21 December 2019

China developing new fighter aircraft

Andrew Tate

China is developing a new fighter aircraft that is expected to make extensive use of advanced composite materials and have low-observable characteristics, according to a report published by the state-owned Global Times newspaper on 14 December.

If correct, this would be China's second stealth fighter aircraft after the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-20 'fifth-generation' multirole fighter, which officially entered service in 2018.

The report states that a joint development team was established by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) in September 2018, with personnel from the structures department of AVIC's Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute (also known as the 601 Institute) and the military projects department of AVIC's Manufacturing Technology Institute.

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