China Wants An Unmanned Carrier-Based 5th Generation Stealth Fighter

J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter jet. Chinese Military Review

China’s Unmanned Carrier-Based J-20 Is A Pipedream (For Now) -- Harry Kazianis, The Diplomat

For years to come an unmanned, carrier-based 5th generation stealth fighter will remain a fantasy in Beijing.

Loyal readers of Flashpoints know any type of new Chinese military weapon or gadget is always a hot topic of conversation for this blog. And rightly so—Beijing has presented us defense geeks with new ballistic and cruise missile technology, a new carrier with rumors of a domestically built flattop allegedly under construction, fresh ICBM’s, increasingly advanced submarines and more. The rumor mill is always churning with new developments and technologies to digest and dissect.

The latest buzz coming from the always accurate Chinese press seems too good to be true: Beijing’s best and brightest—at least according to one expert—is looking out into the future and sees a need for China’s 5th generation stealth fighter to join carrier operations. Oh and by the way, the idea is to make them unmanned.

Now to be fair, the report in the People’s Daily on November 28th is more like speculation by a Chinese military expert than actual confirmations of a green-lighted project. Still, that such a report could be remotely taken seriously shows how far China’s defense industry has come in just the last few years.

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My Comment: This Chinese concept is unrealistic .... for now. But one thing that I have learned about China over the years is that one should never underestimate them .... they have the resources, brain power, and the will to try anything .... in short .... they remind me of what the U.S. use to be about 30 or 40 years ago.