The American engineer of the YF-23 fighter, Darryl Cummings, recently openly admitted that China has already taken the lead in the development of sixth-generation fighters, a statement that has caught the attention of the entire aviation industry worldwide.

Cummings was straightforward, saying that China's two sixth-generation fighters, the J-36 and J-50, do not have vertical or horizontal stabilizers and are equipped with thrust vectoring control systems that can adjust the direction of thrust, which greatly enhances their stealth capabilities. Moreover, the aerodynamic designs of these two aircraft are completely different. In comparison, the US's F-47 program is still in the stage of technical testing and may not be officially used until after 2035.

Regarding the key technologies of sixth-generation fighters, Cummings clearly pointed out where China excels. He also specifically mentioned that an important feature of sixth-generation fighters is the absence of tail surfaces, combined with thrust vectoring control, which makes the radar detection area much smaller and improves the stealth effect significantly.

The "three-no" layout, without vertical tail, horizontal tail, or canard, has become a common characteristic of three Chinese sixth-generation fighters.

This design achieves the ultimate level of stealth but imposes extremely high requirements on the flight control system. China's mature accumulation in efficient control surface technology and flight control software has made this advanced aerodynamic layout possible. In contrast, the US's F-47 may only be a combination of the F-22 and F-35GX, more like a transitional model between fifth and sixth generation fighters.

Cummings speculated that the F-47 is likely to adopt a twin-engine and canard design, but the initial version may still retain the tail, which will result in a significant gap in stealth performance compared to China. In addition to breakthroughs in aerodynamic layout, Cummings emphasized the core role of artificial intelligence and drone coordination in sixth-generation fighters.

He pointed out that current fighters are equipped with numerous sensors such as EODAS, EOTS, and active electronically scanned array radars, which return so much information that pilots cannot process it all.

Therefore, using an AI system has become a necessity. AI can significantly improve the effectiveness of drones fighting together and enable more accurate target identification and threat assessment. China has already made tangible achievements in combining manned aircraft with drones for combat.

Taking the J-36 as an example, its two-seat design allows it to command multiple "loyal wingman" drones via data links, enabling them to swarm through defenses like a hive of bees. This also helps establish a "beyond visual range kill chain," allowing fast sharing of battlefield information and more precise strikes.

The gap between China and the US in drone coordination for combat is even more evident.

Chinese sixth-generation air combat drones use a standard sixth-generation stealth configuration, with a length of over ten meters, strong detection capabilities, and the ability to carry many missiles. In contrast, the US's two planned air combat drone concepts are still at the fifth-generation stealth level, with one of them even failing to meet the fifth-generation stealth standards and being jokingly referred to as a "smaller F-16."

In terms of the development progress of sixth-generation fighters, the situation between China and the US shows a particularly obvious contrast. China is simultaneously advancing the development of three sixth-generation fighter prototypes. In addition to the J-36, the J-50 uses a large sweepback wing combined with a tailless layout, positioning it as a stealth penetration and air superiority fighter.

The third sixth-generation fighter with a flying wing layout, recently exposed, may be a carrier-based model, indicating that China has fully laid out the diversified application of the next generation of stealth fighters. In contrast, the US's F-47 project is still in the technical verification stage and has not even produced a prototype yet.

From a time perspective, even if the F-47 proceeds smoothly, it will not enter the US military service until after 2035, and it may be too expensive for the US military to afford. Cummings' honesty reflects the deep-seated challenges facing the US's sixth-generation fighter development. The US's "Next Generation Air Dominance" program is progressing slowly, and the F-47 project has been far behind China due to technological lag and cost overruns.

The US defense industry is facing multiple challenges. These include the crisis of rare earth supply shortages causing engine material difficulties, intensifying labor-management conflicts affecting resource allocation for research and development, and internal conflicts between the Navy and Air Force projects. In contrast, China's "saturation R&D" model avoids the risk of technological betting, with three sixth-generation fighters covering full-range operations, forming a complete system innovation.

At the same time, China has established a 100% domestically produced engine and a military-civilian integrated industrial system, achieving cost-controlled rapid iteration. With the deployment of the J-36 and J-50, the situation of Sino-US aerial confrontation is undergoing a fundamental reversal.

While the US is still debating technical routes, China has already taken action to declare that the rules of future air combat are being rewritten.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7563133976626561545/

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