Cutting edge ‘Chinese fighter jet’ spotted at US air base sparking speculation pilot may have defected to West
An object resembling a top secret J-20 Mighty Dragon jet was sighted at Savannah-Hilton Head Airport, in Georgia
A MYSTERIOUS warplane that appears to be a Chinese J-20 stealth fighter has been spotted at a US base — immediately sparking rumours that its pilot had defected.
The object closely resembling the cutting edge warplane was seen parked in a military facility inside Savannah-Hilton Head Airport, Georgia, on Wednesday, December 5.
The image was first reported in .
But when the aviation news website contacted the US Air Force, Colonel Emmanuel Haldopoulos, commander of the Savannah Air Dominance Centre said it was mock-up.
He said: “It is a full scale replica and remained at the Air Dominance Centre for a short period during the week of 4-6 Dec.
"The United States Marine Corps is funding and directing the training objectives of this device.”
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The image has been shared millions of times online, with some incorrectly claiming it was photoshopped while others suggest it could have been a Cold War style defection.
The most famous of these was Viktor Belenko, a former Soviet pilot, defected in 1976 while flying his MiG-25 “Foxbat” jet fighter and landed in Hakodate, Japan.
The J-20 last made a public appearance at an airshow last month in Zhuhai, China.
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