Chinese futuristic stealth fighter – The Sunday Guardian Live

China unveiled two cutting-edge stealth jets on Maos 131^st birthday on December 26, 2024.

Coinciding with Mao Zedong 131^st On December 26, 2024, its birth anniversary, China unveiled two cutting-edge stealth aircraft, attracting global attention for their potential to revolutionize next-generation air combat. These planes, apparently sixth generation, demonstrate China's rapid progress in aerospace technology and present notable challenges for the United States and its allies in maintaining air superiority. The US-based company The war zone website while reporting on the test flight stated: It appears that another China's new fighter jet has already entered flight testing, and it is also an advanced, stealthy and tailless design. On December 27, China launched the Type 076 amphibious aircraft assault ship, Sichuan in Shanghai with a full load displacement of more than 40,000 tons and an electromagnetic catapult system.

The feverish acquisition of the KJ-500, the PRC's most advanced airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighters, its third aircraft carrier which is expected to enter operational service in 2025, of more than a dozen nuclear-powered aircraft Submarines oriented towards intelligent warfare are an integral part of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, of the dream Chinese, and Chinese modernization by 2049, when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) would be transformed into a world-class force fully equipped to use AI, quantum computing, big data and advanced technologies.

The same is demonstrated by China's concentrated presentation of 36 types of weapons and equipment, including the J-20, J-16, Y-20, YU-20, KJ-500, H-6K and Hong -9B. Notably, the J-35A, a medium-sized stealth multirole fighter, debuted at China's Zhuhai Airshow in November 2024, alongside new equipment such as the Hong-19 surface-to-air missile system and a new integrated recognition strike. unmanned aerial vehicle, as reported by Sina.com. The sixth generation fighter named White Emperor () was also presented as a mock-up at the air show.

Since China views the United States as making a whole-of-government effort to contain China's rising power, Xi Jinping has increased efforts to modernize the PLA. Beijing, according to the US Department of Defense (DoD) 2024 Military and security developments involving the People's Republic of China report presented to Congress on December 18, 2024, spends 40 to 90 percent more than it announces in its public defense budget, which equates to approximately $330 to $450 billion in total defense spending for 2024.

The presentation of the sister sixth-generation aircraft and amphibious assault ship is so-called rhythm challenge presented by the People's Republics in the United States, an increasingly efficient army, as mentioned in the DoD report. The report reiterates the 2022 report's benchmark that China is the only competitor to the United States with the intent and, increasingly, the capacity to reshape the international order. The 2024 report states that by 2030, the PLA plans to deploy a range of algorithmic warfare and network-centric warfare capabilities operating at different levels of human-machine integration.

The twin aircraft, one from Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and the other from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, feature a modified diamond-shaped delta wing design, improving stealth capabilities and aerodynamic efficiency for potential long-range missions. In particular, the tailless configuration of the Chengdu aircraft reduces radar detectability, marking a significant advancement in Chinese military technology. This development puts China ahead in the global race to produce sixth-generation fighter jets, challenging U.S. air superiority and potentially impacting regional dynamics, including with neighboring countries like India.

The Chinese media has been abuzz with the White Emperor's new stealth plane dubbed the J-36. According to the information portal China.comBased on the aircraft's livery, it appears to be a prototype rather than a demonstrator with a large weapons bay. It lists 14 features of the aircraft, including: large optical windows on the nose suggesting China may have integrated EOTS (Electro-Optical Targeting System) capabilities; three-motor configuration; and a tailless delta wing configuration, suggesting the aircraft could reach speeds of Mach 3-4. Netease in a report it is stated that December 26 was expected to be the most desperate day in the history of the US military, this meant the US lost its air supremacy for the first time after 80 years of dominating the skies .

The tri-motor, according to the report, is intended to compensate for insufficient thrust and could eventually be used for near space operations. The combined thrust of three WS-15 engines, totaling 55.5 tons, according to the report, would give the J-36 exceptional maneuverability. If true, the fighter jet has the capability to shoot down low-orbit satellites, posing a significant threat to the U.S. Starlink satellite system and Western reconnaissance satellites in wartime, according to Chen Guangwena military analyst. As for specifications, an anonymous author's analysis from the Observer Net presents a detailed discussion and appears to suggest that China has overtaken the United States, but has not taken a disruptive lead.

The above report on the test flight carried out by the Observer Network (Guanchawang) says Western military bloggers, in particular, are having a hard time digesting that this could be the world's first sixth-generation fighter. However, given its size, its configuration and the fact that it is escorted by the J-20, it seems obvious that it is indeed a sixth generation fighter, marking China's leadership in global aeronautical engineering. According to the analyst, the lack of stealth in the rear is not a major problem. Even if the adversary detects an infrared signature, he will not be able to catch it, so the threat is negligible. The J-36 is definitely not an F-35. Chen Guangwen, on the other hand, posits that the sixth-generation fighter adopts slotted flaps near the wingtip in a tailless configuration, an advanced technology not even found on the US B stealth bomber. -21.

Chen adds that the overall technological directions between China and the United States are unlikely to differ fundamentally. However, when your competitors' technology catches up or surpasses yours, trying to force a leap can backfire. The article points out that the sixth generation stealth fighter has been designated as 36011, indicating that it is the 11^th J-36 or JH-36 (Jianhong-36) series aircraft. Thus, the flight of 26^th perhaps it was not its maiden flight. If speculation that the J-36 or JH-36 has already entered service is correct, it could give China more than a decade head start over the United States, Chen believes. The American NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) program, according to him, is still in the design phase and, if completed and successfully operationalized, it should enter service no earlier than 2035. Recall that the J-20 has completed its maiden flight in January 2011; 13 years later, according to the DoD 2024 report, more than 1,300 of the total 1,900 fighters would be in service with the PLA Air Force.

In the new era of Xi Jinping, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has experienced the most turbulent times caused by serious discipline violations. According to a report from Caixin Worldwide, over the past twelve years, 80 generals, a total of 13 full generals, 18 lieutenant generals and more than 50 major generals have fallen from grace in corruption investigations. Among the senior military officials who were recently dismissed are two defense personnel. ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, PLA Rocket Force commander Li Yuchao, and Central Military Commission (CMC) member and head of its political work department Miao Hua, demonstrating that loyalty absolute even from Xi's own loyalists remains a recurring problem.

Despite a storm in the PLA's upper echelons, its core operational concept, multi-domain precision warfare (MDPW), has made great progress in the fourth phase of PLA modernization under Xi Jinping. On his New Year's Eve speechThe Chinese president showed optimism by announcing that China's GDP is expected to exceed 130 trillion yuan ($18.2 trillion), that the annual production of new energy vehicles will exceed 10 million for the first time and that China would make significant progress in the fields of integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, and quantum communication in 2024. To the people of the Taiwan Strait, Xi said, our blood ties cannot be severed and no one can hinder the historic trend of national reunification.

* BR Deepak is Professor at the Center for Chinese and South East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.