J-20 stealth fighter makes Northeast China debut with Chinese engines.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has equipped a second ace force with the country's most advanced fighter jet, the J-20, as the unit made its debut with the new warplanes in Northeast China on June 18, Liu Xuanzun reports in Global Times.

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J-20 stealth fighters are now fitted with domestically developed WS-10 engines (Picture source: Wikipedia)

The Military Development Vanguard Air Group, which originated from the Communist Party of China's (CPC) first-ever aviation combat force and fought in the Korean War (1950-53), is now equipped with J-20 fighter jets, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on June 18, citing a PLA Air Force spokesperson. The J-20s from the unit delivered an aerial performance together with other fighter jets including J-16s and J-10s during a PLA Air Force event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC at the former site of the old Northeast China Aviation School, CCTV reported.

This is the second ace force in the PLA Air Force that has been equipped with the country's most advanced fighter jet. In October 2019, the service announced that the J-20 was commissioned into the Wang Hai Air Group, a combat force that claimed to have downed 59 enemy aircraft and named after Wang Hai, a flying ace in the Korean War.

The J-20s featured in the report footages are seemingly equipped with domestically developed WS-10 engines. This is not the first time the PLA Air Force has confirmed that a J-20 equipped with a domestically made engine has entered service. Back in January, the PLA Air Force released a video for its pilot recruitment program, and media outlets identified a J-20 that is equipped with domestically developed WS-10C engines instead of imported Russian engines.

The J-20 made its first test flight in 2011, its debut at Airshow China 2016 and entered military service in 2017.