China air force plays up J-20 stealth strength as Taiwan tensions brew

• PLA highlights fighter’s combat capacity in drill led by junior pilot from the Eastern Theatre Command
   
• Pilot shoots down 17 enemy planes without loss in exercise, report says

South China Morning Post
Date: 15 Sep, 2020
By: Liu Zhen in Beijing

The Chinese military has highlighted advances in stealth jet technology as tensions rise with Taiwan, reporting record results in a simulated combat exercise.

The PLA Daily, the official newspaper of the People’s Liberation Army, reported on Monday that a junior pilot in a J-20 stealth fighter “shot down” 17 enemy planes without taking any “hits” in the simulation exercise.

According to the report, the pilot, Chen Xinhao, had just 100 hours in the J-20 and is from the PLA Air Force’s elite Wang Hai Unit under the Eastern Theatre Command, which would spearhead any military campaign in a conflict with Taiwan.

Chen and his wingmen challenged “multiple waves of enemy planes from different directions” and knocked down a total of 17 with “0 damage” on his side, the report said.   [FULL  STORY]