What signal is China sending with first official footage of sixth-generation fighter?
A fleeting clip of the new fighter – nicknamed ‘Little Six’ – featured in a video released by official military media over the weekend
China Military Bugle, the official press account of the People’s Liberation Army, published a four-minute video on Sunday marking the 10th anniversary of China’s first heavy transport aircraft, the Y-20, entering service.
In the video’s closing sequence, the Y-20’s co-pilot asked the captain: “Who are we refuelling today?” He replied: “First the ‘Master Six’, then the ‘Little Six’.”
The camera then shifted to the view outside the cockpit window, capturing a fleeting, blurry silhouette of a tailless plane widely believed to be a sixth-generation fighter.
“Master Six” is an informal nickname used by Chinese defence enthusiasts for the H-6 strategic bomber, but the nickname “Little Six” – a clear reference to the sixth-generation fighter – had not appeared in official military media before.
The brief sequence, which generated widespread discussion online, was significant because it was the first implicit acknowledgement of the sixth-generation fighter in official military media.