By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-07 14:01:36 | Updated at 2025-01-08 13:30:40
23 hours ago
The smaller – and more manoeuvrable – of China’s two recently revealed sixth-generation stealth aircraft is likely to form the country’s future cohort of carrier-based warplanes, according to Chinese analysts.
The smaller fighter jet was spotted during its maiden test flight over the northeastern city of Shenyang late last month.
On the same day, a larger, three-engine aircraft with a tailless diamond-wing design was seen over Chengdu.
The city, in China’s southwest, is the home base of Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, which manufactures fighters including the J-20, the People’s Liberation Army’s answer to the US Air Force’s F22.
According to Chinese military commentator Du Wenlong, the two sixth-generation jets are based on different design concepts aimed at meeting the requirements of different branches of the armed forces.
The plane spotted over Chengdu “prioritises stealth capabilities, long range, and high payload capacity” while the smaller, two-engine aircraft with a tailless lambda-wing design “is likely to be a development model of a carrier-based fighter”, he said.
