Zhuhai air show: China J-20 fighter jet in public debut

[1984hasarrived]

This is very close to where I am - but I had no interest in going. 

This is only the stuff they are showing, what about the stuff that is still under wraps - that is what I want to see.

China has showcased its long-awaited J-20 stealth fighter in public for the first time.

Two of the radar-evading jets did a 60-second flypast at the Zhuhai air show in Guangdong province - the country's biggest meeting of plane makers and buyers.

   
(video on the link source)

Previously the jets had only been seen by bloggers.

The fighters are being seen as symbol of Beijing's desire to modernise and upgrade its military capabilities.

President Xi Jinping wants to toughen China's armed forces as it takes a more assertive stance in the region, especially in the South China and East China seas.

The J-20 has been developed and made by the Chengdu Aircraft Industries Group, a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

Some have likened the new fighter to Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor jet, with industry analyst Bradley Perret of Aviation Week saying the jet was "clearly a big step forward in Chinese combat capability,"

China's J-20 stealth fighter
Little is known about China's new stealth fighter jet. Here's a timeline:

• 1990s China reveals plans to develop its own stealth jets
  
  
• 2011 first secret test flights of the J-20
  
  
• 2016 two J-20 jets are showcased at the Zhuhai air show
  
  
• 2018 the J-20 is expected to be operational
  
  

Hotly anticipated

China's International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition - also called Airshow China - has become one of the world's biggest events of its kind.

And with China set to become the world's biggest aviation market in the next decade, the show is an opportunity for Beijing to demonstrate its ambitions in civil aviation as well as defence.

Zhuhai air show: China J-20 fighter jet in public debut - BBC News