- Messages
- 2,597
- Reactions
- Nation of residence
-
- Nation of origin
-
- Messages
- 2,597
- Reactions
- Nation of residence
-
- Nation of origin
-
- Messages
- 545
- Reactions
- Nation of residence
-
- Nation of origin
-
Full thrust into the future – Chinese fighter jets of the next generation
Alexander Luck
19. September 2026
Around the world, air force efforts to develop next-generation fighter jets are gaining momentum. The United States has traditionally set the tone for the new capabilities that observers in the media and analysis often attribute to "sixth-generation" fighter jets.
Elsewhere, however, the picture is more inconsistent. In Europe, the partners in an ambitious project, the French-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS), recently had to capitulate after industrial differences could not be bridged, even politically.
The other originally European, now global project, known as GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme) and originally launched as "Tempest", is progressing at a moderate pace, led by a tri-national consortium of Great Britain, Italy and Japan. Other nations around the world are pursuing the development of next-generation fighter aircraft, which do not clearly fall under the designation of "fifth" or "sixth generation" due to various technological hurdles these nations face. Rather, they combine the technological characteristics of different generations in one design. Examples of this are South Korea and Turkey. Other countries with ambitious projects are still in the early stages of local development in terms of development. India and Sweden should be mentioned here.
China's path to the premier league of fighter aircraft construction
Meanwhile, over the past three decades, China has gone at an astonishing rate from a nation that relied primarily on imported fighter jets to modernize a vast but obsolete air force with thousands of fighter jets, to one of the two leading innovators in fighter aircraft development alongside the United States. This hartpunkt technical article depicts the current status and peculiarities of the development of next-generation fighter aircraft for the air forces of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).
China's transformation from an importer of foreign technology for fighter jets to an increasingly sovereign and innovative developer began in the late 1980s and gained significant momentum due to political twists and economic growth in the late 1990s. At the same time as procuring large numbers of Russian fighter jets, especially the Sukhoi Flanker series, and adapting this type in domestic variants such as the J-11, J-15 and J-16, Beijing also developed the J-10 multirole combat aircraft. It is a design that is currently in service with several hundred planes in the Chinese Air Force (PLAAF). In China, the J-10 is often referred to as the "3.5 generation" design, as the country essentially "missed" the first generation of fighter jets during the late Second World War and started with post-war second-generation models. The J-10, along with the Chinese flanker adaptations, introduced a variety of innovations to the PLAAF, including fly-by-wire avionics, a modern glass cockpit, electronic beam swivel radar (AESA), and high-performance optical sensors.
The next generation of development, the fifth in the West, but the fourth in China, included the influx of the J-20 multirole fighter aircraft. The J-20, developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Company (CAC), which also produced the J-10, is a relatively large fighter aircraft with significant signature reduction ("stealth"), three internal weapon bays and comprehensive radar and electro-optical sensing technology that applies "sensor fusion" principles. The twin-engine J-20 exists in one- and two-seater variants, and although Chinese officials do not publish inventory figures for fighter jets, credible estimates suggest that the total number of J-20s produced so far is about 500 units. While the J-20 initially used engines of Russian origin, newer variants are now in operation with Chinese alternatives.
In addition, China is currently introducing the twin-engine J-35 fighter jet. Developed by China's second major fighter aircraft manufacturer, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), this design is visually similar to the American F-35. However, these similarities are superficial, as both models otherwise differ fundamentally in design, as can already be seen from the engines. Originally envisaged by SAC as an export product called FC-31, the design eventually evolved into the J-35 carrier-based fighter aircraft for Chinese naval aviators and the J-35A land-based fighter aircraft for the PLAAF due to the interest of the PLA.
Unlike the larger J-20, the lighter and more compact J-35 is still in the early stages of production and introduction, both by Chinese naval aviators and the Air Force.
Nevertheless, both CAC and SAC have been involved in the development of successor designs for at least ten years, which would be referred to in Western discourse as "sixth-generation fighters". Official designations do not yet exist, but observers refer to these projects as the J-XDS, J-XX or J-50, developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, as well as the J-36 for CAC's second program.
Rumors and speculation among informed observers have been suggesting for some time that such Chinese efforts exist for next-generation fighter jets. Nevertheless, for a long time, no reliable information about the nature of these developments emerged. Finally, in December 2024, prototypes of both programs suddenly appeared during test flights, which were filmed by Chinese citizens and shared mainly via social media.
As with the previous J-20 and J-35, both developments share basic design features of the "next generation". In the case of J-XDS and J-36, this includes the "tailless" configuration without tail stabilizer, as well as the obligatory internal weapon bays and sensors, distributed over the entire fuselage. In other aspects, however, the two new patterns differ drastically from each other. This also raises the question of whether these are competing or complementary programs designed to provide the PLA with different designs for a range of air combat requirements.
SAC J-XDS (J-XX or J-50)
The J-XDS is the more "conventional" of these two designs. As usual, there are no specifications from publicly available sources. In appearance, it is a medium-weight single-seater fighter aircraft powered by two jet engines. As already mentioned, the configuration is "brushless" and therefore has neither horizontal nor vertical rear deflector surfaces. The wing, extending from the middle section of the airframe to the tail, is designed as a kinked lambda design and has characteristic, fully movable wing tips. The J-XDS has DSI (Diverterless Supersonic Inlet) engine intakes, and probably 2D thrust vector control for the two engines. The strongly tapered front fuselage contains the cockpit, which can accommodate a single pilot. Below the airframe, at least two large weapon bays can be seen, while the landing gear has a twin wheel at the front. At least one housing for electro-optical sensors is visible below the front fuselage in front of the landing gear. Since the planes observed so far are prototypes, many covers for sensors and other equipment are probably still missing compared to a production version.
J-XDS on the ground: The slimmer, more compact fuselage compared to J-36 is recognizable. (Image: Chinese social media)
The twin wheel of the nose landing gear and the overall very compact design could indicate that the J-XDS is intended not only for service with the PLAAF, but also for the naval aviators of the Chinese Navy (PLAN). The design seems well suited for the catapult launch of current and future Chinese aircraft carriers. Previous prototypes do not yet have relevant equipment, such as the safety hook or the catapult connection on the nose wheel. However, these would probably only appear on naval variants later in development.
Performance data of the aircraft remain completely unknown for the time being. The design is probably capable of supercruise, i.e. continuous flight at supersonic speed without afterburners, and is likely to use the most modern Chinese air-to-air weapons as well as air-to-ground weapons with matching dimensions.
CAC J-36
J-36 on the ground: Note the wide, two-seater cockpit and the engine intake on the top of the fuselage. (Image: Chinese social media)
Like the J-XDS, the J-36, developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Company, appeared practically out of nowhere during prototype test flights in December 2024. Unlike Shenyang's J-XDS, the J-36 represents a far more radical interpretation of next-generation fighter jets. Of particular note is that the Chengdu design features three jet engines as propulsion in a distinctive configuration, with two engine intakes located on the side and one on top. While developers around the world have occasionally considered three-engine fighter designs in the past, such a configuration has not yet been used anywhere, and the J-36 represents the first such configuration to reach an advanced stage of development. The second notable design feature of the CAC aircraft is the wide cockpit with side-by-side seats for two crew members.
The wing is designed as a double delta, extends over almost the entire length of the airframe and results in an unusually large surface area compared to more conventional fighter aircraft. The landing gear has twin wheels on both the nose and main landing gear, which is due to the size and mass of the J-36.
Like the J-XDS, Chengdu's J-36 also has several internal weapon bays. However, the configuration is more similar to the J-20, also developed by CAC, with a large weapon bay in the middle and two smaller bays on the left and right. According to the overall size of the aircraft, these bays are likely to be able to accommodate a large number of standard air-to-air missiles or, alternatively, large and very long-range missiles such as the PL-17. In addition, the large central bay could theoretically accommodate a wider range of air-to-ground armament, in line with the potential multi-role concept for the use of the J-36.
The engines have signature-optimized nozzles and probably enable the J-36, like Shenyang's J-XDS, to fly supersonically without the use of afterburners. A 2D TVC seems at least plausible, but remains unconfirmed.
A peculiarity of the J-36 is that the developer demonstrably flies several prototypes with certain design differences, which indicates an ongoing further development of the aircraft in a dynamic development process. While the first prototype observed with the fuselage number "36011" had side engine intakes with separation plates, newer prototypes have intakes in DSI design. In addition, newer prototypes also feature modifications to the area around the engine nozzles.
Both the unusual number of engines and the cockpit configuration of this large-scale design have led to speculation that the J-36 is actually a fighter-bomber or other fighter aircraft design geared toward strike missions.
However, a next-generation air combat platform has special requirements that favor larger designs. These include comprehensive signature reduction, high engine power requirements, sufficient space for fuel to enable long ranges, and finally a large weapon bay to accommodate long-range air-to-air missiles.
A complementary use of J-36 and J-XDS with optimization of one pattern for range, weapon load and sensor power, while the second pattern allows agility and flexible use in several branches of the armed forces, therefore seems at least plausible.
Another aspect that could be of particular importance for the J-36 is China's ambition to make a series of combat drones operational according to the scheme of a "loyal wingman". At the military parade in Beijing in September 2025, several such designs were presented to a global audience.
While unmanned combat aircraft (Collaborative Combat Aircraft; CCA), similar to other air forces, are certainly to be used in China with older manned models, the J-36 seems to be particularly suitable to serve as a "mothership" that simultaneously coordinates the use of several CCA in air combat.
Conclusion
CAC's J-20 first flew at the end of 2011 and was in active service with the PLAAF from around 2018. Assuming broadly similar development dynamics, both the J-XDS and the J-36 could be ready for use in the PLA in the early to mid-2030s.
The sudden appearance of not one, but two different Chinese next-generation fighter jets at an advanced stage of development underscores how intensely Beijing is striving to compete against Western and other rivals, especially the United States, at the forefront of military aircraft construction. If the above assumption is true for development periods, China would have two fighter jets of the latest generation at its disposal in the mid-2030s, without a comparable counterpart in service with its immediate neighbors in East Asia. This scenario could also explain why Japan is currently emphasizing the need for accelerated development of GCAP with the UK and Italy and hopes to have capabilities comparable to China's by around 2035.
Unlike Russia and European countries, China is investing significantly in an ambitious and sustainable development program for next-generation fighter jets. Beijing's actions have led to the emergence of competent domestic developers of military aviation systems, who can now draw on experience from an extensive portfolio of their own developments and adaptations of foreign technologies.
As noted, Chinese officials reveal very little about local military developments. Foreign observers rely on new images and other information continuously appearing online, especially on social media. Therefore, skepticism is still appropriate due to the lack of reliable facts in the technical assessment of Chinese military capabilities.
Nevertheless, an observable trend in the development of Chinese military aviation over the past three decades cannot be overlooked. This dynamic means that China has evolved from imitating and developing an existing technology base imported from abroad to an innovator with a distinct range of skills. The consequence is likely to be a further acceleration and diversification of Chinese innovation, with direct consequences for further fighter aircraft development in the Far East and worldwide.
Author: Alexander Luck is an analyst for armaments policy with a focus on naval and aviation. His focus is on the Indo-Pacific region, especially developments in China, East Asia and Australia.
(Translate from German)
www.hartpunkt.de
Good article to view the appearance of China Gen 6 aircraft.
Alexander Luck
19. September 2026
Around the world, air force efforts to develop next-generation fighter jets are gaining momentum. The United States has traditionally set the tone for the new capabilities that observers in the media and analysis often attribute to "sixth-generation" fighter jets.
Elsewhere, however, the picture is more inconsistent. In Europe, the partners in an ambitious project, the French-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS), recently had to capitulate after industrial differences could not be bridged, even politically.
The other originally European, now global project, known as GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme) and originally launched as "Tempest", is progressing at a moderate pace, led by a tri-national consortium of Great Britain, Italy and Japan. Other nations around the world are pursuing the development of next-generation fighter aircraft, which do not clearly fall under the designation of "fifth" or "sixth generation" due to various technological hurdles these nations face. Rather, they combine the technological characteristics of different generations in one design. Examples of this are South Korea and Turkey. Other countries with ambitious projects are still in the early stages of local development in terms of development. India and Sweden should be mentioned here.
China's path to the premier league of fighter aircraft construction
Meanwhile, over the past three decades, China has gone at an astonishing rate from a nation that relied primarily on imported fighter jets to modernize a vast but obsolete air force with thousands of fighter jets, to one of the two leading innovators in fighter aircraft development alongside the United States. This hartpunkt technical article depicts the current status and peculiarities of the development of next-generation fighter aircraft for the air forces of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).
China's transformation from an importer of foreign technology for fighter jets to an increasingly sovereign and innovative developer began in the late 1980s and gained significant momentum due to political twists and economic growth in the late 1990s. At the same time as procuring large numbers of Russian fighter jets, especially the Sukhoi Flanker series, and adapting this type in domestic variants such as the J-11, J-15 and J-16, Beijing also developed the J-10 multirole combat aircraft. It is a design that is currently in service with several hundred planes in the Chinese Air Force (PLAAF). In China, the J-10 is often referred to as the "3.5 generation" design, as the country essentially "missed" the first generation of fighter jets during the late Second World War and started with post-war second-generation models. The J-10, along with the Chinese flanker adaptations, introduced a variety of innovations to the PLAAF, including fly-by-wire avionics, a modern glass cockpit, electronic beam swivel radar (AESA), and high-performance optical sensors.
The next generation of development, the fifth in the West, but the fourth in China, included the influx of the J-20 multirole fighter aircraft. The J-20, developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Company (CAC), which also produced the J-10, is a relatively large fighter aircraft with significant signature reduction ("stealth"), three internal weapon bays and comprehensive radar and electro-optical sensing technology that applies "sensor fusion" principles. The twin-engine J-20 exists in one- and two-seater variants, and although Chinese officials do not publish inventory figures for fighter jets, credible estimates suggest that the total number of J-20s produced so far is about 500 units. While the J-20 initially used engines of Russian origin, newer variants are now in operation with Chinese alternatives.
In addition, China is currently introducing the twin-engine J-35 fighter jet. Developed by China's second major fighter aircraft manufacturer, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), this design is visually similar to the American F-35. However, these similarities are superficial, as both models otherwise differ fundamentally in design, as can already be seen from the engines. Originally envisaged by SAC as an export product called FC-31, the design eventually evolved into the J-35 carrier-based fighter aircraft for Chinese naval aviators and the J-35A land-based fighter aircraft for the PLAAF due to the interest of the PLA.
Unlike the larger J-20, the lighter and more compact J-35 is still in the early stages of production and introduction, both by Chinese naval aviators and the Air Force.
Nevertheless, both CAC and SAC have been involved in the development of successor designs for at least ten years, which would be referred to in Western discourse as "sixth-generation fighters". Official designations do not yet exist, but observers refer to these projects as the J-XDS, J-XX or J-50, developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, as well as the J-36 for CAC's second program.
Rumors and speculation among informed observers have been suggesting for some time that such Chinese efforts exist for next-generation fighter jets. Nevertheless, for a long time, no reliable information about the nature of these developments emerged. Finally, in December 2024, prototypes of both programs suddenly appeared during test flights, which were filmed by Chinese citizens and shared mainly via social media.
As with the previous J-20 and J-35, both developments share basic design features of the "next generation". In the case of J-XDS and J-36, this includes the "tailless" configuration without tail stabilizer, as well as the obligatory internal weapon bays and sensors, distributed over the entire fuselage. In other aspects, however, the two new patterns differ drastically from each other. This also raises the question of whether these are competing or complementary programs designed to provide the PLA with different designs for a range of air combat requirements.
SAC J-XDS (J-XX or J-50)
The J-XDS is the more "conventional" of these two designs. As usual, there are no specifications from publicly available sources. In appearance, it is a medium-weight single-seater fighter aircraft powered by two jet engines. As already mentioned, the configuration is "brushless" and therefore has neither horizontal nor vertical rear deflector surfaces. The wing, extending from the middle section of the airframe to the tail, is designed as a kinked lambda design and has characteristic, fully movable wing tips. The J-XDS has DSI (Diverterless Supersonic Inlet) engine intakes, and probably 2D thrust vector control for the two engines. The strongly tapered front fuselage contains the cockpit, which can accommodate a single pilot. Below the airframe, at least two large weapon bays can be seen, while the landing gear has a twin wheel at the front. At least one housing for electro-optical sensors is visible below the front fuselage in front of the landing gear. Since the planes observed so far are prototypes, many covers for sensors and other equipment are probably still missing compared to a production version.
J-XDS on the ground: The slimmer, more compact fuselage compared to J-36 is recognizable. (Image: Chinese social media)
The twin wheel of the nose landing gear and the overall very compact design could indicate that the J-XDS is intended not only for service with the PLAAF, but also for the naval aviators of the Chinese Navy (PLAN). The design seems well suited for the catapult launch of current and future Chinese aircraft carriers. Previous prototypes do not yet have relevant equipment, such as the safety hook or the catapult connection on the nose wheel. However, these would probably only appear on naval variants later in development.
Performance data of the aircraft remain completely unknown for the time being. The design is probably capable of supercruise, i.e. continuous flight at supersonic speed without afterburners, and is likely to use the most modern Chinese air-to-air weapons as well as air-to-ground weapons with matching dimensions.
CAC J-36
J-36 on the ground: Note the wide, two-seater cockpit and the engine intake on the top of the fuselage. (Image: Chinese social media)
Like the J-XDS, the J-36, developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Company, appeared practically out of nowhere during prototype test flights in December 2024. Unlike Shenyang's J-XDS, the J-36 represents a far more radical interpretation of next-generation fighter jets. Of particular note is that the Chengdu design features three jet engines as propulsion in a distinctive configuration, with two engine intakes located on the side and one on top. While developers around the world have occasionally considered three-engine fighter designs in the past, such a configuration has not yet been used anywhere, and the J-36 represents the first such configuration to reach an advanced stage of development. The second notable design feature of the CAC aircraft is the wide cockpit with side-by-side seats for two crew members.
The wing is designed as a double delta, extends over almost the entire length of the airframe and results in an unusually large surface area compared to more conventional fighter aircraft. The landing gear has twin wheels on both the nose and main landing gear, which is due to the size and mass of the J-36.
Like the J-XDS, Chengdu's J-36 also has several internal weapon bays. However, the configuration is more similar to the J-20, also developed by CAC, with a large weapon bay in the middle and two smaller bays on the left and right. According to the overall size of the aircraft, these bays are likely to be able to accommodate a large number of standard air-to-air missiles or, alternatively, large and very long-range missiles such as the PL-17. In addition, the large central bay could theoretically accommodate a wider range of air-to-ground armament, in line with the potential multi-role concept for the use of the J-36.
The engines have signature-optimized nozzles and probably enable the J-36, like Shenyang's J-XDS, to fly supersonically without the use of afterburners. A 2D TVC seems at least plausible, but remains unconfirmed.
A peculiarity of the J-36 is that the developer demonstrably flies several prototypes with certain design differences, which indicates an ongoing further development of the aircraft in a dynamic development process. While the first prototype observed with the fuselage number "36011" had side engine intakes with separation plates, newer prototypes have intakes in DSI design. In addition, newer prototypes also feature modifications to the area around the engine nozzles.
Both the unusual number of engines and the cockpit configuration of this large-scale design have led to speculation that the J-36 is actually a fighter-bomber or other fighter aircraft design geared toward strike missions.
However, a next-generation air combat platform has special requirements that favor larger designs. These include comprehensive signature reduction, high engine power requirements, sufficient space for fuel to enable long ranges, and finally a large weapon bay to accommodate long-range air-to-air missiles.
A complementary use of J-36 and J-XDS with optimization of one pattern for range, weapon load and sensor power, while the second pattern allows agility and flexible use in several branches of the armed forces, therefore seems at least plausible.
Another aspect that could be of particular importance for the J-36 is China's ambition to make a series of combat drones operational according to the scheme of a "loyal wingman". At the military parade in Beijing in September 2025, several such designs were presented to a global audience.
While unmanned combat aircraft (Collaborative Combat Aircraft; CCA), similar to other air forces, are certainly to be used in China with older manned models, the J-36 seems to be particularly suitable to serve as a "mothership" that simultaneously coordinates the use of several CCA in air combat.
Conclusion
CAC's J-20 first flew at the end of 2011 and was in active service with the PLAAF from around 2018. Assuming broadly similar development dynamics, both the J-XDS and the J-36 could be ready for use in the PLA in the early to mid-2030s.
The sudden appearance of not one, but two different Chinese next-generation fighter jets at an advanced stage of development underscores how intensely Beijing is striving to compete against Western and other rivals, especially the United States, at the forefront of military aircraft construction. If the above assumption is true for development periods, China would have two fighter jets of the latest generation at its disposal in the mid-2030s, without a comparable counterpart in service with its immediate neighbors in East Asia. This scenario could also explain why Japan is currently emphasizing the need for accelerated development of GCAP with the UK and Italy and hopes to have capabilities comparable to China's by around 2035.
Unlike Russia and European countries, China is investing significantly in an ambitious and sustainable development program for next-generation fighter jets. Beijing's actions have led to the emergence of competent domestic developers of military aviation systems, who can now draw on experience from an extensive portfolio of their own developments and adaptations of foreign technologies.
As noted, Chinese officials reveal very little about local military developments. Foreign observers rely on new images and other information continuously appearing online, especially on social media. Therefore, skepticism is still appropriate due to the lack of reliable facts in the technical assessment of Chinese military capabilities.
Nevertheless, an observable trend in the development of Chinese military aviation over the past three decades cannot be overlooked. This dynamic means that China has evolved from imitating and developing an existing technology base imported from abroad to an innovator with a distinct range of skills. The consequence is likely to be a further acceleration and diversification of Chinese innovation, with direct consequences for further fighter aircraft development in the Far East and worldwide.
Author: Alexander Luck is an analyst for armaments policy with a focus on naval and aviation. His focus is on the Indo-Pacific region, especially developments in China, East Asia and Australia.
(Translate from German)
Mit vollem Schub in die Zukunft – chinesische Kampfflugzeuge der nächsten Generation
Weltweit gewinnen die Bemühungen von Luftstreitkräften zur Entwicklung von Kampfflugzeugen der nächsten Generation an Dynamik.
www.hartpunkt.de
Good article to view the appearance of China Gen 6 aircraft.
