On Dec. 26, 2024, footage and images of what could be China’s very first sixth-generation aircraft started circulating online. The day is a special date for China, as Dec. 26 is the birthday of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The aircraft was accompanied by a twin-seater J-20S, still in its factory primer, acting as a safety chase for the flight.
The identity of this aircraft is still unknown, as observers are now divided between the sixth-generation J-XX fighter and the fifth-generation JH-XX regional bomber. The latter was reported to be in development together with the H-20 stealth heavy bomber.
Fascinating that the PLAAF/CCP have chosen to fly this prototype in daylight now… I’d be cautious about attributing it as China’s NGAD-equivalent 6th gen fighter though. I suspect more likely to be the 5th Gen regional bomber/strike fighter project sometimes called J/H-XX https://t.co/Jwv8Ka5kT4
The flight took place at Chengdu Aircraft Corporation’s (CAC) headquarters in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. CAC is part of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) network, and produces frontline fighters like the J-10 and J-20 for the PLAAF (People’s Liberation Army Air Force).