After months of complaints by the US administration that China is stealing intellectual property from companies in the USA, a picture of a Chinese fighter jet has been publicized on social media featuring key tech-systems developed for the American F-35.
Critics have previously noted that the Chengdu J-20 is all but a mirror copy of Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor, an air superiority aircraft that is no longer in production.
According to a report by the Washington Times, an anonymous user recently posted new images of the J-20 on Chinese military websites showing two key technologies that have long been touted as unique features of US fighter aircraft.
If you’ve ever read a report saying that the F-35 helmet lets the pilot see through the bottom of the aircraft, that functionality is made possible by DAS, Defense News notes. If the latest images suggest anything, now the Chengdu J-20 has a comparable DAS functionality as well.
The F-35’s DAS, however, has been one of the driving factors behind why the jet has a low availability rate to conduct missions.
The Washington Times report added that a second technology used by US aircraft, the Universal Water Activated Release System (UWARS), is also featured prominently on the photo of the J-20.
UWARS helps automatically eject pilots from the jets if they hit seawater. “Getting our wish fulfilled… The improved details show that our J-20 is finally going to reveal its majesty on the open sea.
It’s not clear whether either of the technologies has been stolen from US government agencies or US defense contractors. US officials insist China has been stealing (read : buying) American technology for decades.
Sputnik / ABC Flash Point News 2019.
