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| Control Nozzle Technology 2D Vector F-22 Fighter Used On China's Chengdu J-20 |
Washington - The United States (US) looks annoyed to see the 2D vector control nozzle technology of the F-22Raptor stealth fighter being used on China's Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter. Washington has also accused Beijing of stealing 2D vector control nozzle technology through espionage.
The Chengdu J-20 stealth aircraft was a project for China's new fighter in 2008, but development is fast. Meanwhile, the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter first flew in September 1997 and began producing 195 aircraft until 2011 only for the US and not for export.
The Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter made its first flight in 2011 and entered service for the Chinese Air Force in 2017. Various reports emerged from 2015 noting similarities in technology and capabilities between China's Chengdu J-20 jet and the US F-22 Raptor.
In recent weeks, information was conveyed by China that the Chengdu J-20 fighter would feature a new 2D Thrust Vector Control (2D Thrust Vector Control) nozzle. There have been claims that this development was also stolen from the US, but this is still in the realm of speculation and hearsay.
“What we do know is that because of espionage efforts, (China's) J-20 is more advanced than it should be, and that's the sticking point here. They've made huge profits from years of theft," former Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy James Anderson told Fox News Digital.
China for the first time exhibited a turbofan engine with a 2D thrust vector control nozzle at Airshow China 2022 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province. The Global Times on November 10, 2022 reported that five variants of the Taihang series turbofan engines were on display at the airshow, which were made by Aero Engine Corp of China (AECC).
Thrust vector control nozzles greatly improve the maneuverability of the fighter by providing direct thrust in the desired direction in addition to using aerodynamic factors. Thrust vector control nozzle engines were mechanically and structurally more complex than nozzleless engines, but gave the aircraft many tactical advantages in combat.
“A 2D nozzle usually has better low radar detection and infrared stealth capabilities than a 3D nozzle. Besides, the 2D nozzle provides sufficient thrust," Fu Qianshao, an expert on Chinese military aviation, told the Global Times.
Thrust vector control nozzle called thrust vectoring or thrust vector control (TVC) is the ability of an aircraft or rocket to change the direction of engine thrust to control the position or angular velocity of the aircraft. This technology was used in the 1930s by Robert Goddard whose way of working could be seen in that the end of a jet engine could be moved to a certain angle. This capability makes the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter a real competitor to the US F-22 Raptor. Moreover, China is reportedly building as many as 150 units, approaching the number of F-22 Raptors which have reached 186 units.