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Key Points and Summary: China’s 6th-generation fighter, possibly the “White Emperor” (AVIC Baidi Type-B), appears to have taken flight alongside a J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter, shocking the global aviation community.

-The aircraft features a diamond-shaped flying wing design with stealth enhancements and possible three-engine configuration, hinting at advanced aerodynamic capabilities and payload capacity for hypersonic missiles.

-This development challenges the U.S. Air Force’s paused NGAD program, whose $300 million-per-plane cost and uncertain future raise concerns about America’s air superiority.

-With other 6th-generation programs lagging, China’s progress may spark a new arms race, pressuring Western nations to accelerate advanced fighter development.

China’s Sixth-Generation Fighter Shocks the West: Is the White Emperor Flying?

China’s Air Force received a valuable Christmas present with this latest development. If social media posts can be believed, China’s 6th-generation fighter appears to have taken to the skies. 

A 6th-generation fighter – maybe even the much-discussed White Emperor –  was spotted by observers flying with a J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter, a fifth-generation warplane.

If true, this would be the second sixth-generation airplane in the world that has taken flight after the U.S. Air Force’s B-21 Raider stealth bomber.

The White Emperor Takes the Lead? 

The White Emperor is a nickname. The official title is the AVIC Baidi Type-B. If confirmed, the flight is big news because the Chinese had shown the White Emperor only as a mock-up at last month’s Zhuhai Air Show. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) did not indicate that it had a flying prototype. The PLAAF has been incredibly secretive about the White Emperor program.

There is also the possibility that this is a new design, not even the White Emperor, as reports are breaking as we speak. We will update our readers with more content as we get more details in the coming days. 

Two or Three Engines for China’s 6th Generation Fighter?

The photos of the 6th-generation fighter reveal a diamond-shaped one with no tail and what looks to be three engines. 

However, this is more likely to be two engines with a rear center-mounted air intake. This would be a large departure from earlier Chinese designs, and it would be the first time more than two engines and a center-air intake had appeared on a Chinese fighter jet. 

Some outlets have reported that the White Emperor does indeed have three engines.

The Design Looks to Be a Strength

The diamond-shaped flying wing design would give the fighter better stealth capabilities and a large payload, enabling it to launch hypersonic missiles. 

“The jet also seems to be equipped with side and upper air intakes, a dual-bogey main undercarriage, and split airbrakes or flaperons, which indicate its advanced aerodynamic and performance features, according to the EurAsian Times.

U.S. NGAD Is In Limbo

This is a significant development if true. 

The U.S. Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter is in limbo. It had been put on operational pause due to the high cost – an estimated $300 million per airplane – and its unproven design parameters. 

The Air Force had planned to restart the program on January 1, but now the future of the sixth-generation airplane is up to the incoming Trump administration. 

Would the Incoming Pentagon Team Cancel the NGAD?

The problem is that President-elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee faces a bruising Senate confirmation process due to his lack of experience running large organizations, dearth of defense policy expertise, and allegations of excessive alcohol use and sexual misconduct.

His nominees for Deputy Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary of Policy, plus the chief of defense acquisition, are likely to be confirmed. No nominee to be Secretary of the Air Force yet, but that person could come soon.

This means that the PLAAF is perhaps years ahead of the Americans regarding fighter jets in the next-generation flight. 

The NGAD could get canceled due to cost-cutting efforts from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The $300 million price tag for each airplane will stick out. The Air Force must pay that cost, agree on a defense contractor, and offer a design.

More 6th-Generation Fighters

Other 6th-generation fighter programs are the MiG-41 PAK DP from Russia and the American F/A-XX. The British are leading a partnership with the Japanese and Italians to make the sixth-generation Tempest. The Chinese have beaten all these programs to the punch by flying early. 

It’s unclear if this stealth fighter could launch from an aircraft carrier someday, but if that happens, China will show leadership in carrier aviation operations. The F/A-XX is being designed to take off and land on carriers.

If China does have a 6th-generation fighter flying, and judging from all the sightings on social media, it appears that it is making big progress, which is bad news for the West. 

China Shocks the Aviation World 

This development is a Christmas surprise to ensure the world knows that the PLAAF is serious about forging ahead with its skilled designers and engineers.

6th Generation Fighter from China mockup via social media.

This development may be the impetus for the United States to continue working on the NGAD. The Under Secretary of Policy nominee, Elbridge Colby, is a China hawk and is likely to fashion a new defense strategy for Trump that would entail the United States fashioning ways and means to keep up with the Chinese. If so, American designers and engineers must create new designs and attempt to keep the NGAD price down. 

This will be one of the biggest challenges in airplane development for the West. It will also inspire a new arms race with China, which will eat up money and resources from other defense programs.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.