As tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to mount, the race to produce the world’s first-ever sixth-generation aircraft is in full throttle. At the tail end of 2024, new images surfaced the internet depicting a Chinese-made stealthy, high-performance next-gen combat aircraft. While detailed information regarding the plane remains very limited, its overall design parallels what experts have already deduced about Beijing’s future aerial aspirations.

In videos published on social media outlets, the mysterious aircraft is seen flying alongside a Chengdu J-20S fighter jet. According to a War Zone report on the matter, the presence of the fifth-generation fighter suggests that this flight likely took place near the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation factory airfield. The aircraft’s tailless configuration has particularly stunned aviation buffs, as this design can significantly reduce the platform’s radar signature. The U.S. has also prioritized this structure as deploying airframes that are more difficult to detect is essential in the current threat climate.

As summed up by The War Zone, the mysterious Chinese aircraft features several advanced traits in addition to its tailless design: “It has a modified delta wing with chine lines extending all the way to the nose area, while its central fuselage section, at least the bottom of it, is loosely reminiscent of the J-20.” Additionally, the airframe appears to be designed with five trailing edge control surfaces per wing, including split flaps close to the wingtips. While no other information surrounding the aircraft has been divulged, Beijing’s progress toward achieving sixth-generation technology is worrisome.

China has been striving to introduce the world’s first-ever sixth-generation bomber for years. Its upcoming H-20 “Xi’an” bomber coincides with the PRC’s growing emphasis on nuclear deterrence and long-range offensive capabilities. In addition to stealth, experts believe that China’s new bomber could possess a range of more than 8,500 kilometers, which would allow Beijing to reach well into Japan, the Philippines and even the U.S. territory of Guam if not stopped. If a full-blown war between Washington and Beijing were to unfold, the H-20 could give the PLAAF the ability to strike U.S. bombers on the tarmac before they could take off. A 2018 Pentagon assessment also detailed how the development of a refuelable bomber would pose even greater risks for the United States. The PLAAF could “expand long-range offensive bomber capability beyond the second island chain” if a refuelable bomber were introduced to service. American analysts also believe that the H-20 will feature an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

While these specs and abilities are alarming, China is not the only nation working on next-generation aerial material. The U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program is being developed to counter China’s advancing abilities in the skies. The upcoming sixth-gen program is referred to as a “family of systems,” consisting of sixth-generation fighter jets and Collaborative Combat Vehicles (UAVs) that will accompany them. Considering the progress Beijing appears to be making on the sixth-gen front, the timely introduction of NGAD is essential.

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.