China trails as US sixth-generation jet project gets airborne

Name: Washington’s hardened position on Beijing’s claims in South China Sea heightens US-China tensions
Uploaded: 2020-09-22T14:30:14.000Z
Duration: 2 min 32 s
Description: Washington’s hardened position on Beijing’s claims in South China Sea heightens US-China tensions

The US Air Force says it has built and flown a prototype to replace its ageing fleet of fifth-generation F-22s and F-35s

The Chinese military may have its own ready by 2030 but it’s still to early too compare, analyst says

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Production of the US Air Force’s F-22 fighter jet stopped more than a decade ago because of high costs. Photo: EPA-EFE

Liu Zhen

Published: 10:30pm, 22 Sep 2020Updated: 11:27pm, 22 Sep 2020

The United States is leading the world in sixth-generation fighter jets, with the air force saying it has flown a prototype – a milestone that is still years away for China.

The US Air Force said last week that a full-scale demonstration model built as part of its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) project “has already flown in the physical world”.

The fighter is one of at least two sixth-generation jets being developed by US contractors to maintain the USAF’s technological edge, according to the Air Superiority 2030 Flight Plan released in 2016.

Hong Kong-based military commentator Song Zhongping said each country was exploring features for the new generation of fighters and it was still too early to compare them.

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Washington’s hardened position on Beijing’s claims in South China Sea heightens US-China tensions

Song also said it was not a surprise that the USAF had made some progress on the fighters.