By Gerry Doyle
(Reuters) – Blurry images of what appear to be two new Chinese military aircraft with stealth capabilities surfaced online on Friday. Defense experts said they were clearly advanced designs, but lacked details for final conclusions.
Both designs are tailless, meaning they do not have vertical stabilizers to maintain control. Such aircraft are typically kept stable by computers that interpret the pilot’s control inputs.
The larger of the two designs is roughly diamond-shaped and features three air intakes for the engines – two along the fuselage and one at the top – a highly unusual configuration. The smaller one has a more conventional layout but no tail.
Both lack the 90-degree angle typical of stealth shaping, which is intended to reduce radar detection.
As China modernizes its military, the designs “show the Chinese aviation industry’s willingness to experiment and innovate,” said Euan Graham, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
“Whatever the merits or demerits, it appears to be a highly original design,” he said. “They deserve great praise for this and should shake off the persistent complacency that the United States and its allies always set the pace.”
China’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S. Defense Department said it was “aware of the reports” but said it had no further comment beyond what it said in its annual report on the Chinese military this month.
SIXTH GENERATION FIGHTER JETS
The United States has been at it for years Next (LON:) Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program that is developing a sixth-generation fighter aircraft, but it is not clear what form the effort will take under the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Europe and Asia are collaborating on a separate next-generation aircraft as part of the Global Combat Air Program and recently announced the creation of a joint British-Japanese company.
Reuters confirmed a video showing the larger of two new Chinese planes flying over Chengdu by matching nearby buildings, signs, logos and trees with satellite images and file images. The date could not be independently verified.
The Chinese aircraft in the online pictures are not the first modern tailless aircraft. The Northrop Grumman (NYSE:) B-2 and B-21 stealth bombers are both flying wings and several unmanned aircraft, such as: B. the Lockheed Martin (NYSE:) RQ-170 and China’s CH-7 have no tails.
None of the Chinese jets have an official designation that has been released. Although the designs are new compared to the rest of the Chinese fleet, there is no telling how stealthy they are, how maneuverable or fast they are, or what kind of avionics “under the hood” they carry – what kind of details they might require determine whether they are truly “next-generation” designs, five defense experts said.
Peter Layton, a defense and aviation expert at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, noted that it is generally difficult to apply fifth-generation labels to Chinese aircraft, which include current stealth jets such as the F-22 and F-35 which often include unique design features that never appear again.
China’s J-20 and J-35 also have stealth capabilities, but their capabilities are not publicly known and only the J-20 is in service.
The United States has poured resources into advanced missiles and other systems to deter China in the Indo-Pacific region. A missile interception system using advanced radar was recently tested on the strategically important island of Guam.
China’s daytime flights of the new designs over cities where they could be easily seen are “strange,” said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the U.S. Stimson Center.
She said it may be easier for China to compete with the United States in aircraft than in unmanned vehicles and missiles.
“With the Pentagon actively debating the future of NGAD… it’s hard not to wonder whether this is Beijing’s attempt to influence that debate,” she added.
Separately, Chinese state media Xinhua reported on Friday that the People’s Liberation Army Navy had launched its newest amphibious assault ship.
