China’s next-generation cunning fighters are emerging in plain sight, and they might be flying around the still-underdeveloped US ideas.
The J-50, officially referred to as the J-50, has received the clearest look but from recent images from Chinese internet sources, according to The Aviationist, which was released this month.
The largess twin-engine aircraft, which was first seen in December 2024, has a beta flap design, which seems to have made a major advance in Chinese aircraft technology. Diverterless Supersonic Intakes ( DSI), 2D thrust vectoring nozzles, and a twin-nosed tricycle landing gear system are all featured in the most recent photos.
Its possible inclusion of lateral and half weapon bays, as well as a bulge beneath the cockpit that might building an electro-optical sensor, similar to the J-35’s equal, has been noted by observers.
This plane is a part of China’s effort to develop a sixth-generation fighter, but its classification is still ambiguous due to unknown intergenerational requirements.
Its common flight in December 2024, which is in honor of Mao Zedong’s day, highlights a deliberate attempt to make it known as a show of power. Reports suggest that a Chinese Flanker generic serving as a hunt aircraft may have made its debut flight earlier.
The J-50 highlights China’s ambitions to strengthen its position in cutting-edge military aircraft technologies, despite its specific function and capabilities remaining fanciful. No formal remarks have been made, and the operation’s schedule is still unsure.
Thomas Newdick and Tyler Rogoway discuss the J-50’s tailless design with swiveling wingtips in a January 2025 article for The War Zone ( TWZ ) that advances digital flight systems and improve roll and pitch control.
According to Newdick and Rogoway, this development reduces the stability issues inherent in mammal configurations but compromises radar stealth due to the welded surfaces. They claim that the risk of detection is reduced by small expression or locking these controls in journey.
They point out that the mini thrust-vectoring nozzles make for more flexibility, compensating for the design flaws brought on by the heavy weight. The vague ceiling details suggest a potential guarded operation, despite the claim that it is unclear whether the J-50 is a guarded or autonomous plane.
Newdick and Rogoway add that the complex trailing border power schemes used in the J-50 highlight the development’s emphasis on dexterity. They point out that the J-50 reflects courageous trade-offs that favour control superiority despite its diminished small observability.
The J-50 may be able to maneuver more efficiently and maneuverably in close-in engagements thanks to these design features, which will enable it to operate properly within enemy air defense bubbles.
However, John Stillion mentions that aerial combat has changed significantly from close-range dogfighting to engagements beyond visual range ( BVR ), primarily as a result of improvements in sensors, weapons, and communication in a 2015 Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment ( CSBA ) report.
According to Stillion, radar-guided and ultraviolet missiles are the only available air-to-air weapons, allowing pilots to strike from hundreds of kilometers away without making physical contact. He points out that maneuvering heat conflict is now seen as dangerous and becoming less and less effective.
In a May 2022 article for 1945, Alex Hollings makes a counterpoint to Stillion’s assertion that even with better technology and situational awareness, nearly 40 % of air activities came within visual spectrum, with some requiring standard dueling tactics.
Hollings makes the claim that close-range engagements can be a result of technological limitations, human error, and chaotic combat settings. He claims that in large-scale conflicts, dogfights are unavoidable due to the sheer volume of aircraft and operational complexity.
He continues, adding that dogfighting skills remain a necessity despite the dominance of stealth and long-range capabilities over strategy.
Along with the J-36, the J-50 might suggest that China is looking to build a high-low force combination for its fighters of the future. In this combination, smaller, less expensive, and more advanced aircraft are paired with smaller, less expensive, and more advanced models.
A high-end fighter with a high-low force mix could be made to penetrate defended enemy airspace, requiring stealth, range, and heavy armament.
In keeping with this, Bill Sweetman mentions in a December 2024 article for The Strategist that the J-36’s all-aspect stealth is achieved by a tailless configuration, unbroken edge lines, and concealed sensor apertures, thereby reducing its radar cross-section.
Sweetman points out that the double-delta wing design of the J-36 makes it possible to perform extended-range missions. Additionally, he claims that the J-36, which comes with three engines, is designed to achieve supersonic cruise without afterburners, increasing efficiency and lowering thermal signatures.
A low-end fighter, in contrast, may be less capable overall and was created to operate in contested airspace rather than through defended airspace. With its purported emphasis on maneuverability for close-in combat, the J-50 may adhere to that philosophy.
China could rely on the fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighter, which could be the most expensive fighter in China’s current in-service fighter fleet, with between 200 and 250 units already built as of 2023, because the J-36 and J-50 are still prototypes.
The J-36 and J-50 could put China in the lead over the US in the search for sixth-generation fighters on a strategic level. The US Next-Generation Air Dominance ( NGAD ) platform, in contrast, is still in the engineering and manufacturing development ( EMD) phase.
Abraham Abrams mentions in a January 2025 Aviation Geek Club article that China’s J-20 stealth fighter advanced from flight demonstrator to front-line service in just six years, as opposed to the US F-22 and F-35, which took 15 to 20 years.
Given China’s industrial and technological advancements since then, according to Abrams, it could easily field a sixth-generation jet years ahead of the US.
In a December 2024 article for The China Academy, Wang Xiangsui mentions that China’s position as the world’s leader in hypersonic wind tunnel testing facilities enables super-precise feedback without having to transport aircraft test models 100 kilometers in altitude, lessens the risk of espionage, increases the maturity of the technology testing equipment, and guarantees fewer losses and greater safety for test pilots.
Wang points out that while US hypersonic wind tunnels like the” Z Machine” can simulate speeds up to Mach 30, they can only do so for 30 milliseconds, making them unsuitable for sustained testing of missiles and aircraft. He points out, in contrast, that China’s JF-22 is engineered for constant operation of up to 130 milliseconds at Mach 30.
A US Congressional Research Service ( CRS ) report from February 2025 highlights the gap in testing technology, which limits US ability to develop hypersonic weapons at the same speed as competitors like China.
According to the report, the US Department of Defense ( DOD ) relies on a patchwork of 48 specialized facilities, many of which are outdated or located in academia, including ground test sites, open-air ranges, and mobile assets.
Additionally, the report mentions that China has more wind tunnels and flight test ranges, some of which can simulate speeds exceeding Mach 20. These are complemented by a stronger hypersonic testing infrastructure.