A new Chinese stealth jet that could put the superpower at the front of the race to command the skies has left the world stunned after it was spotted on its maiden voyage over the country.
According to defence news and analysis website, The War Zone, the new super-long range fighter jet is speculated to have the ability to fly on the edge of space and has been designed to target US early warning aircraft and tankers that could not be reached before.
“But above all else, if procured in an operation form by the PLAAF, it would be able to fly over long regional distances and loiter for extended periods on station far from home without tanker support – something China lacks in terms of capacity versus the United States,” the website wrote.
“It would also presumably be able to do this in closer proximity to threats than any other manned aircraft in China’s arsenal.”
The new jet was spotted alongside a Chengdu J-20, the current generation of fighters. The War Zone believes the plane was undergoing a daytime test flight, with the current generation serving as a chase plane.
It was seen flying with its landing gear open – a standard practice during early testing stages – from the airfield of the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, which develops Chinese drones and fighters.
The new aircraft appeared in many social media posts, revealing a large, three-engine warplane with a cockpit and diamond-style wing with no vertical tails – which may help the aircraft to avoid being detected in radars.
According to Aviation Weekly, the aircraft’s engines are fed by a single dorsal inlet and two ventral inlets. The dorsal inlet features a stealth-enhancing diverterless supersonic inlet.
The multiple intakes appear to be positioned for optimal stealth and high-speed performance, the UK Defence Journal has suggested.
An internal weapons bay is believed to be held inside the aircraft’s large ventral fuselage section and the main landing gear features two wheels each, an emblem of heavy fighter-bombers, such as the Sukhoi Su-34.
Images of the potential super fighter have also indicated that there are possible missile and bomb loading hatches under the fuselage, further enhancing radar stealth. Engine nozzles located above the fuselage also reduce heat radiation and noise.
The fighter may also have aerodynamic efficiencies which would provide better performance for high-speed dashes and cruising flight.
“Clearly, this aircraft incorporates significantly greater low observable technologies that are a leap ahead of the J-20, beyond its tailless design”, the journal adds.
Retired Air Force Gen. Mark D. Kelly, had said that it would be no surprise if China had been working on a new generation of fighter jets.
China “are not dummies. They know what they’re doing,” he warned, adding that he also expected the Chinese sixth-generation air combat program to include an “exponential” improvement in stealth compared with current platforms.
According to Justin Bronk, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), while the aircraft’s design is “fascinating,” it is likely part of China’s ongoing regional bomber/strike fighter development, rather than their sixth-generation fighter programme.
He warned on X that the aircraft might not match the performance expectations set by the US Next Generation Air Dominance – a US Air Force sixth-generation air superiority initiative – but it could represent a significant leap in China’s tactical airpower capabilities.