Mysterious Chinese stealth jet a fresh test for US air dominance

AllAfrica

2 days ago

A mysterious tailless stealth jet spotted in China has intensified the US-China race for sixth-generation air dominance, where competing ambitions face significant technological and operational uncertainties on both sides of the Pacific.
This month, multiple media sources reported that images circulating on Chinese social media appear to show a previously unknown tailless stealth aircraft, igniting debate over whether it is China's third distinct sixth-generation crewed fighter or a high-performance autonomous 'loyal wingman' drone.
Photographed from multiple angles, the jet features a pointed nose, mid-set highly swept wings with cropped tips, no vertical stabilizers and possibly twin engines—design traits suggesting either a Chengdu-built rival to Shenyang's J-50 fighter or an advanced unmanned combat air vehicle. The lack of clear cockpit imagery leaves its role unresolved.
Analysts note similarities to China's massive J-36 stealth jet, but on a smaller, potentially faster airframe, with landing and nose gear hinting at carrier operations.
The emergence comes amid a rapid expansion of Chinese military aerospace programs, including multiple collaborative combat aircraft designs—informally dubbed 'teacups'—that could debut at China's September 3 'Victory Day' parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
These developments parallel US efforts under its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, underscoring intensifying competition to field stealthy, AI-enabled platforms capable of operating in crewed-uncrewed teams for long-range, high-survivability missions.
Carrier integration is a primary focus for China's next-generation designs. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported in April 2025 that China's J-36 stealth fighter design team is developing a carrier landing-assist system for a planned naval variant of the tri-engine, tailless flying-wing jet.
Detailed in Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica, the system uses 'direct force control' to adjust lift independently of pitch, aided by a Fixed-Time Disturbance Observer that counters turbulent 'ship-airwake' effects in real time, as stated by SCMP.
According to SCMP, the technology—integrated with 3D thrust vectoring and drag rudders—achieved two-centimeter altitude precision in simulations under extreme sea states. Such precision could allow sixth-generation flying-wing aircraft to operate from China's carriers, extending the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN) reach into blue waters, a capability that would advance Beijing's long-stated objective of sustained power projection.
Yet while China's carrier integration efforts advance, both Beijing and Washington face unresolved technical and operational challenges. Chinese initiatives must contend with potential counter-stealth vulnerabilities and immature manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) concepts. US efforts, meanwhile, remain at the conceptual level amid secrecy and internal debate.
David Bacci wrote in a March 2025 article for The Conversation that sixth-generation fighters mark a shift from raw performance toward operational dominance through integrated systems.
He said they prioritize stealth evolution—diamond-shaped airframes, radar-absorbing materials and reduced or eliminated vertical tails—enhanced by thrust vectoring and fluidic actuators for control.
While fighter speed and maneuverability have plateaued, Bacci noted that onboard AI, adaptive engines and MUM-T redefine combat roles, enabling these fighters to operate as networked nodes in a battlespace. Leveraging sensor fusion and electronic warfare, they aim to outpace adversaries' decision cycles, with survivability, autonomy and seamless integration as central goals.
China's unveiling of several new-generation fighter types, such as the J-36, J-50 and possibly this new model, could also herald structural changes in the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
Lauren Edson and Phillip Saunders wrote in a July 2025 Joint Force Quarterly article that once these prototypes mature, the PLAAF may have to decide on the right mix of expensive, high-tech sixth-generation fighters and less costly fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft.
Technical details underscore the scope of these decisions. Janes reported in January 2025 that the J-36 is a tailless, tri-engine strike platform with compound diamond-delta wings, caret-shaped intakes and split rudders, featuring large internal bays capable of carrying very-long-range air-to-air missiles (VLRAAMs) and cruise missiles, suggesting long-range, high-speed strike capability.
Janes also described the J-50 as a twin-engine fighter with diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) intakes, drooped wingtips and AI-enabled systems, possibly incorporating adaptive engines and MUM-T. Both platforms, Janes assessed, reflect China's intent to rival Western sixth-generation programs, though their operational viability remains uncertain.
Strategic caveats cut through the hype. Andrew Erickson wrote in December 2024 that while it is important not to underestimate China's capabilities, overreliance on stealth can be misleading.
He argued that low-observable technology isn't a perfect solution, as it becomes less effective with advancing electromagnetic detection. Regardless of how well radar and thermal emissions are hidden within a low-observable aircraft and despite meticulous maintenance of its sensitive surfaces, it grows more susceptible to advanced, persistent countermeasures.
Doctrinal and organizational factors also pose hurdles. John Chen and Emilie Stewart wrote in an April 2025 China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) article that the PLA's thinking on MUM-T and swarm tactics is still formative.
They noted that while PLA literature increasingly discusses these concepts—particularly the shift toward 'unmanned-centric' warfare—actual development and deployment remain uneven.
Many capabilities are aspirational, with limited evidence of operational maturity. Challenges include integrating autonomous systems into command structures, ensuring reliable communications in contested environments, and aligning industrial capacity with doctrinal ambitions. While experimentation is ongoing, authoritative sources suggest practical implementation lags behind conceptual enthusiasm.
The US, for its part, is also moving toward a sixth-generation carrier-based fighter. This month, The War Zone (TWZ) reported that Northrop Grumman released rare concept art for its proposed F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based fighter, offering a rare public look at the US Navy's future air combat plans amid ongoing debate over the program's direction.
The rendering, as shown by TWZ, reveals a stealth-optimized design with a broad nose for radar aperture, a single-seat bubble canopy and a deep fuselage for internal fuel and weapons.
Notable features include a top-mounted intake and reinforced landing gear for carrier operations. TWZ noted that while the US Air Force's NGAD program garners more attention, the US Navy's F/A-XX remains shrouded in secrecy, with internal debates over its trajectory and limited public disclosures from competing vendors.
How these programs evolve may hinge less on public unveilings than on solving the complex problems of integration, survivability, and sustained production. The mystery jet on a Chinese tarmac may signal rapid prototyping and industrial drive, but its true measure—and that of its US counterparts—will be proven in bridging the gap between concept and combat.
The next decisive advance in the US-China sixth-generation race may not be the aircraft we see, but the invisible systems that make it dominant in the battlespace.