In the global military technology landscape, China has declared that it has successfully tripled the radar detection range of its fifth-generation J-20 “Mighty Dragon” stealth fighter. The remarkable improvement is attributed to the integration of a domestically developed silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor, signaling a transformative moment for China’s aerospace and defense sectors.
Announced through the official social media channel of Shandong University on May 30, the development credits Professor Xu Xiangang, a leading materials scientist and semiconductor innovator, for pioneering a homegrown high-performance SiC chip now being deployed in the KLJ-5 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system onboard the J-20.
This technological leap, hailed as a major stride in indigenous capability, has the potential to redefine China’s aerial warfare doctrines, strategic deterrence, and its ability to counter U.S. and allied forces in contested airspaces like the Taiwan Strait, East China Sea, and South China Sea.
Silicon carbide (SiC), a compound discovered in 1891, is known for its extreme thermal conductivity, high voltage tolerance, and low electronic loss—all critical qualities for high-performance electronic systems. Long utilized by the United States in advanced military systems such as the F-35 Lightning II and THAAD missile defense batteries, SiC has remained a strategic bottleneck for China due to decades-long dependence on foreign suppliers and Western restrictions on chip exports.
Xu, who leads the Institute of Novel Semiconductors and the State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials at Shandong University, is now being credited with breaking that dependency. His research over two decades culminated in the production of high-purity, semi-insulating SiC substrates suitable for aerospace-grade radar systems.
“Twenty years ago, we couldn’t even produce a substrate meeting basic standards,” Xu stated in a university-released video. “Now, we can precisely control the material’s growth and quality.”
This newfound ability to domestically fabricate radar-grade SiC components is being celebrated in China as a strategic breakthrough—both technologically and geopolitically.
The J-20’s radar, known as the KLJ-5 AESA, was developed by the Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology (NRIET). Operating in the X-band frequency range, the KLJ-5 has already been considered a formidable sensor, capable of tracking dozens of targets simultaneously while maintaining low probability of intercept (LPI) characteristics.
However, open-source military assessments previously estimated the KLJ-5’s detection range at around 300 kilometers against fighter-sized targets.
With the integration of Xu’s SiC chip, Chinese analysts now assert that the J-20 can detect aerial targets at 600 to 700 kilometers—a performance leap that places it squarely in the same tier, if not superior to, the AESA systems aboard the U.S. F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.
The tripled detection range could allow the J-20 to not only see and track enemy aircraft long before being detected itself, but also engage them at standoff distances using PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles. These missiles are reportedly capable of reaching distances over 300 kilometers, providing the J-20 with a first-shot advantage in a potential encounter with U.S. or Japanese fighters.
In its statement, Shandong University emphasized that the SiC radar chip is more than just an engineering feat—it is a national security imperative.
“This ‘Chinese chip’ is crucial for national security,” the university stated. “It is a hardcore shield for China’s advanced military platforms.”
Indeed, the enhanced KLJ-5 radar does more than improve air-to-air detection. The SiC upgrade enhances:
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Missile guidance precision, enabling better lock-on and engagement.
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Laser weapon systems, with higher energy outputs.
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Radar resilience, especially under high-stress and electronic warfare (EW) environments.
These multi-domain benefits demonstrate that Xu’s chip has expanded China’s ability to wage both conventional and asymmetric warfare using next-generation systems.
The timing of the announcement is not accidental. It comes at a moment of escalating U.S.-led export restrictions targeting China’s access to advanced chips, lithography tools, and semiconductor-grade materials. Washington, Tokyo, and the Netherlands have led efforts to limit China’s access to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines and high-end chip-making tools needed for producing 7nm and smaller nodes.
Professor Xu’s success in scaling SiC crystal growth from 2 inches to 12 inches, and transferring the technology to major Chinese firms such as SICC and Summit Crystal Semiconductor, represents a direct challenge to this technology blockade.
“When our country cannot source these materials from abroad, we dedicate ourselves to developing them here,” Xu said—an unsubtle rebuke to U.S. export controls.
The radar enhancement marks an evolutionary step for the J-20. While the aircraft was initially conceived around stealth and maneuverability to rival the F-22, it is increasingly being optimized for sensor fusion, networked operations, and long-range engagement.
With a SiC-powered radar at its core, the J-20 is now capable of acting as a battlefield sensor node, coordinating with:
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KJ-500 early warning aircraft, extending China’s air picture.
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GJ-11 “Sharp Sword” stealth drones, which can penetrate enemy airspace undetected.
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PLA’s strategic missile forces, by providing targeting data for air and surface-launched weapons.
The fusion of sensor range and networked communications may allow China to shift from platform-centric warfare to information-centric warfare, mirroring the U.S. military’s vision of Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).
Parallel to this technological leap is China’s growing fleet of fifth-generation fighters. As of mid-2025, China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is estimated to operate between 250 and 300 J-20s, making it the second-largest fleet of stealth fighters in the world after the United States.
According to defense analysts and satellite imagery assessments, Chengdu Aircraft Corporation is producing two to three J-20s per month, with production lines ramped up significantly since 2022. The jets are deployed across strategic commands:
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Eastern Theater Command, near Taiwan.
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Southern Theater Command, covering the South China Sea.
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Western Theater Command, in proximity to India and the Himalayas.
Such deployments are not only deterrent signals to neighboring adversaries but are also integral to China’s air superiority and denial doctrines, especially around sensitive regions like Taiwan, where the risk of escalation remains high.
China’s radar enhancement could have far-reaching consequences for balance-of-power calculations in the Indo-Pacific.
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For the United States, the improvement challenges its presumed superiority in aerial detection, electronic warfare, and beyond-visual-range (BVR) combat.
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For Japan, South Korea, and Australia, the J-20’s long-range detection and engagement envelope complicates air patrols and defense planning.
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For Taiwan, it adds another layer of complexity to air defense efforts, potentially neutralizing F-16V upgrades and Patriot radar coverage in the early stages of a conflict.
Moreover, the radar’s ability to resist electronic jamming could reduce the effectiveness of traditional countermeasures like chaff, flares, or spoofing, giving Chinese fighters a greater edge in electronic-contested zones.
While much of the attention is rightly focused on the J-20 and its radar, the success of Xu’s SiC technology speaks to a larger national goal: achieving semiconductor self-sufficiency.
China has identified SiC, GaN (gallium nitride), and other compound semiconductors as essential to its “Made in China 2025” initiative and broader civil-military fusion strategy. These materials are not only critical to defense systems but also to electric vehicles, renewable energy, space technologies, and quantum computing.
With Xu’s breakthroughs, China is now poised to become a global supplier of SiC components—not just a consumer, thereby tilting the competitive balance in both commercial and military electronics.
The integration of a domestically produced SiC chip into the J-20’s radar system is more than an engineering milestone—it’s a strategic coup. It signals China’s arrival at the frontlines of radar warfare, semiconductor independence, and fifth-generation airpower.
By achieving a tripled radar detection range, greater missile guidance, enhanced electronic warfare resilience, and networked warfare capability, the J-20 is no longer merely China’s stealth answer to the West—it is now a multidomain force multiplier.
