SOURCE: AFI
The Chengdu J-36, a new stealth aircraft emerging from China’s cutting-edge aerospace development, has raised significant interest within the global defense community. According to aviation expert Davis, this aircraft is not designed for traditional “dogfighting” or the intense, high-maneuverability air combat that many of its counterparts excel in. Instead, the J-36 is designed to fill a specialized niche in modern warfare, offering advanced capabilities suited for long-range operations and networked combat environments.
One of the most striking features of the Chengdu J-36 is its supercruise ability. Unlike traditional fighter jets that require afterburners to achieve supersonic speeds, the J-36 is likely designed to sustain supersonic flight without the need for afterburners. This capability significantly enhances the aircraft’s range and responsiveness, making it a highly effective asset in long-endurance missions. Supercruise enables the J-36 to operate over greater distances without the fuel penalty associated with afterburner use, making it more efficient during extended operations in the contested airspace of the Indo-Pacific region.
The J-36 is expected to be much more than just a fighter jet. According to Davis, this aircraft is poised to serve as a “coordinating node” in a larger “system of systems.” In modern warfare, platforms must work together in integrated networks, and the J-36 will likely play a central role in this connectivity. It could act as a crucial link between crewed and autonomous platforms, facilitating data exchange and coordination across various domains of operation.
Additionally, the J-36 could be responsible for providing forward targeting data for other military assets, such as naval surface combatants or ground-based systems. This suggests that the J-36 will not only serve as an air superiority platform but also contribute to a broader network-centric warfare strategy, playing a pivotal role in modern joint operations.
Davis also noted that discussions surrounding the J-36’s combat radius indicate that the aircraft will have the ability to project power deep into contested areas. The J-36 could extend its operational range to the second island chain, which includes territories like Japan’s Okinawa and the Pacific island nations. Moreover, it could effectively operate between the first and second island chains, maintaining a long presence in the region. This endurance would be vital for conducting surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike missions far from mainland China, giving the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) the ability to project power over vast distances in the Indo-Pacific region.
Timothy Heath, a senior researcher at Rand Corporation, highlighted another potential role for the Chengdu J-36, suggesting that its third engine and large internal weapons bay could make it suitable for stealthy fighter-bomber operations. This could allow the J-36 to perform a wide range of strike missions with the added benefit of its stealth features, ensuring that it can operate in contested environments with a reduced risk of detection.
In contrast, the Shenyang aircraft, another component of China’s growing fleet of advanced aircraft, is more suited for conventional multirole operations, including fighter, strike, and surveillance missions. The combination of the Chengdu and Shenyang variants could form a powerful synergy. Heath speculated that pairing the stealthy J-36 with the Shenyang variant could enhance the overall effectiveness of China’s aerial combat capabilities. The J-36 could provide radar and electronic warfare support, as well as guidance for unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), amplifying the overall combat power of China’s air forces.