Key Points and Summary – China’s 6th-generation fighter prototype, the J-36, is still in the early, experimental stages of development, as evidenced by a new prototype with significant design changes.
-The new version has swapped its YF-23-style recessed engine nozzles for three F-22-style thrust-vectoring nozzles, a baffling change that suggests a shift in its mission from a stealth striker to a multi-role fighter.
J-36 Fighter YouTube Screenshot/Artist Rendering.
-The air intakes and landing gear have also been completely redesigned.
-While China’s rapid prototyping is “impressive,” these drastic changes show that Beijing has not settled on a final design, indicating the J-36 is likely years away from full-scale production.
China’s J-36 Stealth Fighter: Not Ready for Primetime?
The United States and China are currently locked in an arms race to be the first to develop and field a “sixth-generation” fighter.
Unfortunately for the U.S., China has taken the lead.
Its prototype, unofficially dubbed the J-36, was first revealed in late 2024 and has since made repeated appearances.
Most recently, a newer version of the aircraft has appeared —likely a second prototype —and it is very visually distinctive from its earlier appearances.
Several aspects of the aircraft, most notably its engine nozzles, air intakes, and landing gears, have been significantly altered from those of the other prototype.
J-36 Fighter Artist Rendition from X Screenshot
New Exhaust Nozzles
The first and most apparent change has been made to the engine exhaust nozzles toward the rear of the aircraft.
The first J-36 featured an arrangement similar to that of the Northrop YF-23 prototype. This configuration is traditionally believed to reduce IR visibility from engine exhaust and to enhance speed over maneuverability.
The new prototype sports what seems to be three angular thrust-vectoring nozzles reminiscent of the F-22 and China’s J-50 (or J-XDS as it is often called).
This configuration is more favorable for maneuverability at a slight cost to stealth.
This is the most baffling aspect of the redesign. The flat-recessed engines on the prototype made more sense for what analysts presume the J-36’s intended role: a medium-range strike aircraft.
The new design suggests the J-36 may be a multi-role aircraft. This is especially confusing considering how large and heavy the aircraft is expected to be.
This may be merely an experimental airframe intended to test different technologies. If true, then the final iteration of the J-36 is likely to feature a completely different layout than the one we see right now.
J-36 Fighter. Image Credit: Screenshot from X.
Other Changes
The inlets on the new J-36 have also been redesigned. The prototype used a caret intake on the lower part of the aircraft, similar to those on the F-22, with a divertless supersonic intake (DSI) on the top of the plane for the third engine.
The new prototype is now comprised entirely of DSIs similar to the ones featured on the J-20 Mighty Dragon.
There are arguments for both types of intake, but both, when implemented well, can significantly reduce an aircraft’s radar signature.
The final noticeable difference between the two prototypes is the modified landing gear. The first J-36 featured tandem two-wheeled landing gear.
This, to many analysts, was an indicator of the aircraft’s weight, potentially hinting at its role.
J-36 Fighter from X Screenshot. Image Credit: X Screenshot.
Now, they have been replaced with a side-by-side truck arrangement. The upside is that it requires less internal space and smaller gear doors (on stealth aircraft, the fewer moving parts there are, the better). While this may seem like a small change, it is much more surprising than one would first realize.
Are the Chinese Stealing Tech Secrets Again?
A funny side note about the J-36’s original landing gear: the tandem wheel configuration is strikingly similar to the one seen on the Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber.
Well, the Russians noticed this and were not happy. One Russian expert, Evgeny Damantsev, noted similarities in the tandem-wheel layout between the two aircraft.
Russian news outlets accused China of potentially stealing Russian military technology for the development of the J-36. “Let us recall that the Su-34 entered mass production in 2006,” one publication snidely remarked. Whether China actually stole Russian state secrets or whether Sukhoi collaborated with China (as has happened in the past) is unknown.
Unfortunately, the only footage we have of the new J-36 model is one picture of the aircraft’s underside. Other minor tweaks have likely been made to the aircraft’s avionics and fuselage, perhaps also to the top side, but based on the one picture we have, it is impossible to tell. Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see if the J-36 evolves even further or whether this will be the last variant before the aircraft enters production.
The J-36: Paper Tiger for the Moment?
So, what can we glean from this new development? First and foremost, as other analysts have pointed out, the J-36 is still in the early stages of development.
Other aircraft change their avionics and engines over their lifetimes; that is a normal part of the process.
J-36 Fighter from China. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
However, given the number of changes between the two prototypes, China has not yet settled on a final design for the J-36.
Many in the U.S. erroneously assume that every aircraft that takes flight in China is on the verge of entering full-scale production.
This is not true. Let us remember that the J-35 took its first flight in 2012 and had to wait 13 years before it was finally accepted into service.
China’s ability to develop and test multiple advanced systems is undoubtedly impressive and should cause decision makers in the Pentagon to take China seriously, but the U.S. is not as far behind in the sixth-generation arms race as I think many want to believe.
Going by past precedent, the U.S. is far more secretive about its aviation projects than it is (see pretty much every Skunk Works project as an example).
In contrast, China displays its aircraft projects much more publicly on purpose. The J-36 is an example of this strategy.
While it is impressive that there are already prototypes flying, each new prototype suggests the J-36 may not be as ready as some claim.
About the Author: Isaac Seitz
Isaac Seitz, a Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
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