The screenshot of the latest test flight video shows the "J-36" lowering its landing gear and preparing to land. There is an obvious light-colored radome on the nose (left picture), and three engine exhaust nozzles are arranged behind the fuselage (right picture). Foreign media have determined that this means that the aircraft may have been equipped with a radar and switched to a two-dimensional vector nozzle, and the aircraft design is still being revised.
A new generation tailless heavy-duty stealth fighter developed by China's Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group and tentatively known as the "J-36" to the outside world. The latest test flight video has been circulated on the Internet recently, revealing that this mysterious fighter has new design details, including similarities to the US military's F-22 "Raptor" (F-22 Raptor) fighter jet’s two-dimensional thrust vector nozzle, as well as multiple areas on the nose and back that may involve radar and antenna configurations, indicate that the J-36 is still in the ongoing test flight and modification stages.
An analysis by the US military website "The War Zone" (TWZ) pointed out that the J-36 has undergone a number of configuration changes since it was first exposed in December 2024. Currently, the outside world believes that at least 4 and possibly 5 prototypes are flying. The latest video provides a clearer view from the rear and above, showing the aircraft's three engines, side-by-side two-seater cockpit, and two-dimensional thrust vector nozzles that have been changed from the early grooved exhaust design to similar to the F-22; boundary layer-free supersonic inlets (DSI) are also used on the top and sides of the fuselage.
The nose in the video uses a lighter-colored radome, and a lighter-colored area can also be seen above the dorsal air inlet. TWZ believes that the lighter-colored radome may mean that the actual radar has been installed on the nose; the back area may be a conformal antenna window related to the beyond-visual-range communication and data sharing system. However, the actual functions of the internal equipment cannot be confirmed only from the appearance of the body.
Another piece of information that has attracted attention comes from the laser weapon tracking system displayed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) at the 14th China International Defense Electronics Exhibition this month. TWZ pointed out that the power column marked on the display board is "*00" kilowatts and the weight is less than 380 kilograms. Judging from the way it is written, it seems to represent hundreds of kilowatts. The display board also shows a computer simulation of a J-36 emitting a laser beam.
However, these exhibition information cannot yet prove that the J-36 has been equipped with laser weapons. TWZ pointed out that it is still unclear whether the relevant computer animations represent actual planning capabilities, and airborne high-energy lasers must also face limitations such as power supply, heat dissipation, and body space. The U.S. Air Force's SHiELD high-energy laser program ended in 2024 after years of research and development, and ultimately failed to complete the planned actual flight test.
TWZ also pointed out that the three-engine configuration of the J-36 may be beneficial to providing the power required for large sensors and other power-hungry systems, but it is still unclear whether it will be used for directed energy weapons. Judging from the overall design, the J-36 seems to pay more attention to straight-line flight performance, combat radius and payload, rather than the agile maneuvers emphasized by traditional fighters. The outside world is still discussing its ultimate mission positioning and whether it is a new combat platform other than traditional fighters and bombers.
