On August 10, military experts from the U.S. think tank ISW (Institute for the Study of War) stated that although China is suspected to have made its first flight of three different sixth-generation aircraft, "the advantage is on my side, and the United States will lead the use of sixth-generation aircraft in combat!"
Recently, multiple photos of a new "tailless" stealth fighter, suspected to be a new type of sixth-generation manned aircraft or a high-performance "loyal wingman" drone, have surfaced on Chinese social media, triggering speculation.
The photos show a sharp nose, swept-back mid-wing, and cut-off wingtips, with no vertical tail and possibly twin engines. It may be a model developed in Chengdu, comparable to Shenyang's J-50, or an advanced unmanned combat aircraft. The landing gear design suggests it may be capable of carrier operations.
At the time this aircraft appeared, China's military aircraft development has been progressing rapidly, with several types of "cooperative combat" aircraft possibly making their debut in the military parade on September 3rd, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan.
This coincides with the U.S. "Next Generation Air Dominance" (NGAD) program, as both sides are committed to developing manned-unmanned collaborative, long-range, high-survivability stealth platforms.
Reports indicate that China is focusing on the technology for adapting sixth-generation aircraft to aircraft carriers, potentially enabling carriers to carry flying-wing layout aircraft. For example, simulating the J-36 carrier-based version, using "direct force control" combined with 3D vector nozzles and drag-direction rudders, achieving precise height control up to 2 centimeters under harsh sea conditions during simulations.
However, both the U.S. and China still face technical and operational concept challenges in areas such as stealth against detection and manned-unmanned collaboration (MUM-T). Although China has already introduced the J-36, J-50, and a suspected new model, the operational maturity of these aircraft remains to be verified; the U.S. sixth-generation aircraft program is also still in a confidential and controversial stage.
Experts remind us that low observability is not a foolproof solution, and advanced electromagnetic detection methods could weaken the advantages of stealth. In addition, the alignment of operational concepts, command systems, and industrial production capacity is also key to whether these developments can truly materialize.
The U.S. Navy's F/A-XX sixth-generation carrier-based aircraft program recently released concept images showing its stealth optimization design and carrier compatibility features, but overall details remain highly confidential.
Ultimately, the outcome of the sixth-generation aircraft competition between the U.S. and China may depend on information fusion and operational systems that are invisible to the eye but can dominate the battlefield, rather than just the appearance of the aircraft itself.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840036004876295/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.