China’s ‘White Emperor’ Stealth ‘NGAD’ Fighter Has the World Guessing

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Key Points: China’s state-owned Aviation Industry of China (AVIC) has unveiled a mock-up of the “White Emperor,” a proposed 6th-generation “space-air” stealth fighter. The design hints at ambitions to operate near the boundary of space, with features suggesting supersonic speeds and advanced stealth capabilities.

-The aircraft’s rounded, blended-wing body shape contrasts with earlier Chinese 6th-gen designs that closely resembled U.S. Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) concepts.

-Despite its innovative aspirations, the White Emperor’s vertical tail structures and sharp wing edges raise questions about its stealth effectiveness.

Whether this concept translates into operational reality remains uncertain, given the technical challenges of space-capable warplanes.

China’s “White Emperor”: A Space-Air Fighter or Overhyped Prototype?

Could China’s “White Emperor” 6th-generation “space-air” stealth fighter indeed accomplish its stated aims?

This would seem highly questionable, given how difficult it is to operate in space with manned and even unmanned vehicles and drones able to quickly “transit” and maintain stealth from one radar aperture to another. 

Regardless, the People’s Republic of China has unveiled an interesting 6th-gen stealth fighter mock-up called the “White Emperor” (Baidi), intended to function as an “integrated space-air” fighter ultimately.

The future jet will be able to travel at supersonic speeds near the boundary of the Earth’s atmosphere, according to an interesting essay from The National Interest.  China built the mock-up and presented by China’s state-owned Aviation Industry of China (AVIC). 

Space-Air Fighter? 

How realistic is this? The answer may be complex to discern as it depends upon thermal management, speed, propulsion, sensing, and the nature of the materials the aircraft ultimately uses.

However, the US Air Force is reportedly progressing with its X-37B spacecraft, a NASA project now being adapted for military missions, so some space-operating war platforms do not seem wholly beyond the realm of the possible. 

The size, shape, and configuration of the design, however, are observable, and the mock-up contains a number of interesting elements. Of course, one should recognize that a “mock-up” is more of an external design, as other aircraft elements may not exist or only exist in terms of early conceptual work.  

The largest observable feature is its rounded, less angular, stealthy configuration, which shows a blended wing body, smoothly curved fuselage, and rectangular nosecone. However, despite these stealth features, this White Emperor mock-up looks quite different from earlier renderings of published Chinese 6th-generation models. 

PRC Mock-Ups & US Industry Images

Prior PRC mock-up designs of 6th-gen aircraft looked much more like US industry renderings of the Next Generation Air Dominance 6th-gen fighter, which had no tails or exhaust. This design feature in the mock-up suggests that the PLA Air Force may have copied US specs or mirrored the structural approach, which appears to include efforts to maximize stealth by making the fuselage an almost entirely horizontal blended wing-body design. 

The existing NGAD demonstrator, some of which have already flown but are not available to the public for security reasons, may look like some of the published industry renderings or offerings of NGAD, which features a “tailless” smooth, almost bomber-like shape.

Can an aircraft maneuver sufficiently and achieve needed air-dominance characteristics without tails or protruding angled structures? That appears to have been the intent. However, very few actual details of NGAD are known, and the very existence of the platform is now entirely uncertain. 

China’s Previous 6th-Gen Renderings

Nonetheless, China’s previously published 6th-gen mock-up made no mention of space capability and did indeed look virtually identical to US industry public renderings, meaning it had no tails, sharp edges, or angular structures.

Of course, an essentially flat or horizontal blended wing body, as seen with platforms such as a B-2 or B-21, is by design built without vertical edges, as protruding objects are likely to more quickly and easily generate a return rendering to enemy radar.

Should electromagnetic pings, traveling at the speed of light to bounce off of and return from an object, have few actual angled structures to bounce off of, the return signal is bound to be far less specific and accurate. 

All of this is needed context concerning the “White Emperor” as the mock-up looks much less stealthy than other 6th-gen offerings. Not only does it have sharply protruding side wings, but it also has vertically built rear tails for aerial vectoring.

These sharp protruding edges are, of course, much more likely to generate a return signal to enemy radar showing the aircraft’s configuration.  A B-2 or B-21, by contrast, is reported to appear as though it is a small bird to enemy radar and sensors.  

US and Chinese renderings of 6th-gen fighter aircraft also feature an almost entirely horizontal platform, although, of course, designed much differently than a bomber. 

It is unclear what the “White Emperor” might suggest about Chinese intent, however, it does appear less stealthy to a large extent. Discussion of the mock-up introduces questions as to whether the Chinese have developed newer, more effective radar-absorbing materials or heat-signature management technology.

Is there a way to maintain and optimize stealth while still having sharp vertical structures on the fuselage? 

About the Author: Kris Osborn 

Kris Osborn is the Military Affairs Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.