The release of a blurry plane photo by China’s state broadcaster amounts to an official announcement of lift-off for the country’s sixth-generation fighter jet programme, according to a military analyst.
The image of the aircraft, resembling one developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, appeared at the end of a video released by CCTV on Sunday to mark the 27th anniversary of the fourth-generation J-10 jet’s maiden flight.
The 27-second video included footage of the J-10 jet and the fifth-generation J-20, and ended with the image of the ginkgo leaf-shaped, tailless aircraft and the caption: “What will be next?”
“This marks the first time there’s been an official declaration of Chengdu’s sixth-generation fighter, indicating a successor to our J-10 and J-20,” Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping said.
