US President Donald Trump announced the decision to move forward with a next-generation fighter jet dubbed F-47 last month, emphasizing that it would be the “first sixth-generation combat aircraft” in the world. However, the Chinese sixth-generation aircraft program is now rapidly gathering pace.
Awarding the contract for the development of the F-47 to aerospace giant Boeing in March, Donald Trump said, “At my direction, the United States Air Force is moving forward with the world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet, number six, sixth generation, nothing in the world comes even close to it, and it’ll be known as the F-47.”
The world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet was the keyword in the President’s gleeful announcement, although he did not elaborate on how the Pentagon planned to achieve that.
The United States flew a full-scale prototype of a sixth-generation fighter jet in 2020, developed as part of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, as reported by the EurAsian Times at the time. This was also reiterated by Trump, who emphasized that an experimental version of the aircraft has been flying for about five years.
In fact, reports have noted that three prototypes, one from each company that participated in the Next Generation Air Dominance program, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, have likely all flown. However, that could not be officially verified due to the program’s classified nature.
The United States’ primary rival, China, has been working on next-generation combat aircraft for several years and has already conducted several test flights of its sixth-generation aircraft prototypes.
In December 2024, China flew two sixth-generation fighter prototypes, the J-36 and J-50, taking the world by surprise. The J-36 is reportedly being developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC), whereas the J-50 is being developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC).
Some military observers quipped that Trump’s award of a contract for the next-generation air dominance aircraft, which was paused last year, may have been prompted by the appearance of the Chinese J-36 and J-50.
In fact, since Trump’s assertion that the US would be the first country to fly a sixth-generation aircraft, there has been a noticeable increase in test flights of China’s sixth-generation fighters, even though the development and testing of major military systems in China is typically a heavily guarded secret.
Chinese J-36 & J-50 Make Frequent Flights
On April 8, for instance, new footage of the Shenyang sixth-generation demonstrator in flight was published on social media. Military watchers on the Internet have nicknamed the aircraft J-50, but its designation remains a secret. It first appeared on December 26, 2024, shortly after the Chengdu J-36 was spotted.
The footage published on April 8 is the first ever clear video of the aircraft. A PLA watcher who goes by the name ‘Hurin’ on social media site X wrote: “Focus is not on payload or too much range given CCAs are around the corner.. mostly next-generation avionics (huge nose) + ACE engines which should give it J20 equivalent CR + 2D the nozzles.”
This is the third appearance of the J-50. Earlier this week, a set of new images of Shenyang’s tailless J-50 stealth fighter were obtained from Chinese social media, offering a closer look at its unique design. According to reports, this aircraft is visibly smaller than the CAC’s J-36 and features a tailless design on a lambda wing.
The latest images show enhanced details such as two engines, a tricycle landing gear system with a dual nose wheel, 2D thrust vectoring nozzles, Diverterless Supersonic Intakes (DSI), and movable wingtips. Moreover, observers also pointed to a bulge under the cockpit that may contain an electro-optical sensor similar to that of the J-35A stealth aircraft that was unveiled in November.
The aircraft features distinctive stealth design features, such as smooth surfaces and sharp angles. Moreover, radar visibility is reduced by the form of the fuselage.
The new photos give a glimpse into the side weapons bay, which closely resembles those on the stealthy J-20 fighter of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). While the images did not give a proper look into the cockpit, observers agree it is unlikely to be unmanned.
Although the J-50’s definitive role cannot be ascertained at this point, its architecture implies that it intends to accomplish network-centric operations, air superiority domination, and survivability in highly protected airspace.
The new footage of the aircraft indicates that China is working on its sixth-generation fighter program on a war footing. In addition to the J-50, another sixth-gen prototype—the J-36—was also spotted recently.
While the J-36 has been spotted flying near the CAC facility in Sichuan multiple times in recent weeks, the latest video published online was its most impressive one yet, as the aircraft was seen swooping over traffic on a freeway.
In the undated video published earlier this week, a mammoth three-engine J-36 is seen on its final approach, flying over a busy highway near the CAC facility. The video, which was recorded from inside a car on the road, shows the J-36 from a very close perspective and offers the clearest view of the aircraft to date.
As previously reported by the EurAsian Times, the J-36 looks to have a streamlined canopy that aligns with the forward fuselage and a dorsal air intake that appears to use a diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) design.
In addition, the aircraft has three engines and rare twin split ruddervators on each wing, which is rare for tactical fighter aircraft. These aerodynamic features suggest a focus on stealth, range, and speed, critical attributes in contemporary air combat.
The latest updated video of J-36 shows the moments before the aircraft would have landed at the airfield inside the CAC, seen with its heavy-duty landing gear deployed. With a closer view of the cockpit now recorded on camera, several observers noted that the aircraft likely has side-by-side seating, unlike the two-seat configuration that was previously predicted.
Additionally, the J-36 wears a camouflage scheme similar to a splinter, with distinctly lighter panels aft and surrounding the dorsal intake, as highlighted by The War Zone.
As the video went viral on social media, some observers noted that with the J-36 now making multiple flights, it is likely that China deliberately wants the world to see the progress it is making with sixth-generation combat aircraft.
However, some dedicated PLA watchers have argued that China has been working on its sixth-generation fighters for several years. However, these flights being caught on camera is the power of social media, meaning that Chinese military programs can barely stay hidden now. One user also highlighted that, unlike the USA, which has the hidden Area 51, the Chinese fighters fly over public spaces, which means they will get photographed.
Nonetheless, it is safe to say that the frequent appearance of these prototypes has given the impression that the US might not be the first country to field an operational sixth-generation aircraft.
In fact, some reports have even suggested that China is assessing sixth-generation technology and improving designs while the US F-47 remains on the drawing board.
While this may be quite a stretch because the US sixth-generation combat aircraft program remains classified, there is enough evidence to believe that China’s program is maturing. The two countries are now in a neck-to-neck competition to field the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft.
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