The United States Air Force acknowledges that China may be the first to achieve initial operational capability with its new sixth-generation fighters. They were not particularly surprised when, at the end of last year, two new Chinese aircraft of the latest generation were revealed, potentially designated as J-50 and the abstract JH-XX.
This information was shared by Andrew Hunter, the head of U.S. Air Force procurement, with Breaking Defense. This revelation, which is not very flattering for the U.S., may be linked to the fact that he is stepping down and his comments are less burdened by his position.
Furthermore, Andrew Hunter indicated that a minimum of $20 billion is still needed to complete the current stage of the project. However, he did not specify the timeline for the hypothetical first flight. On the other hand, Defense Express reminds us that the American next-generation fighter project under the NGAD program is currently on hold and awaits a decision from Trump or Musk, after which it could be entirely shelved.
The potential cancellation is attributed to the words of a U.S. presidential advisor who stated that the future belongs solely to drones, and that the F-35 was a mistake and barely more than junk. He claimed that China is focusing on drones, although this does not reflect reality, as evidenced by the fully manned J-50 and JH-XX.
Moreover, despite discussions in the Pentagon last summer about redesigning the NGAD project because the new sixth-generation fighter should be light, cost-effective, and free of F-35 errors, China is developing machines that are decidedly not lightweight, even in the case of the J-50.
According to unconfirmed reports, the J-50 is expected to have a takeoff weight of 40 tons, which is 10 tons more than the F-35, and will boast a combat radius of 2000 km—twice that of the F-35. This is particularly significant for real combat capability over the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, the JH-XX strike fighter will be even heavier, with a takeoff weight of up to 60 tons, and will serve as a "munitions distributor." This means it will be conceptually similar to the American F-15EX, but stealthier and capable of supersonic cruising speeds.
Andrew Hunter noted that there is indeed a possibility that the NGAD project could simply be terminated, with all resources redirected toward drones, although he personally does not support this decision. He also clarified that the new administration would be presented with several considered options for the future development of American aviation. He reassured that any decision would lead to the creation of a machine that would still outperform Chinese aircraft.
It is also worth reminding that the issue of confronting China in the skies over the Pacific is not entirely positive for the U.S. due to the balance of power. China enjoys an aviation advantage of 12 times over the Pacific Ocean west of the 180° meridian, but the problem lies not in the number of aircraft.