In light of the raging arms race between the two countries, China is racing against time to design and develop sixth-generation combat aircraft, which reflects China's determination to outpace the United States by developing new warplanes.
China's Global Times has revealed computer-generated images showing what analysts said could be a concept for the sixth-generation fighter jet currently in design and development, reflecting China's determination to outpace the United States with development of the new warplanes.
At the end of last year, pictures circulated on Chinese social media indicating that the country was developing an advanced combat aircraft, like the United States. While the warrior maven website indicated that the recently published photos show a great similarity with many of the designs of the sixth generation American aircraft.
It is known that China's aerospace industry is striving to implement a sixth-generation fighter jet programme. In September 2022, the commander of the US Air Combat Command, General Mark Kelly , said : "China is on the right track to produce a sixth-generation fighter," stressing the need for the United States to deploy its next-generation fighters before China does.
What is meant by sixth generation fighters?
The sixth-generation fighters are a class of jet warplanes that are currently being designed and developed to be more advanced and modern than the fifth-generation fighters that are currently in service and development, such as the American F-35 fighter, the Chinese J-20, or the Turkish MMU.
And while countries have announced the development of a sixth-generation aircraft program, including the United States, Russia, China, and Turkey , Japan, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Sweden have joined multinational cooperative programs to develop similar fighters. Sixth generation fighters are expected to enter service by the 2030s.
In addition to enjoying advanced technologies that keep them hidden in the enemy's sky and are able to confront electronic warfare thanks to artificial intelligence techniques and open programming techniques, it is expected that the sixth generation fighters will have jet engines capable of operating with great efficiency, which gives them the ability to maneuver quickly, in addition to the possibility of operating without a pilot, or The ability of the pilot on board to control accompanying drones through its advanced helmet.
Imitation or superiority?
For reasons likely to be security, none of the initial designs for any of the American sixth-generation fighters have surfaced, although many US aircraft manufacturers hoping to compete for the sixth-generation stealth fighter program have introduced flat-wing designs without fins or vertical structures, which are similar to those. That appeared in the pictures of the Chinese fighter.
According to the report published on the warrior maven website , although the actual prototype or experimental design of the sixth-generation American fighter called Next-Generation Air Dominance is not known or available to the public, the Chinese design appears strikingly similar to those presented by American arms manufacturers several years ago. .
The same report believes that, regardless of the characteristics of the stealth and aerodynamic design of the emerging Chinese fighter, it seems to be somewhat "imitating" to the American perceptions developed several years ago. Unsurprisingly, to many, there is a general US concern about Chinese efforts to arguably steal, copy, or use electronic espionage simply to "steal" US weapons specifications.
When looking at the arms and aviation race between Beijing and Washington, we find that China surprised the world when it announced its program to build a fleet of hypersonic commercial aircraft, an area that no country had ever entered. And intelligence sources indicated at the end of 2021 that China tested two hypersonic air vehicles with nuclear capabilities that circled the planet in low Earth orbit before returning to Earth, according to the British Daily Mail .
In a related context, Dai Fei from Beihang University announced that he and his team were able to make great progress in developing a prototype of a hypersonic drone, not only that, but they claim that their drone will be able to shoot down American F-22 and F-16 stealth aircraft, according to American National Interest Magazine .
Stark similarities
Leaked photos of the sixth-generation Chinese stealth fighter revealed that the all-new aircraft has similarities with the secret sixth-generation fighter of the US Air Force, and it is expected that the Chinese and American stealth fighters will have distinct advantages.
And while such computer-rendered designs are not definitive, one thing seems clear: China's sixth-generation stealth fighter future is likely to be a slashless (no fins or vertical structures) - much like America's Next Generation Stealth Fighter (NGAD). ).
While vertical structures such as tails and fins significantly increase speed, maneuverability and steering, the smooth hull design, which is able to provide higher lifting capacity, longer range and lower fuel consumption, has greater stealth capabilities.
It should be noted that at the end of last January, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) published a video showing twin-engine jet fighters with diamond-shaped reflective wings similar to the promising YF-23 Black Widow fighter from Northrop Grumman.