Beat the U.S. Military in a War: China has been busy churning out naval ships and aircraft, and two new sixth-generation fighters are going through flight testing. The latest is the J-50, which has appeared in new photos that offer closer looks at its design. The aircraft is one of two Chinese tailless heavy next-generation fighter designs that emerged on the day after Christmas 2024.
Numerous blurry photos of the aircraft, built by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, were taken in December, making design analysis difficult. Still, recent photos that are much clearer have surfaced. Whether or not that was a deliberate effort by China remains unknown. However, the aircraft remains another one of China’s ongoing megaprojects.
F-47 Fighter from U.S. Air Force.
Design of the J-50
The J-50’s design suggests that several technologies aim to achieve dominance in air superiority scenarios, network-centric operations, and survivability in heavily defended airspace.
The fuselage’s shape minimizes radar visibility. The aircraft exhibits characteristic stealth design elements, including sharp angles, smooth surfaces, and the absence of protruding antennas or visible points of radar reflection, including a lambda wing.
The Aviationist posted a detailed analysis of this wing.
“The lambda wing itself already provides advantages, as this planform increases the aspect ratio and improves the aerodynamic efficiency over a trapezoidal planform, such as the ones that Shenyang already used on the recently introduced J-35, while still complying with the constraints imposed on wing design by low observability requirements. However, the broken trailing edge degrades the structural efficiency and increases the wing’s weight.”
J-35 Fighter. Image Credit: Chinese State Media.
The J-50 is also believed to incorporate artificial intelligence [AI] for flight management, allowing for autonomous analysis of combat scenarios, target identification, and tactical decision-making. This automation frees the pilot from routine tasks, enabling a focus on strategic mission control.
One intriguing feature—the aircraft’s articulating wingtips—is visible, with the right wing’s tip deflected. Two-dimensional thrust vectoring exhausts are also visible.
A two-wheeled nose landing gear with single wheels for the mains is confirmed. While not new, it reinforces the difference between this design and Chengdu’s heavy design, which features twin wheels for its main gear arranged in tandem.
If the J-50 is designed for aircraft carrier operations—given China’s investment in catapult-equipped aircraft carriers such as the Fujian (Type 003)—it could significantly improve China’s ability to conduct blue-water operations.
This capability would give China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) a true sixth-generation capability at sea, closing a gap with the US Navy’s F-35C and future Navy NGAD systems.
The photos capture just a very slight glimpse of the aircraft’s canopy. However, they don’t allow for a closer inspection of how the canopy blends into the aircraft’s fuselage.
PHILIPPINE SEA (May. 13, 2022) An F-35C Lightning II assigned to the “Black Knights” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 launches from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael Singley) 220513-N-MM912-1002
Has China Moved Ahead of the US in Stealth Technology?
When the two aircraft (J-50 and J-36) made their first test flights, many analysts concluded that China had overtaken the US in sixth-generation stealth fighter development. But that isn’t true since the US has been secretly flying stealth fighter prototypes by Lockheed Martin and Boeing for years in a California location.
Although both of these aircraft are making their first initial flights in December, without any official Chinese announcements, this appears to be in the infancy of its development stage.
For instance, the J-20 conducted its first flight in 2011 but didn’t become operational until 2017, six years later. The same thing occurred with the J-35, which first flew in 2012 but isn’t expected to be operational until 2026.
Alex Hollings of Airpower made the point that it is unknown whether these aircraft are the equivalent of American NGAD aircraft or experimental aircraft that are never meant to go into service but rather serve as testbeds for emerging technologies to be integrated into later designs.
Or they could be prototypes of new fighters meant to enter service in a similar form to how they look today. However, even prototypes often see significant design revisions before making their way into service when developing new technologies.
A Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-35C Joint Strike Fighter is shown on the deck of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier after making the plane’s first ever carrier landing using its tailhook system, off the coast of California, November 3, 2014. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES – Tags: TRANSPORT MILITARY)/File Photo
According to former Air Force Assistant Secretary Will Roper, the US flew its first NGAD fighter prototypes in 2020, which had already set some performance records. President Trump just recently awarded Boeing the contract to begin producing the F-47.
However, whether the J-50 is a prototype, a testbed, or an early production model, it confirms that China is progressing in every avenue of air warfare development. The development pace, coupled with its design’s sophistication, suggests that the strategic and technological race for sixth-generation dominance is now fully underway. And while the US remains ahead, the ultimate ending is far from assured.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
