Beijing makes bold move unveiling ‘sixth generation’ combat aircraft – expert to RT

Videos and photos of two new Chinese aircraft emerged online this week after they made their maiden flights on December 26. While Beijing has remained silent on the development, the display has caused quite a stir among experts worldwide, with the planes widely believed to be the first “sixth generation fighter jets.”

RT spoke about the new jets with Mikhail Khodarenok, a retired colonel who served with the main operational directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The expert said the development represents a “serious bid to dominate air in the 21st century” and a major media victory over the US, though he also cautioned against drawing far-fetched conclusions based on the looks of the planes alone.

The larger plane is a roughly diamond-shaped, tailless aircraft featuring three engines and an elaborate yaw control system, with split rudders. The plane was escorted by a Chengdu J-20, a large, about 65-foot-long fifth-generation jet, and appeared to be significantly larger in size and ‘thicker,’ likely due to a spacious internal compartment to hold weaponry. The aircraft could potentially fill the fighter-bomber niche, similar to the role of the Russian Sukhoi Su-34 or the US F-15E.

The smaller plane that has been spotted features an arrow-wing-shaped airframe with two engines. This aircraft lacks a tail as well, with control likely provided by what appears to be full-movable vertical stabilizers. The aircraft was accompanied by a Shenyang J-16 multirole strike fighter, a Chinese aircraft based on the Russian Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 planes. The aircraft is likely a lighter air-superiority fighter. Some experts, however, suggested the two new planes could actually be rival prototypes by Chengdu and Shenyang, built under the same program.

“China has made a serious bid to dominate air in the 21st century. China’s air power, which will soon be based on next-generation combat aircraft, will clearly be used as a foundation for convincing China’s opponents,” Khodarenok said, adding that the emerging sixth-generation fighters are only the “first step” in this direction.

At the same time, it’s too early to judge whether the new aircraft fall under the term ‘sixth generation’ – a definition still too loose, with no consensus on its existence. The performance of modern aircraft is not defined by their airframe or even onboard equipment, be it radar or avionics, but rather by an integrated communication system bringing various weaponry into a single network, Khodarenok pointed out.

“According to theorists, the outcome of modern air battles and battles will depend on the awareness of the battlefield situation. Modern fighters do not chase each other at two Machs or tail one another,” he explained. “Even the best radar will do little good without a modern information system for combat management, like [the Autonomic Logistics Information System] on board the [US-made fifth-gen fighter] F-35,” he added.

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