailing.

Currently, most production J-20s continue to fly with the WS-10C engine. A breakthrough awaits full serial adoption of the WS-15, first tested on prototypes in 2024. The WS-15 offers super-cruise capability, thrust vectoring, and serrated stealthy nozzles, aligning it with Western fifth-generation power-plants like the F135 on the F-35 and Russia’s Izdeliye 30 on the Su-57. Full operational integration remains uncertain but pivotal for long-term combat performance.

China’s emphasis on scale, repairability, and industrial resilience reflects lessons drawn from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East: numbers matter as much as technology. While U.S. forces deploy globally and remain technologically superior, China benefits from a concentrated theatre of operations, shorter logistics tails, and unmatched industrial surge capacity in airframes, missiles, and stand-off strike systems.

The J-20 fleet will not operate in isolation. It will be supported by swarming collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) under development, at least three sixth-generation fighter prototypes, stand-off missile fires from the PLA Rocket Force, and the growing PLA Navy carrier fleet. Together, these assets allow Beijing to field a layered combat ecosystem unmatched by any regional adversary.

The arrival of the 300th J-20 symbolises far more than a numerical milestone. It reflects the PLA’s transformation into a massed, technologically competitive air arm capable of challenging U.S. and allied dominance. With industrial advantage, diversified fighter families, and the impending arrival of the WS-15 engine, China has put itself on a trajectory where quantity and sufficiency, not perfection, define strategic success.

Agencies