Earlier, unclear footage surfaced from China showing a three-engine, tailless fighter jet. A new video now provides a clearer view, and experts are deeply impressed.
The footage of the stealth aircraft that surfaced in December quickly spread around the world. The fighter jet was given the name “J-36,” and experts began analyzing it. The Chinese authorities never confirmed the footage or the analyses. However, the date the footage was released was noteworthy. December 26 was the birthday of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Republic of China.
The release of the current footage also comes at a significant moment: right in the week when the trade war between the United States and China begins to escalate. The video, filmed from a moving car, shows a tailless jet fighter initiating its landing procedure. Signs along the side of the road confirm that the video was filmed in China. It is reportedly shot near the factory of the aircraft manufacturer in Chengdu, where the J-36 is believed to have been made.
J-36 pic.twitter.com/PJ1Thqt4tZ
— Sweet Clay (@Clay_PLAPAP) April 7, 2025
‘Unique’
Analysts from The War Zone draw several conclusions from the less than ten-second-long video. For example, it does indeed appear that the Chinese fighter jet has three engines, as previously suspected. “As the aircraft approaches the runway, the camera gets a clear view of this. That aspect is truly unique for a modern fighter jet.”
Additionally, the nose of the aircraft catches the analysts’ attention. “The cockpit of the J-36 is strikingly streamlined with the front of the aircraft. The plane has a wide nose, which suggests that the pilots sit side by side. However, it is also possible that only one pilot is present in the cockpit at a time.”
According to The War Zone, the fighter jet also features a “reflective coating.” Analysts from the news site note that this is also visible on test flights of fighter jets from the U.S. Air Force.