Footage out of China shows the test flight of a new high tech sixth-generation tailless stealth bomber.
TheWarZone.com notes the fifth-generation J-20 fighter jet chasing the triangular stealth jet gives clues as to its manufacturer.
At this early stage, we have very little idea about the precise identity of the new aircraft, but many elements of its design are very much in line with what we already knew about Chinese sixth-generation airpower aspirations.
Video and photos that began to circulate today on social media show the previously unseen aircraft conducting a daytime test flight, alongside a two-seat Chengdu J-20S fighter, serving as a chase plane. The locations and dates of the various imagery cannot be verified at this stage, although the presence of the J-20 suggests that the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) factory airfield is a likely candidate.
According to TWZ, the jet’s tailless design suggests the Chinese, similar to the US military, are interested in reducing their “aircraft’s radar signature across multiple bands and from all aspects.”
However, tailless designs also have their pitfalls.
“….[A] tailless configuration can adversely affect overall maneuverability, even with the most advanced computerized flight control systems. There are currently no signs of thrust-vectoring engines on this aircraft, which would help enhance agility and overall stability.”
TWZ notes the Chinese Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on the jet, however a CCP-affiliated newspaper tacitly acknowledged it, according to The South China Morning Post.
The Post noted the test flight coincided with the birthday of Chinese dictator Chairman Mao Zedong, who founded the Chinese Communist Party.
SimpleFlying.com explains the sixth-gen fighter jet’s importance in terms of its technological advancements possibly putting the CCP ahead of the US Military.
If this was the first flight of China’s sixth-generation fighter jet, it would be remarkable. The fifth-generation Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon only first flew in 2011 and came into service in 2017. It could herald another step in the new era of Great Power Competition right when the US Air Force is considering canceling its manned sixth-generation fighter jet (NGAD). This could be an example of where China is not just playing catchup but could be pulling ahead in some areas.