Chinese Military Aircraft: The Rise of a Modern Air Power
China is quickly advancing in military aviation, combining homegrown designs with responses to new global threats. The J-20 stands out as a stealth fighter meant to rival other fifth-generation jets. The J-35 is designed for naval use, while the J-16 is a powerful multirole Flanker. New tailless prototypes like the J-36 and J-50 are moving toward sixth-generation technology. As the People’s Liberation Army continues to modernize, future coverage will look more closely at earlier fighters, bombers, support aircraft, and the history that shaped today’s strong fleet. More updates on PLA air power are coming soon.
China’s new J-36
China's new J-36 stealth fighter, a sixth-generation tailless trijet from Chengdu since 2018, boasts diamond-double-delta wings, tandem cockpit, and WC-10 engines for supercruise and reduced RCS. Prototypes spotted in December 2024 feature advanced inlets, long-range...
China’s J-36 & J-50 – First Impressions
China's J-36 and J-50 first impressions showcase advanced sixth-generation fighter concepts: the Chengdu J-36, a tailless stealth bomber with double-delta wings, three engines, extended combat radius, and weapons bays for strikes and drone control; the Shenyang J-50,...
J-20 China’s Answer to the F-22
The Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, China's answer to the F-22, emerged from the 1990s F-XX program as a fifth-generation stealth fighter, achieving first flight in 2011 and service in 2017. Powered by evolving WS-15 engines for supercruise, it features AESA radar,...
The J-16 | Is it the best Flanker?
The J-16, China's advanced multirole variant of the Su-27 Flanker family, features AESA radar, thrust-vectoring engines, superior electronic warfare suite, and long-range PL-15 missiles. With greater payload, range, and sensor fusion than legacy Flankers, it excels in...
China’s new J-35
China's new J-35 stealth fighter, evolved from the Shenyang FC-31 prototype since 2012, entered PLAAF service as the land-based J-35A in 2024 with twin WS-19 engines, AESA radar, diverterless inlets, and internal bays for PL-15/10 missiles. Achieving Mach 1.8 speed...