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The Diplomat (1 August 2023)

Rick Joe

Updates on the 5th-gen fighter’s WS-15 engine, new variants, and fleet size, and what it all means for the future of China’s fighter fleet.

On June 29, a new J-20 prototype with the serial number 2052 made its first flight at Chengdu Aircraft Corporation in China, newly powered by two WS-15 turbofan engines. This event was a major milestone for the WS-15 engine, a carefully guarded project whose rumors and hints of development had been carefully followed for the last decade and a half – ever since rumors of the J-20 (then known only as J-XX) began in the mid to late 2000s. 

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