Once
these aircraft enter serial production — likely within the next few
years after flight tests conclude — they will deliver a harder blow to
America’s ‘big five’ defence contractors than the one-two punch China’s
AI platform, DeepSeek, dealt to the 'Magnificent Seven' tech giants.
Whilst less is known about the J-XX, the J-36, by contrast, has emerged in sharper detail — and that’s our focus here.
What
we do know is this — the advanced, stealthy and enormous J-36 fighter
jet — is a tailless, supersonic, trijet flying wing with a double delta
design — that has entered pre-production flight testing, surging ahead
of rival programs like the US’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD),
the UK-led Tempest, and Europe’s FCAS — taking military analysts by
surprise. As for its two-seater, side-by-side cockpit configuration?
We’ll circle back to that later.
Typically, what takes the US over
15 years — from green-lighting a next-generation fighter jet to its
operational deployment — China pulls off in just 5. This puts the J-36
on track for operational service by the early 2030s, whilst the US’s
6th-generation fighter will struggle to secure initial operational
status before 2040 — relegating the US to the status of an also-ran.
In
other words, China now commands at least a 5-year technological lead in
fighter jet capability over the US — and I suspect that lead will only
widen from here on out.
Whilst Western 6th-generation designs
prioritise agility and versatility, the J-36 delivers both — alongside
exceptional range and unmatched electrical power generation, addressing
the critical weaknesses of modern fighters through its three-engine
configuration.
Unlike traditional engines that prioritise
thrust, the J-36’s trijet design generates a surplus of electrical
energy, enabling larger and more powerful GaN radar systems, greater computational capacity, enhanced electronic warfare capabilities, and direct-energy weapons
— with capacity to spare for future technologies. By rendering its
rivals obsolete, it sets the definitive benchmark for advanced combat
jets. For sure, this is a tailor-made solution for establishing air
superiority over the West Pacific and Asia.
As more details emerge
about this next-generation stealth flying wing, its lethality becomes
undeniable. With supercruise — the ability to sustain supersonic flight
without afterburners — a 10,000 km range, and a 3,000 km combat radius
under full payload, it obsoletes America’s most advanced fighter, the
F-22 Raptor.
The Raptors maximum range is just 2,900 km
(with external tanks and no weapons), and its combat radius barely
reaches 1,000 km. This striking contrast underscores the J-36’s
potential to upend strategic calculations in the West Pacific. It’s like
fielding a sniper rifle whilst everyone else is stuck with pistols.