J-20 fighter. (Photo from Weibo)

The PLA Air Force refuted the rumor that the J-20 fighter has been deployed to troops on May 31.

Since May 30, some media has been reporting that "J-20s are in service in the Southern Theatre Command" and that "J-20s and J-10s are being used in military drills together". According to the official Weibo account of the PLA Air Force, those reports are not true. So far, J-20s have not been used to equipped the air force. 

A TV station mistakenly used the image of a J-20 when reporting an air unit of the Southern Theater Command on May 29. And speculative reports are all based on this TV screenshot. Some media said that insiders have disclosed the future operation plans for the J-20, which is also unreliable. 

Currently, J-20s and Y-20s are all conducting relevant experiments and test flights. In the near future, these planes will be deployed to the air force gradually to effectively enhance the combat ability of the air force. 

In recently years, China has independently developed some new weapons and equipment which will be used to safeguard China's sovereignty, safety and territorial integrity. These new weapons and equipment are necessary guarantees in the process of China's peaceful development.