Chinese military technology is reaching "near-parity" with the West and western dominance in advanced military systems can no longer be taken for granted, reports the International Institute for Strategic Studies. China's overall defence budget last year was US$145 billion (€137 billion), 1.8 times higher than South Korea and Japan combined. China's spending was topped only by the United States which spent $604.5 billion (€572 billion) on defence in 2016. On air power, China "appears to be reaching near-parity with the West," IISS said. Its 5th-generation PL-10 short-range imaging infrared (IIR) homing air-to-air missile (AAM) for the new Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter is intended to counter America's Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. Following high-speed launch, the PL-10 can accelerate to Mach 4 (4,939km/h) in 2.5 seconds. The F-22 Raptor has an estimated maximum speed of Mach 2.25 (2,778km/h).
