China’s Fake Jets Identified

BeijingThe ‘stealth jets’ were firefighting practice targets.

Satellite imagery alone can’t distinguish a decoy from a real warplane.

Analysts identify aircraft by shape and size from orbit, so a lookalike object produces an identical, false detection.

Analysts estimate China’s real J-20 fleet near 500, growing toward 1,000 by 2030.

Sources: The War Zone