US Vs China: Who Will Win The Race For World’s Sixth-Generation Fighter Jets? Explained
Trump has described F-47 as the ‘most lethal aircraft ever built’, with its test version flying in secret for years. While China’s J-36 is believed to feature three engines, which is quite an unusual choice for a tactical fighter
The year 2025 would see the race for world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet hotting up as the United States has announced developing F-47 aircraft while its rival, China, has released pictures purportedly showing its most advanced stealth fighter jet dubbed as J-36.
US President Donald Trump on Friday made an announcement recently that Boeing will develop F-47 fighter jet, which will have “unprecedented power". “America’s enemies will never see [them] coming," he warned.
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Visuals of the triangular ginkgo leaf-shaped jet were aired by national broadcaster China Central Television on Sunday, purportedly to mark a minor air force anniversary – 27 years since the maiden flight of the fourth-generation J-10 fighter.
Let us find out the specs of the two aircraft, the timing of the two events and where both countries stand in terms of aerial superiority.
US Sixth-Generation F-47 Fighter Jet
It is not a mere coincidence that the plane has been named F-47. Reports suggest that 47 stands for Trump, who is the 47th President of the United States. “The generals picked a title, and it’s a beautiful number," Trump was quoted as saying in the Oval Office. “Nothing in the world comes even close to it."
As per St Louis Public Radio, the plane will be built at a Boeing manufacturing space in the city.
The plane is officially called the Next Generation Air Dominance, which was established as a “family of systems" to counter rivals like China and Russia.
Trump has called it the “most lethal aircraft ever built", with a test version of the plane flying in secret for years, as per the BBC.
“There’s never been anything even close to it, from speed to manoeuverability, to what it can have, to payload," Trump said. “Our allies are calling constantly," Trump added.
The plane’s specifications have not been fully disclosed. But it will have stealth capabilities, advanced sensors and cutting-edge engines.
As per an article in AirandSpaceForces.com, “While the images show a conventionally stealthy nose and bubble canopy with a chiseled chine and a flattened overall fuselage shape, they also reveal both canards and wings with a distinctive upward angle, features that aren’t typical of previous stealth designs."
The F-47 planes will build on “Boeing fighter legacy", which includes the P-51 Mustang, F-4 Phantom, F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet, and EA-18 Growler.
The estimate cost of building the aircraft would be $20 billion initially, as per The Associated Press.
X-planes have been testing NGAD technologies for the last five years, “flying hundreds of hours, testing cutting-edge concepts, and proving that we can push the edge of technology with confidence," AirandSpaceForces.com quoted Chief of Staff Gen. David W Allvin as saying.
China’s J-36 Fighter Jets
The aircraft was seen conducting a test flight over Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan province. Analysts said it was notable that the jet was flying solo without a chase plane, and that it looked like the landing gear and aerodynamic capabilities of the J-36 were being tested.
Though the Chinese government has not fully released the official details, but the J-36 was first spotted publicly on December 26, 2024, during its reported maiden flight. It was seen flying alongside a J-20S, the twin-seat variant of China’s fifth-generation stealth fighter, which served as a chase plane.
The J-36 fighter jet is reportedly developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, with distinctive tailless, flying-wing design, which is required to enhance its stealth capabilities by reducing radar cross-section, as per a report by The Independent.
The jet is estimated to be 66 to 85 feet long with a wingspan of about 65 feet, and is designed as a mix between a fighter and a bomber. It can carry heavy weapons inside, such as long-range missiles or precision-guided bombs. It is likely built to avoid detection and attack from a distance rather than engage in close-up dogfights.
The J-36 is believed to feature three engines, which is quite an unusual choice for a tactical fighter, and can provide the thrust needed for high speeds and heavy payloads, according to The War Zone, a defence news and analysis website.
Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said the J-36 would prove crucial in battle zones where electronic warfare like jamming or hacking could interfere with drones, as per The Independent.
Bronk stressed that China needs planes that can “stay in the air for long missions", and that can defend its airspace or attacking enemy targets over the vast Indo-Pacific region.
Are Fighter Jets Necessary At All?
Billionaire and DOGE head Elon Musk told Fortune that the F-35 is an “expensive and complex jack of all trades and master of none". He had earlier said in November that “some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35."
“And manned fighter jets are obsolete in the age of drones anyway. Will just get pilots killed," he wrote on X.
But some experts believe that manned jets would continue to rule the skies. The Strategist claimed that the J-36 represents “a significant leap in aviation technology".
Meanwhile, Stacie Petty John, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told The Washington Post, “This is one of the US Air Force’s core strengths, so continuing to invest in the high-end aircraft that allows us to do this is key to maintaining an edge over China."
Retired Air Force Lieutenant General David Deptula told Fox News that no major military campaign can succeed without air superiority.
Boeing’s contract for F-47 means it will make the jet fighter and receive orders worth hundreds of billions of dollars over the contract’s multi-decade lifetime. “We recognise the importance of designing, building and delivering a 6th-generation fighter capability for the United States Air Force," Steve Parker, who leads Boeing’s defence business, said in a statement. “In preparation for this mission, we made the most significant investment in the history of our defense business."
How Does China’s Fleet Compare To US?
US Brigadier General Doug Wickert, commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, has warned that by 2027, China’s modern fighter jet fleet will outnumber US forces about 12 to 1 in key regions of the Western Pacific, as per the Eurasian Times.
The warning follows the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) introduction of two new combat aircraft on December 26, touted as sixth-generation fighter jets, to celebrate Chinese Communist Party founder Mao Zedong’s birthday.
China’s numerical superiority of assets translates into its considerable capacity to launch a full-operation in a region. For example, in mid-December, the PLA navy surrounded Taiwan in an unannounced exercise, the world’s largest naval demonstration since the end of World War II. The exercise was three times larger in number of ships than last June’s vaunted Rim of the Pacific exercise involving 40 US and allied surface ships.
How Many Military Aircraft Do US And China Have?
As per the World Atlas, the United States has most number of aircraft, with 13,209 combat aircraft. In second place is Russia with 4,255 aircraft, and in third is China with 3,304 aircraft.
The US Air Force alone has access to 5,217 aircraft, while the US Army Aviation has another 4,409 aircraft. The US Navy has another 2,464, and the US Marines have 1,157.
The US military has so many aircraft that it would take the combined militaries of Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, and Pakistan to surpass it in sheer numbers, the World Atlas reported.
China’s J-20 jets with stealth capabilities really make them stand out. They incredibly difficult to be traced on radar ensuring that it will almost always have the element of surprise in war.
Meanwhile, Russia has the Su-35, also known as the Sukhoi Su-35, as its main fighter jet. It was first introduced in 2014, and the current model is an upgrade from the Su-27 aircraft that was designed during Soviet era.
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