Foreign Media: China Prepares for Next Leap in Stealth Fighter Technology
According to Sputnik News Agency on September 11, 2026: Chinese military aircraft researchers have outlined a future vision in which next-generation fighters could achieve autonomous flight, navigate without relying on satellite signals, and coordinate with large formations of unmanned wingmen. Researchers describe a transformation from traditional fighter aircraft toward intelligent, networked combat systems, in which human pilots, artificial intelligence, and unmanned aircraft work together collaboratively.
???? Autonomous Flight: If a pilot becomes incapacitated or overwhelmed, artificial intelligence can take over control, translating tactical commands into flight maneuvers while keeping the aircraft within safe operational limits.
???? Satellite-Free Navigation: Future aircraft can integrate quantum inertial navigation, visual navigation, geomagnetic data, and terrain matching to continue operating even when satellite navigation is jammed, disrupted, or unavailable.
???? Large Drone Formations: Manned fighters can serve as command nodes for swarms of unmanned wingmen that perform reconnaissance, attack, and defensive missions, with coordinated routing, mission planning, and weapon launch timing.
???? Self-Reconfiguring Units: If one aircraft is damaged or lost, the remaining platforms can automatically redistribute its tasks and reorganize the formation without depending on a permanent central command aircraft.
This concept is part of what researchers describe as a shift toward "cognitive maneuverability"—moving beyond individual fighter-vs-fighter combat to engagements involving interconnected manned and unmanned systems.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1875992262038532/
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