A new video circulating on the Chinese social media platform Weibo offers the clearest view yet of what appears to be the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s next-generation stealth combat aircraft, believed to be designated the J-36.
The footage, reportedly captured near Chengdu in China’s Sichuan province, shows the aircraft landing at a facility owned by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC), a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The location and aircraft suggest that China’s sixth-generation fighter program is now undergoing early flight testing.
The video reveals a large, tailless flying wing platform with a distinctive trijet configuration—an unusual feature in modern fighter designs. The aircraft’s silhouette features a modified delta wing with deep forward cutouts extending toward the nose, paired with a voluminous fuselage that hints at expanded internal fuel and weapons capacity.
Observers have noted the resemblance of the aircraft’s lower fuselage to the J-20, China’s current frontline stealth fighter, although the J-36 is markedly larger. The upper fuselage features a dorsal-mounted air intake positioned just behind the cockpit canopy—a configuration rarely seen on operational combat aircraft. Analysts suggest this design may improve stealth characteristics and allow for better airflow management in high-altitude, high-speed operations.
China’s Chengdu J-36 third test flight yesterday. https://t.co/UqZVgQy8Lx pic.twitter.com/RbE1uITp4K
— 笑脸男人 (@lfx160219) March 26, 2025
The overall shape indicates a platform focused on endurance, payload, and low observability—key features for a long-range tactical or strategic combat aircraft designed to operate in contested airspace.
The J-36 is expected to serve as a counterbalance to future Western sixth-generation fighters under development in the United States, such as the F-47 under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. Its appearance aligns with China’s efforts to rapidly expand its military aerospace capabilities and field a competitive force capable of projecting power well beyond its borders.
Chinese officials have not confirmed the aircraft’s designation or specifications, and no formal statements have been made by AVIC or the PLA Air Force. However, the high-quality footage and proximity to a known development facility strongly suggest the J-36 is progressing beyond conceptual development and into the early testing phase.