The J-36 will serve as a direct competitor to any upcoming series put forth by the U.S. Air Force or Navy.

While the U.S. Air Force and Navy continue to make strides in their respective Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) and F/A-XX sixth-generation programs, China is catching up. This week, Beijing’s suspected next-generation fighter jet completed its second test flight. The jet, expected to be designated as the J-36 when introduced, has all the capabilities associated with stealth next-gen platforms. Although this platform in the works remains highly classified, released images and footage of the fighter in action suggest the J-36 will serve as a direct competitor to any upcoming series put forth by the U.S. Air Force or Navy.

Images capturing the mysterious Chinese aircraft circulated on social media, gaining speculatory theories surrounding its potential capabilities. According to the specialist news outlet The War Zone, the new footage showcased a massive, triangular-shaped tailless aircraft that lacked any horizontal control surface besides the main wing. Another aerial-focused news outlet, The Aviationist, observed that the aircraft depicted appeared to have a flight data probe positioned on its nose. If true, this would mean that the aircraft in question is still well within the testing phase and is not near reaching operational capacity any time soon.

The first sightings of the J-36 occurred at the tail end of 2024, when the aircraft was captured flying over Chengdu Aircraft Corporation headquarters. Hours later, another sighting of the mysterious fighter occurred near the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. While Chinese state-run outlets claim that these fighters are indeed “sixth generation,” it is impossible to verify the true capabilities and specs surrounding these airframes.

Introducing China’s most advanced operational fighter

Until the J-36 reaches operational capacity, the Chengdu J-20 will remain the top-tier airframe in service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). When the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” first entered service, it made China the second country to release a fifth-generation stealth aircraft after America. While the Chinese fighter is considered to be a true competitor to the U.S.-made F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II jets, the J-20 has never seen combat, making an accurate overview of its specs and capabilities impossible to access.

While the J-20 is reportedly faster than the F-35 Lightning II, it probably is not as stealthy. The Mighty Dragon appears to have a radar cross-section that is slightly larger than that of its U.S. counterpart, meaning it is potentially easier for enemy aircraft to detect. When it comes to the jet’s power source, the Chinese fighter has also faced some scrutiny. Some analysts believe the American-made engine that powers the F-35 fighter remains at least ten years ahead of the WS-15 engine that powers the J-20. In 2015, one of these Chinese-made engines exploded, suggesting quality control issues affecting its single-crystal-turbine blades.

Although the J-20 may have several design flaws, it is still considered to be one of the most formidable fifth-generation fighters in existence. The potential introduction of an even more advanced successor, like the J-36, would pose a real threat to U.S. air supremacy.

About the Author: Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.

Image: By N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

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