As tensions around Taiwan continue to simmer, a potential future conflict may be reshaped by emerging technologies in aerial warfare. A Chinese military magazine has unveiled bold claims about the People’s Liberation Army’s sixth-generation stealth fighter, which could block U.S. air access to bases as far as Guam from over 1,000 kilometers away.
Unofficially referred to as the J-36, this ginkgo-leaf-shaped aircraft is reportedly designed to counter American airpower, particularly the stealthy B-21 Raider, within the highly contested first island chain. According to Shipborne Weapons, a magazine linked to the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, the PLA’s next-generation fighter is being developed with strategic intent: to challenge U.S. air supremacy in the Western Pacific.
The analysis suggests that once operational, the J-36 could intercept American warplanes and suppress air defenses, making U.S. military intervention in Taiwan-related operations far more difficult. “This will make it difficult for the US Navy and Air Force to maintain air superiority over the western Pacific,” the article states, emphasizing the PLA’s ambition to prevent U.S. dominance in any conflict near Taiwan.
The development of the J-36 appears to be, in part, a response to perceived vulnerabilities in China’s current capabilities against next-gen U.S. aircraft, particularly the B-21 Raider. This stealth bomber, developed by Northrop Grumman, completed its first flight in November 2023 and has been hailed as the world’s first sixth-generation bomber. With production moving swiftly, the U.S. Air Force expects delivery of at least 100 B-21s in the mid-2020s.
China’s J-36 could be its technological answer a fighter capable of operating at long ranges with stealth, speed, and electronic warfare capabilities suited to disrupt and deny access to American platforms like the B-21 and the newly announced but undisclosed F-47 sixth-generation fighter.
The report coincides with frequent sightings of a new stealth aircraft over Chengdu, home to Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation, a key developer in China’s military aviation sector. While no formal acknowledgment of the J-36 has been made, its repeated test flights hint at a rapid pace of development and possible readiness sooner than anticipated.
