Fighter prototype underlines China’s aggressive push for new capabilities.
Recent images from China indicate that flight testing continues with a secretive, tailless fighter developed by AVIC Shenyang.
Tentatively designated J-50/XDS, the new images, from Chinese social media, show the twin-engined jet with an updated radome, that could suggest that the aircraft has been fitted with a new radar for test activities.
Moreover, the fresh images – if genuine – indicate that the aircraft is flying without a pitot tube, suggesting a more mature stage of testing.
Lacking conventional rudders, the J-50/XDS is equipped with thrust vectoring engines. As with much else about the aircraft, the engine type is unclear. Itt is probable that the aircraft is powered by Beijing’s most mature engine, the Shenyang WS-10 Taihang.
Some observers, however, have speculated that it may be powered by the more advanced WS-15, which is optimised to power advanced stealth aircraft. It is also believed that the WS-15 offers enhanced electrical performance over the WS-10, allowing it to provide power and cooling for electronics and sensors.
The J-50/XDS first appeared in late December 2024, along with the three-engined Chengdu J-36.
A year later, in December 2025, the US Department of War’s annual assessment of Chinese military capabilities, indicated that China was developing two “sixth generation” jets that could become operational in 2035.
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