Latest news with #ShenyangJ-50
The Star
28-07-2025
- The Star
Is this new tailless UAV China's answer to next-generation drone warfare?
A new video circulating online shows what appears to be a Chinese tailless drone flying in formation with a turboprop, offering a rare glimpse at the country's progress in developing collaborative combat aircraft. The footage, first circulated at the weekend on China's social media platform Weibo, reveals the tailless aircraft with a distinctive diamond-shaped delta wing configuration. Accompanying the drone is a Y-8 or Y-9 turboprop-powered transport aircraft, with another similar aircraft trailing separately. An additional still image, apparently a frame from a separate video featuring the same drone, emerged simultaneously on the social media platform X. While bearing a similar tailless shape to China's next-generation fighter prototypes – namely the Chengdu J-36 or Shenyang J-50 – the drone's design differs from and appears smaller than those aircraft. Based on its size relative to the turboprop, the drone appears longer – at about 15 metres (50 feet) – than known 'loyal wingman' drones, which typically measure between 9 and 12 metres. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been actively developing multiple loyal wingman drones and teaming crewed-uncrewed abilities. While the stealthy GJ-11 combat drone remains central to these efforts, China has unveiled other lower-tier uncrewed designs intended to closely coordinate with crewed aircraft. Notably, the FH-97A by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation was showcased at the Zhuhai air show last year and promoted as a loyal wingman capable of 'leading swarms of smaller drones'. The drone was described at the time as having a more autonomous, networked strike role beyond simply supporting platforms such as the J-20. A commenter on X suggested the Y-8/9 aircraft was likely chosen to accompany the tailless drone because it could fly at slower speeds that were suited to observation and because its spacious cabin could accommodate engineers, monitoring equipment and potential radio systems for remotely controlling prototype drones. Certain variants of this aircraft could also deploy target drones for testing purposes. In 2022, China's state broadcaster CCTV showed a related concept, highlighting the use of H-6 missile carriers as airborne launch platforms for tactical drones. China's drive towards advanced autonomous aviation has accelerated with big leaps in artificial intelligence and machine learning. In early June, a PLA Daily article emphasised the importance of 'massed drone deployments' within China's military modernisation. It called for 'innovative approaches' to unmanned systems, describing them as potentially 'decisive and dominant' in future conflicts. The same report urged military planners to move beyond viewing drones as auxiliary forces, advocating for new operational doctrines centred on the mass and coordinated deployment of unmanned systems. It argued 'the next phase of global military competition will hinge on rapidly concentrating essential systems and personnel'. While the exact date and location of the newly emerged drone video remain unclear, its design closely aligns with images from a June 11 satellite photo, showing around 500 military vehicles – including self-propelled artillery and ballistic missile launchers – lined up at a PLA facility on the outskirts of the capital. Of special interest in that satellite image are drones and unmanned surface vessels concealed under cover on trailers. Similar displays have previously unveiled new drone designs during military parades. The facility features a mock avenue layout, closely resembling Beijing's Changan Avenue, indicating large-scale military rehearsals ahead of a planned parade to commemorate the end of World War II in September. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
The Star
12-06-2025
- The Star
What do we know so far about China's advanced J-36 and J-50 fighter jets?
China's two next generation stealth fighter jets – known as the Chengdu J-36 and the Shenyang J-50 – stunned the world when they seemingly emerged out of nowhere on December 26 last year. Over the past six months, more sightings and the resulting images and witness reports have given us an increasing amount of detail about the two advanced and yet mysterious aircraft. Here is what we know about them so far – as well as some of what we do not. Chengdu J-36 Also nicknamed the 'Gingko leaf' because of its shape, the name of this aircraft, developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAIC), has never been officially disclosed. It is known as the J-36 because of the serial number '36011' that was painted on the prototype jet in the first images – similar to the initial J-20, which bore the number '2001'. The J-36's distinctive diamond shape derives from its delta wing platform design, which could greatly reduce air drag when the plane is cruising at high speed. The aircraft is also distinctively tailless – essential for radar evasion. Other unique aerodynamic features include trailing edge control surfaces per wing and split flaps close to the wingtips. These configurations further streamline the airframe while making up for the loss of manoeuvrability. The J-36 is powered by an unorthodox three engines, which are believed to be the same WS-10C Taihang that is used in the J-20. They could also be upgraded to the WS-10 thrust-vectoring version or the more advanced and powerful WS-15 Emei. The engines also use different inlets, with the one on the dorsal featuring a diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) air intake with a compression bump. The two ventral engines use Caret inlets that have adjustable ramps to ensure high-speed performance. The trio of engine exhausts is arranged in a petal design – similar to the United States' experimental YF-23 aircraft in the 1980s – which is said to provide better management of airflow temperature while reducing infrared observability. Most of the J-36's unusual design features are aimed at improving stealth, suggesting the aircraft has also been equipped with a considerable capability upgrade against radar and electro-optic detection in all directions compared to fifth-generation fighters. In its first appearance, the J-36 was accompanied by a J-20S chase plane, providing clues about its size. Based on the images from that day, the aircraft is at least as long as the 21-metre (65.6 feet) J-20, if not slightly longer, but almost double its 3-metre (9.84 feet) wingspan. The estimated size of the J-36 serves as a baseline for conjecture about its other specifications, such as its empty weight, take-off weight, speed, fuel capacity, combat range, armament capacity, and so on. The only thing we can say for sure is that this plane is significantly larger than the heavyweight fifth-gen J-20 fighter, which would allow abundant space for more armaments as well as radar and other advanced avionics. This has led to some speculation about whether the J-36 is more of a bomber. For the sake of its stealth profile, the aircraft's weapon bays are hidden, with one popular theory suggesting that its firepower could greatly exceed the J-20. According to this theory, the J-36 has one main bay in the fuselage belly that can carry up to six or eight long-range missiles, as well as two side bays, each capable of holding two smaller missiles. Another guess is that the J-36's cockpit might be twin-seated with a side-by-side seat arrangement. This has not been confirmed by clearer images, but if true, could be intended for better drone control. Shenyang J-50 There have been fewer close-up eyewitness reports about the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) fighter compared to its Chengdu counterpart. As another tailless stealth fighter, the smaller J-50 has a number of similar aerodynamic features, including movable wingtip control surfaces to enhance stability and manoeuvrability. The J-50 has a lambda wing platform design – a shape that has been compared to a brown needletail, a large swift that gets its name from the spined ends of its tail – a conventional structure in stealth fighters that stabilises flight while reducing the radar cross-section. It is powered by two engines – possibly thrust-vectoring WS-10B/C types that would provide stronger manoeuvrability – with sophisticated DSI inlets to increase the aircraft's stealth. The J-50's size can also be estimated, thanks to its appearance alongside a J-16 in the available images. These show that it is almost the same length as a J-16 but with a wider wingspan. Because it is not as big as the J-36, there has been speculation that the J-50 could be fitted for aircraft carriers. Two symmetrical weapon bays under the fuselage are believed to be large enough for the PL-17, China's most powerful long-range air-to-air missile. Neither the Chinese military nor the two developers CAIC and SAC have made any remarks about the two aircraft, so the timetable for their development and expected service time – as well as how many are planned – is absolutely unknown. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
