New Close-Up Footage Offers Best Look Yet at China’s J-36 Tailless Stealth Fighter in Final Approach

China’s J-36 in New Footage: What We Now See

New video has emerged showing China’s largest of two new tailless stealth fighter prototypes, commonly referred to as the J-36, as it makes a final approach to land at its manufacturer’s factory airfield in Sichuan Province. The aircraft is still unconfirmed in official sources.

The jet is spotted over a freeway near the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) facility, sweeping low as it approaches touchdown. Key visible features include:

• Heavy-duty landing gear: Twin wheels on each unit are deployed.
• Twin split ruddervons (outboard control surfaces) serving as airbrakes or stabilizing surfaces.
• Three-engine configuration: Two side intakes and one dorsal intake. The dorsal intake appears to use a diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) design.
• Cockpit/nose shape: A broad nose section, streamlined forward fuselage, and what looks like a side-by-side seating arrangement (or possibly a very wide single seat cockpit) — based on visible helmet or headrest silhouette. This appears to rule out the tandem seat layout.
• Camouflage / surface treatments: Splinter-type camouflage, lighter-colored panels around dorsal intake and aft, and lighter leading-edge panels likely for optical/IR sensors. Some areas could feature mirror-like coatings used during testing.

These visual details align with earlier sightings: first flight on Dec. 26, a second appearance some months later, and increasing public exposure via images and video.

Design Features & Capabilities: What This Suggests

From the recent footage and earlier analyses, the following design attributes are increasingly supported:

• Tailless, flying-wing / blended wing-body influences: Absence of vertical stabilizers, use of split control surfaces at wing edges.
• Trijet powerplant configuration, which is rare among modern fighter prototypes. Could confer increased thrust or redundancy.
• Large internal volume / weapon bays: Earlier speculation suggests substantial internal weapons capacity (long-range missiles, precision strike munitions) as well as electronic warfare and sensor payloads.
• Advanced sensor suite and stealth shaping: Broad nose suggests sizable radome; optical/IR apertures; leading-edge shaping; camouflage indicating both visual concealment and possibly radar signature management.

Status & Strategic Context

The footage is part of a mounting body of evidence for the J-36’s development: multiple flights, public sightings, geolocated videos, and confirmation (though unofficial) from defense watchers and analysts.

Strategically, the J-36 seems intended as a next-generation heavy stealth tactical aircraft for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), possibly serving roles beyond pure air superiority:

• Long-range strike / stand-off capability
• Sensor fusion and electronic warfare
• Command & control for drone / UCAV / loyal-wingman operations
• Expanding China’s ability to project airpower deep into the Pacific, consistent with its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy.

Analysis: Implications & Comparisons

Potential Impact on Airpower Balance

If the J-36 achieves operational capability with the features suggested by this footage and other sightings, it would mark a significant leap in PLA airpower. Its size, trijet layout, stealth characteristics and internal bays place it in a heavier class than many current fighters. This could shift regional power dynamics, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, by strengthening China’s ability to contest air superiority at greater ranges.

Comparisons with U.S. Sixth-Generation Fighter Development

At the same time, the U.S. is developing its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family (sometimes referred to in press as F-47 or otherwise), emphasizing modular payloads, distributed sensing, AI, and human-machine teaming. The J-36 seems to follow a parallel trajectory in some respects: more sensors, greater autonomy potential, stealth, emphasis on greater mission flexibility. However, important questions remain:

• Will it achieve genuine “supercruise”—sustained supersonic flight without afterburners?
• How good will its avionics, electronic warfare, and stealth be in operational conditions?
• What will be its service entry timeline, and how will China integrate a platform of this presumed size into its maintenance, training, and deployment infrastructure?

What’s Still Unknown / Monitoring Points

While new footage brings clarity, many aspects remain speculative or unverified:

• The official designation (is it definitively “J-36”?), and whether it will be dual-use or have variants (e.g., naval version).
• Exact crew configuration — side-by-side vs single pilot is still debated.
• Performance metrics: speed, range, payload, avionics, radar cross-section.
• Operational role: will it be air superiority only, or multi-role with strike, EW, C2, unmanned escort?

Conclusion

The latest video of the J-36 offers the most detailed public view yet of China’s ambitious stealth fighter project. The combination of design features—tailless layout, three engines, side-by-side cockpit shape, advanced stealth shaping—suggests China is pushing aggressively toward a next-generation platform capable of challenging Western air dominance. But many key performance and operational traits remain unconfirmed.

As analysts and militaries continue monitoring imagery, flight tests, and technical disclosures, the J-36 could become a major factor in the future airpower balance of East Asia and beyond.

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