China surprises with the sudden appearance of Heavy Stealth Tactical Jets (updated)

On By Littum

In something of a fantastic development, China is displayed to already fly a stealthy, high-performance sixth-generation manned fighter, images of which began to emerge today. At this early stage, we have very little idea of ​​the new aircraft’s exact identity, but many elements of its design are very much in line with what we already knew about Chinese sixth-generation air power aspirations.

Just hours after the appearance of the first Chinese fighter jet today, videos and photos of another new design began to circulate. Also tailless, this smaller design may very well originate from the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, and you can read more about it here.

Video and images that began circulating on social media today show the unprecedented aircraft conducting a daytime test flight alongside a two-seat Chengdu J-20S fighter jet serving as a fighter jet. The locations and dates of the various images cannot be verified at this stage, although the presence of the J-20 suggests that the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) factory airfield is a likely candidate.

The new Chinese fighter jet accompanied by a J-20S fighter jet. via X
via X

There has also been no official comment from the Chinese Ministry of Defense or state media so far.

Aside from the sheer size of the new aircraft, which we’ll address in a moment, the most striking thing about it is its planform and tailless configuration. It has a modified delta wing with chine lines that extend all the way to the nose area, while its central fuselage section, at least the bottom of it, loosely resembles the J-20. The wide nose could even accommodate side-by-side crew seats, although the limited view of the canopy means we can’t be sure if the aircraft has a single or two-seat arrangement, with tandem double seating being another possibility.

via X
via X
via X

There was already growing evidence to suggest that China’s next fighter jet would be tailless, and designs of this nature had previously emerged in the form of engineering studies. Back in October 2021, a mysterious tailless aircraft form appeared on satellite images of a CAC factory airfield. It was a large modified diamond-like delta shape with a relatively thin nose section that also had a significant wingspan – roughly equivalent to that of a J-20. But it’s worth noting that this shape doesn’t look the same as the plane we see.

Beyond that, next-generation tactical combat aircraft that eschew traditional tails is a key design driver also being pursued by the US military. This is predominantly to significantly reduce the aircraft’s radar signature across multiple bands and from all aspects. There are also some aerodynamic efficiency gains with such a design, particularly one used for long-range operations via a reduction in aerodynamic drag, which should provide better performance for sustained high-speed dashes and cruises. At the same time, a tailless configuration can adversely affect overall maneuverability, even with the most advanced computerized flight control systems. There is currently no evidence of thrust vectoring engines on this aircraft, which would help improve agility and overall stability. The engine exhausts are mounted in the best place to mask the aircraft’s infrared signature, on top of the rear of its fuselage, similar to the YF-23.

The diamond-shaped tailless vehicle seen on a satellite image of the CAC factory airfield in October 2021. PHOTO © 2021 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION

While a tailless configuration, size, general design and exhaust layout point directly to a design tailored for stealth and endurance, it is not entirely clear the exact level of improved low observability this new aircraft can offer. Just deleting tail surfaces and straights and giving a more general aerodynamic clean-up while utilizing the same now nearly 15-year-old technology, such as found on the J-20, would still be a massive improvement. Clearly, this aircraft incorporates significantly greater low-observable technologies that are a leap ahead of the J-20, in addition to its tailless design.

Also notable is the extensive arrangement of control surfaces combined with the tailless design with five trailing edge control surfaces per wing. These include prominent split flaps near the wingtips. These will be used variously to provide yaw control in the absence of tail control surfaces, as well as being activated simultaneously to serve as air brakes.

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In terms of size, the new aircraft is comparable to the J-20 – the images suggest that it is at least as long. The J-20 is close to 70 feet nose to tail. In this regard, this design’s two-wheeled main landing gear is also worth noting, providing another clue to the aircraft’s considerable weight. Above all, its large size seems to reflect an overall long-endurance concern with relatively massive internal volume to accommodate a very large fuel load, as well as weapons and sensors.

A J-20 stealth fighter. Photo by Wang Jingtian/VCG via Getty Images A J-20 stealth fighter practices for the 2023 Changchun Air Show in July 2023 in Changchun, Jilin Province, China. Photo by Wang Jingtian/VCG via Getty Images

Perhaps the aircraft’s most unusual feature is its air intake arrangement. It appears to have an air intake on the top of the fuselage, as well as dual intakes on either side of the lower fuselage. This has already led to speculation that the aircraft may have a highly unorthodox three-engine arrangement. Unconfirmed rumors point to a power plant consisting of three domestically produced WS-10C turbofans, as used in the J-20. Given the aircraft’s higher gross weight than the J-20, three engines may be required to meet aggressive performance targets, particularly for sustained high-speed flight and high-altitude operations.

That China has been working on a sixth-generation fighter program is also no surprise.

Back in September 2022, now-retired Air Force Gen. Mark D. Kelly, then head of the Air Combat Command (ACC), said China was working on the same kind of air combat “system” as his service. is pursuing under its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative, including a sixth-generation manned fighter jet.

At the time, Kelly noted that China saw sixth-generation air power, including future manned fighters, “very much as we see it: an exponential reduction in signature, exponential acceleration of processing power and sensing.” Another key factor would be the ability to “iterate” improvements aided by open mission systems, Kelly added.

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via X

Regarding a potential successor to the J-20, Kelly cautioned that China “isn’t dummies. They know what they’re doing.”

Kelly also said he expected the Chinese sixth-generation air combat program to include an “exponential” improvement in stealth compared to current platforms.

At this early stage, it is far from clear whether the new aircraft is a sixth-generation fighter prototype, or perhaps a more generalized demonstrator that will test new technologies that could potentially end up on a variety of platforms, including a large tactical aircraft . like it. It seems almost certain that for some time now China has been involved in initial testing of various manned fighter configurations. This development work may also include demonstrators, both sub-scale and full-size, and the new aircraft may well be related to it.

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The aircraft may also be related to a new regional stealth bomber, which could potentially be a crew component linked to the wider Chinese Sixth Generation Air Power Initiative.

The regional bomber program, known as JH-XX, remains highly secretive, but you can read more about what is known about that project here. Shenyang Aircraft Corporation was previously thought to be working on the JH-XX, in which case a J-20 fighter, from rival Chengdu, would seem less likely.

More likely, at least at this point, this aircraft could be more closely tied to China’s version of the US’s NGAD initiative, which aimed to develop a similar manned heavy ‘fighter’-style aircraft that would function as much as a command and control node for drones like a classic fighter. Range, sustained speed in cruise, weapon payload and low observability are all believed to be top priorities for the manned fighter component of the NGAD, or at least they were. The fighter element of the program is now on hold and could still be canceled entirely or end up looking very different under the Trump administration.

The fact that this exotic aircraft flew during the day, in an area where it was apparently easy to photograph, also says a lot about the status of the program. It is very likely that China intended this to be seen at this time.

All in all, although so much remains unknown, what we can definitely say about this aircraft is that it is a large, very heavy tactical jet that has been given a huge premium on combat radios and survivability. High altitude operations are also likely to be a feature of this design, especially if it actually has three engines. But above all else, if procured in an operational form by the PLAAF, it would be able to fly long regional distances and loiter for extended periods on station far from home without tanker support – something China lacks in terms of capability versus the US. It would also presumably be able to do this closer to threats than any other manned aircraft in China’s arsenal.

In other words, it can put targets in the air, on the ground and at sea at risk in areas where they do not currently expect a threat from a manned combat aircraft. This has real implications for US tankers, airlift and airborne early warning and control, and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as allied ships and forces operating in forward locations. It would also serve as a critical force-multiplier sensor platform operating far forward. Paired with drone wingmen of relevant stamina, its lethality and survivability would be multiplied.

In other words, the existence of this plane is a very big deal.

Update, 3:45 PM EST: The designation of the new fighter that surfaced today, apparently from the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, has now been reported – albeit unconfirmed – as the J-36. A new photo of the jet shows it with a code number displayed on the forward fuselage, the first two digits of which are ’36’, although the rest has been censored. The J-36 designation would be logical after the J-35 – the highest number confirmed so far in the Chinese fighter (Jianjiji) series.

Also notable here are what appear to be two sets of large openings on either side of the nose. One appears to be an electro-optical window, while the other appears to be for an RF sensor. The latter is very likely for side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) arrays, which would provide far greater radar coverage than just a front-mounted array alone. It also allows for unique tactics that can greatly improve aircraft survivability during an engagement. You can read more about this feature here and the tactics for maintaining perpendicular radar locks here. The Su-57 has this feature and the F-22 was supposed to have it before it was cut due to cost during the aircraft’s final development period. The optical apertures are of interest for reconnaissance and situational awareness, where a relatively large camera system can fit behind the large windows, if indeed that is what they are.

Also seen in this photo is the weapons bay, which is similar to the J-20 in configuration, though likely much deeper and possibly longer. There are also additional segmented trailing edge surfaces that can be seen in the central tail section where the exhaust would exit. This is very interesting because it is not clear how much articulation they have. There appear to be as many as 18 separate segments on the trailing edge of the aircraft.

A flight data probe can also be seen in these images on the nose of the aircraft, which is usual for aircraft in early flight test configuration.

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via X

The rear aspect of the aircraft shows the ‘three-pack’ of YF-23-like exhausts:

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