Author: Gerry Doyle
(Reuters) – Blurry images of two apparently new Chinese military aircraft with invisible features appeared online on Friday, and defense experts said they were clearly advanced designs, but there were not enough details to draw definitive conclusions.
Both designs are tailless, meaning they have no vertical stabilizers to help maintain control. Such a craft is usually kept stable by computers that interpret the pilot’s control data.
The larger of the two designs is roughly diamond-shaped, with three air intakes for its engines – two along the fuselage and one on top – a highly unusual configuration. The smaller one has a more conventional layout but no tail.
Both lack the 90-degree corners typical of stealth molding, which is designed to reduce radar detection.
As China modernizes its military, the designs “demonstrate the Chinese aerospace industry’s willingness to experiment and innovate,” said Euan Graham, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
“Regardless of the pros or cons, it appears to be a very original design,” he said. “They deserve credit for that and should shake off any lingering complacency that the US and its allies always set the pace.”
China’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The US Defense Department said it was “aware of the report” but said it had no further comment beyond what was included in an annual report on China’s military this month.
COMBAT AVATARS OF THE SIXTH GENERATION
The United States has been in its for years Following (LON:) Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which is developing a sixth-generation fighter jet, but it is unclear what form that effort will take under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Europe and Asia are collaborating on a separate next-generation aircraft under the Global Combat Air Programme, and recently announced a UK-Japan joint venture.
Reuters confirmed a video showing the larger of two new Chinese planes flying over Chengdu comparing nearby buildings, signs, logos and trees with satellite and file images. The date could not be independently verified.
The Chinese planes pictured online are not the first modern tailless designs. The Northrop Grumman (NYSE: ) The B-2 and B-21 stealth bombers have flying wings and several unmanned aerial vehicles, such as Lockheed Martin (NYSE: ) RQ-170 and Chinese CH-7 have no tails.
Not a single Chinese jet has an official designation that has been made public. While the designs are new compared to the rest of China’s fleet, it is not possible to say how stealthy, how maneuverable or fast they are or what kind of avionics they carry “under the hood” – the kinds of details needed to determine whether they are truly “next-generation” designs, it said. five defense experts.
Peter Layton, a defense and aerospace expert at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, noted that it is generally difficult to apply designations such as fifth generation – which includes current stealth jets such as the F-22 and F-35 – to Chinese aircraft, which they often include unique design features that never appear again.
The Chinese J-20 and J-35 also have stealth characteristics, but their capabilities are not publicly known and only the J-20 is in service.
The United States is investing resources in advanced missiles and other systems to deter China in the Indo-Pacific region. It recently tested a missile interception system on the strategically key island of Guam using an advanced radar.
China’s daily flights of the new design over cities where they could easily be seen were “curious,” said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the US-based Stimson Center.
She said it may be easier for China to catch up with the United States in aircraft than in unmanned vehicles and missiles.
“As the Pentagon actively debates the future of the NGAD… it’s hard not to wonder if this is an attempt by Beijing to influence that discussion,” she added.
Separately on Friday, China’s state media outlet Xinhua reported that the People’s Liberation Army Navy had launched its newest amphibious assault ship.
