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World News See other World News Articles Title: First Close Look at China’s Ultra-Long Range Sixth Generation J-36Jet The World’s Largest Fighter Plane: A new image of the largest of two sixth generation fighter classes developed in China, the designation of which remains unknown, has provided to date the clearest frontal view of the aircraft, confirming longstanding speculation regarding a number of its design features. The image was taken at a distance with a long lens, and shows the aircraft with three open ventral weapons bays. These bays between them appear to be able to carry several times the quantities of ordinance internally as the fifth generation fighters such as the F-35 or J-20. The sheer size of the fighter’s nose cone, which is highlighted by the surrounding personnel who provide a scale comparison, makes it almost certain that the aircraft also carries a much larger radar than any other fighter in the world. The new image also appears to show two smaller weapons bays on each side of the larger ones, which may be intended to carry smaller munitions such as the new PL-16 air-to-air missile. There remains a significant possibility that further weapons bays are located elsewhere on the underside of the very large airframe, with some analysts having speculated that they may house rotary weapons racks to carry additional firepower. The ability to integrate particularly large internal weapons bays, carry a very large sensor suite, and store far greater quantities of fuel than standard fighter-sized aircraft, are among the primary benefits of developing particularly large fighters. It has been speculated that the American F-47 sixth generation fighter currently under development will be similarly large, although as of the time of writing Chinese sixth generation fighter programs are the only ones which have been seen at flight prototype stages. The latest image confirms that the new fighter is a twin seater with a side-by-side cockpit configuration, with the green-tinted reflections from two separate heads-up displays, similar to those seen on the currently operational J-20, J-16, J-10C and JF-17 Block 3 fighters, being clear. The new aircraft’s prototypes may be using avionics developed for the J-20. Twin seat configurations have long been expected for longer ranged Chinese and American sixth generation fighters, due to a number of aspects of their roles. Despite fast growing levels of automation and the integration of increasingly capable forms of artificial intelligence, the tremendous complexity of the operations which such aircraft will fly is expected to exceed the ability of a single pilot to handle effectively. The aircraft’s expected very long range will also make the ability to share work over a longer period particularly important. The very long range of the new aircraft is considered particularly critical due to the vastness of the Pacific theatre where it will operate, and will allow it to carry out air defence duties and possibly launch strike operations well beyond the First Island Chain. This will significantly complicate U.S.-led Western efforts to project power into the region. Parked at the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation’s primary facility, where the new aircraft’s direct predecessor the J-20 fifth generation fighter is currently being produced on a large scale, there remains a significant chance that China’s yet unnamed new fighter will be the first of its generation to enter service. The fighter was the first of its generation ever seen flying, with the first images being published in December 2024 alongside images of a lighter class of sixth generation fighter being developed in parallel. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force is considered likely to begin fielding both aircraft in the early 2030s. The rate at which the preceding J-20 could progress from its first test flight to service entry being well under half the time taken by the rival American F-22 and F-35 fighters - six years rather than fifteen - sets a strong precedent for Chinese sixth generation fighters also having far shorter development times. Responding to the rapid progress which China’s fighter aviation industry has made, the F-47’s primary contractor Boeing has committed the highest level of internal investment in its history to developing the aircraft, with the Pentagon poised to cut funding for the U.S. Navy’s own sixth generation fighter to ensure that sufficient resources are available for the Air Force’s aircraft. While China is set to field two sixth generation fighters in the early 2030s, it remains in serious question whether the United States will be able to bring a single one in to service before the middle of the decade. Poster Comment: Russia is way ahead of the US and China. They should deploy the Mach 4.3 MIG 41 later this year. It is invulnerable to US missiles and jets. The US will be bankrupt before Boeing makes its first F-47 prototype. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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