J-20s highly likely to be on ground display

The J-20 stealth fighter jet, China's best combat aircraft, is highly likely to be on public display on the ground for the first time as two J-20s have landed at the site of a coming arms show.

According to video clips and photos taken by separate sources, two J-20s, in the silver gray paint of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, landed at the venue of the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Guangdong province's Zhuhai on Saturday afternoon and then joined other types of combat planes that had arrived earlier.

The exhibition, the largest arms show in the nation, is scheduled to take place in Zhuhai from Tuesday to Sunday. It is more commonly called the Zhuhai Airshow.

This is the first time for J-20s, one of the world's most advanced fighter jets, to appear in front of the public on the ground. The stealth plane had carried out several flight performances at previous Zhuhai Airshows and had flown in military parades, but have never been close to the public out of consideration for confidentiality.

As China's first stealth combat aircraft, J-20 was designed and manufactured by Aviation Industry Corp of China and is widely deemed as one of the best fighter jets ever built in modern history.

The plane conducted its maiden flight in January 2011 and was officially declassified in November 2016 when it staged a brief flight performance at the 11th Zhuhai Airshow. It was commissioned to the PLA Air Force later that year, becoming the third stealth fighter jet in the world to enter service following the US' F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

Military analysts said the aircraft has enabled the PLA Air Force to engage any of other top fighter jets and has substantially enhanced its operational capability.