December 26, the birth anniversary of its founder, Mao Tse-tung, the People's Republic of China [RPC] unveiled not one but two new next-generation fighter jets… Which could constitute another “Sputnik moment” for the United States, where the fate of the NGAD program [New Generation Air Dominance]is not yet fixed.
The first new generation aircraft could come from the “JH-XX” tactical bomber project, mentioned by American military intelligence in a report published in 2019. Relatively imposing if we compare it to the heavy stealth fighter J-20S [biplace] which can be seen on certain videos broadcast via social networks, this device has a diamond-shaped wing, two air inlets located on either side of its cell and a third installed above its fuselage.
A priori developed by the manufacturer Chengdu Aircraft Corporation [CAC]this trijet does not have a tail, which considerably reduces its radar signature and aerodynamic drag. A sign that its mass is significant, its landing gear is made up of “bogies” with two twin wheels. Finally, an important detail, it has a cockpit, which suggests that it will be “inhabited” [c’est-à-dire avec un équipage à bord].
According to other images released after the first videos showing it in flight, this new plane is registered 36 011… Which gives an indication of its name, which could be “J-36” [d’autres sources avancent qu’il s’agirait du « JH-26 »].
As for the second new combat aircraft, images of which appeared a little later, it could correspond to the 6th generation stealth fighter project “White Emperor” [ou Baidi]unveiled at the last Zhuhai air show. But it is difficult to be certain about this…
Accompanied by a J-16 multirole fighter [ce qui laisse à penser qu’il est développé par Shenyang Aircraft Corporation]this device also does not have a fin or ailerons. Less imposing than the “J-36”, it has swept wings, lambda type, as well as two reactors. The images, often of poor quality, do not allow us to see if it has a cockpit. If it doesn't have one, we could be dealing with a Loyal Wingman type combat drone [ou ailier fidèle].
However, many questions still remain unanswered. Even if their design is radically new compared to the production of the Chinese aeronautics industry, it is still too early to say if they are 6th generation devices, capable of evolving among drones and effectors connected within a “combat cloud”. In the meantime, if Beijing's objective was to make an impression, it was successful.
