Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II vs AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II and AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 are both fighter aircraft, compared here on public specifications. The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 leads on range (3,400 vs 2,200 km). Several China-origin figures here are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, so treat this comparison as directional.
Compare systems side by side
Search above to add up to five systems. You’ll get a per-spec winner, relative bars, a normalized spec profile and an honest verdict, every number from public sources.
Add systems
Search here or add from any product page
See winners
Relative bars + who wins each metric
Decide
Verdict, spec profile, per-spec winners
Building a fleet? Try the Force Builder →
Full data
Full spec sheet
 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II
Wins 4/11 |  AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20
Wins 7/11 | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| Max speed (km/h) | 1,960 km/h | 2,100 km/h ✓ |
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | 1.6 Mach | 2 Mach ✓ |
| Range (km) | 2,200 km | 3,400 km ✓ |
| Combat radius (km) | 1,240 km | 2,000 km ✓ |
| Service ceiling (m) | 15,240 m | 20,000 m ✓ |
| Thrust-to-weight | 0.87 | 1 ✓ |
| Firepower | ||
| Hardpoints | 10 ✓ | 6 |
| Weapons payload (kg) | 8,160 kg | 11,000 kg ✓ |
| Physical | ||
| Length (m) | 15.67 m | 20.4 m |
| Empty weight (kg) | 13,290 kg | 19,391 kg |
| Combat weight (kg) | 22,470 kg | 32,092 kg |
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
| Propulsion | ||
| Thrust (kN) | 191 kN ✓ | 142 kN |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | $82,500,000 | N/A |
| Units built | 1,100 ✓ | 250 |
| Operator countries | 20 ✓ | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster, Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II and AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 is the fastest of the 2 compared here, at 2,100 km/h.
Which has the longer range? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 has the longest range at 3,400 km.
Which carries the larger weapons payload? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 carries the largest weapons payload at 11,000 kg.
Which is cheaper? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II has the lower public unit-cost figure at 82,500,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Is the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II better than the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20? +
On the public specs we track, the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) J-20 leads on 3 of 3 headline metrics, see the full spec sheet for the metric-by-metric breakdown.
Where does this comparison data come from? +
Every figure in the table is sourced from public manufacturer pages, defense-ministry releases and reference publications, and is verifiable on each system's spec page. WeaponSpecs does not accept vendor placement.
Keep exploring
