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New images point to fifth prototype for China’s J-36 fighter jet in air power race with US
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China's military weapons
ChinaMilitary
New images point to fifth prototype for China’s J-36 fighter jet in air power race with US
Footage suggesting rapid design upgrades comes just a month after China released first official clip of a sixth-generation fighter
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Gabriel Dominguez
Fresh images and footage have emerged of what some observers say may be a fifth prototype of China’s J-36 sixth-generation combat aircraft.
If authentic, the images offer new clues about a rapidly evolving design as Beijing races for air superiority in future warfare against rivals such as the United States.
The latest footage, circulating since earlier this month, appears to show further changes to the aircraft’s nose, air intakes, engine nozzles and landing gear. This suggests its developer, Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC), is continuing to refine the design through successive prototypes as flight testing accelerates.
The images emerged about a month after China released its first official footage of a sixth-generation fighter prototype on state media.
Andreas Rupprecht, an aviation analyst and expert on China’s air force, said the structural differences between the earliest and latest examples made it unlikely the sightings simply showed a single aircraft being repeatedly modified.
“It is still difficult to assess this with any certainty,” he said. “But if one takes the reports from reliable sources as a basis, there is indeed some strong evidence to support it.”
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