get your pilot license

Second New Chinese Stealth Jet Emerges in the Same Day

By December 27, 2024 Commercial Pilot Maneuvers Requirements 0 Comments

After the new supposed regional bomber developed by Chengdu was sighted during its first flight, another design developed by Shenyang has now emerged.

Few hours after the first images of China’s new supposed regional stealth bomber surfaced online, a video showing a second design has now appeared. While the first flew from Chengdu Aircraft Corporation’s (CAC) headquarters in Chengdu, the second flew from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation’s (SAC) facilities.

The second design

While photos and videos of this aircraft only emerged today, according to some reports it flew for the first time last week. Compared to the first design, this one appears to be smaller, but it is similarly an apparently tailless aircraft. The jet was escorted by a Chinese Flanker derivative acting as chase.

The aircraft has a highly swept wing which is similar to the so-called lambda wing. The design appears to be a twin-engine, with two squared air intakes below the wing root. Given the quality of the images, it is unclear if these could be diverterless supersonic inlets (DSI).

The images don’t allow to see whether a cockpit is present, although it is unlikely to be an unmanned aircraft. Also, it is now unclear what would be the role of this aircraft, if it is another 5th generation design or the rumored 6th generation J-XX fighter.

The first design

The other aircraft, escorted by a twin-seater J-20S fighter, flew from Chengdu Aircraft Corporation’s (CAC) headquarters. Few more details have now emerged, with observers considering it likely to be the 5th generation JH-XX regional bomber.

Also, higher resolution photos allowed to see the serial on the aircraft, which appears to be 3601, leading to the possible designation of the unknown aircraft as J-36. The same photos also allowed to see verify the presence of the weapons bays between the main landing gear bays, although their dimensions are unclear.

Two apertures are also visible on the sides of the nose, below the cockpit. Among the possibilities being mentioned are side-looking radar arrays and electro-optical sensors. The former option is similar to what can be found on the Russian Su-57 Felon.

Another grainy photos, showing the aircraft on the ground, allowed to confirm the presence of three engines. As already mentioned in the first report, two intakes are below the wings and are caret-shaped, while the intake for the central engine is on top of the fuselage and appears to be a DSI.

Interestingly, the chase J-20S was the previously unconfirmed prototype 2035 and was also carrying two camera pods under its wings. It is unclear if these were used for the first flight of the new aircraft.

Two new aircraft in a day

Dec. 26 is an important day for China, as it is the birthday of Mao Zedong, the founder of the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Many important events are usually kept for this day. For an instance, the J-20 first emerged on Dec. 26 about a decade ago.

The two aircraft flew in broad daylight over densely populated areas, so there was no apparent effort to hide them even with the secrecy which usually surrounds new aircraft development in China. So far there are no official comments, however the fact that the images are being freely shared without any intervention by the authorities lead to the opinion that the decision to have the aircraft spotted during the flights was deliberate.

An important note is also the fact that it is currently unknown whether the two aircraft are demonstrators of designs in competition for the same requirements or complementary designs. In fact, while both have characteristics aligned to those of fighters and fighter-bombers, they have different sizes, with one being a heavy aircraft and the other a medium-size aircraft.

Sixth generation

At this stage it is impossible to verify the Chinese claims about these designs being 6th generation aircraft. The description of 6th generation itself is still being debated, as they are often seen as multirole assets, air superiority assets, “quarterbacks” of the attack force, depending on who you ask.

It is worth noting, however, that in 2022 the then head of the U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command, Gen. Mark Kelly, mentioned that China has been working on ‘system of systems’ similar to the ones being developed for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, including a 6th-generation manned fighter jet.

According to the General, the intelligence showed that China had similar views of what a 6th gen aircraft should be, with open mission systems, high computing power, deep sensing and very low observability. These characteristics would be accompanied by long operational range, high speed, large payload and the possibility to act as a command and control node or perform manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operations.

NGAD review Trump
A notional NGAD design. (Image credit: Boeing)

Similarly to how the NGAD program was initially envisioned as a successor to the F-22 Raptor, the Chinese 6th gen aircraft might be envisioned as a successor to the J-20 Mighty Dragon. The U.S. Air Force saw a manned 6th-generation fighter as the centerpiece of the family of systems, accompanied by Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). China might do the same with the FH-97A drone unveiled in 2022 and described as a Loyal Wingman (the old name of the CCAs).

The USAF has paused NGAD for a review and is now reassessing its requirements for the 6th generation fighter and explore whether the current development strategy aligns with the evolving threat landscape and budget realities. The results could reshape the program, shifting focus from a manned 6th generation fighter jet to a more cost-effective and technologically advanced system of systems.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has emphasized the importance of this review, indicating that it will determine whether the Air Force needs to move forward with the manned NGAD fighter as planned or shift to a distributed, multi-platform strategy. The review will also explore how unmanned systems, particularly Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs), can complement or even replace traditional fighter jets in some roles.

The initial focus was on creating a high-end fighter with cutting-edge capabilities, but now, the emphasis is shifting toward a more integrated approach that considers the roles of CCAs, bombers like the B-21, and a distributed network of capabilities. The initial high-end fighter had an estimated price reaching several hundred million dollars per aircraft because of all the features required.

CCA F-35
Computer rendering of Lockheed Martin’s SPEED RACER CCA concept, developed as part of the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Project CARRERA, alongside an F-35A Lightning II. (Image credit: Lockheed Martin)

The Air Force, under Secretary Frank Kendall, is pushing for a leaner and more efficient program, exploring ways to break up the NGAD’s capabilities across multiple platforms to lower the overall cost. This could mean a reduced emphasis on a single, all-encompassing fighter jet, favoring a networked approach that includes unmanned systems, bombers, and more affordable fighters.

It is unclear what approach will follow China, whether it is looking at all-in-one aircraft like initially done by the USAF or a more distributed approach which would also allow for affordable mass instead of fewer expensive aircraft. Given that the PLAAF has only recently officially presented the J-35A 5th gen fighter, it is unlikely that official details about the two new aircraft or 6th generation programs emerge soon.

Tags:, , , ,

Related Posts

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

get your pilot license