China's J-20 fighter turns 10
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
By: ET
China, particularly the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), is extremely proud of its beefy J-20 stealth fighter. Significantly, the aircraft recently celebrated its tenth birthday as a flying machine within the world's third-largest air force, though it remains one of the world's most enigmatic fighters.
Kept under tight secrecy, the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (CAC) fighter achieved its maiden flight on 11 January 2011, while US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was in China on an official visit. Taking him by surprise, he later admitted that US intelligence agencies underestimated China's ability to develop a new-generation fighter.