What You Need to Know: At the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, China revealed the “White Emperor,” a mockup of a purported sixth-generation “space-capable” fighter. Presented as part of the Nantianmen Project, the White Emperor showcases an ambitious design meant to bridge air and space capabilities.
-The aircraft includes internal missile bays for stealth, robust landing gear for rough runways, and a structural design aimed at carrying heavier payloads.
-However, skepticism surrounds China’s ability to rapidly develop and deploy this technology. While it highlights China’s aerospace aspirations, questions remain about its proper functionality, especially given Beijing's prior struggles with engine technology.
The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition kicked off on Tuesday outside the city of Zhuhai in the Guangdong province, marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Since its beginning in 1996, the expo has highlighted the latest developments from China's aerospace industry.
Also known as the Zhuhai Airshow or Airshow China, the biennial event is now the largest aviation trade expo in the People's Republic of China, and there has been speculation that the star of this year's show would be the Shenyang J-35A, the carrier-based variant of the Shenyang FC-31.
The Chinese military even teased the appearance of the fifth-generation fighter with posts on social media, including photos of the demo aircraft featuring the number "75" on its tail section to honor the PLAAF's anniversary.
Though the J-35A will remain very much in the spotlight, another aircraft was especially noteworthy at this year's aerospace exhibition – the previously unrevealed "White Emperor."
The South China Morning Post reported that a life-size mockup of the next-generation fighter was on display, quickly catching attendees' attention.
"The Baidi, or White Emperor, is a project from the state-owned aerospace and defence conglomerate AVIC to develop what state media has described as an 'integrated space-air fighter,'" the Post reported, citing Voice of China, an arm of state broadcaster CCTV. "The design concept includes the ability to fly at supersonic speeds and break through the Earth's atmosphere to operate in space."
The White Emperor is reportedly being developed as part of China's "Nantianmen Project," a research and education initiative dedicated to future technology.
Though details remain sparse, the aircraft is noted for having large internal missile bases that could allow it to carry heavy ordnance while maintaining stealth capabilities. The number "6" was on its tail section – a cheeky attempt to drive home this is a "sixth-generation" fighter.
Images shared on social media provided a few details, but some quickly questioned whether its canards would impact its stealth, and others suggested it was simply a full-size version of the futuristic fighters seen in the popular Ace Combat video game series.
Bulgarian Military offered a detailed overview based on what we can see – including "an advanced, broad landing gear structure that appears robust compared to standard configurations, hinting at a capability for takeoffs and landings on a variety of surfaces, even less-than-ideal runways. This feature is rare for stealth aircraft, which generally operate from specific airstrips."
The report added the "heavy-duty landing gear implies that the White Emperor B may handle heavier payloads and survive more intense landing maneuvers."
Of course, it is a mock-up and almost certainly not airworthy. China has rarely revealed so publicly its future aircraft – which is why we shouldn't expect to see its Xi'an H-20 stealth strategic bomber at this year's airshow. So we may not want to read too much into the landing gear, or even the "asymmetrical patterns" on the fuselage.
The report concluded, "The emergence of the White Emperor B signals not just a technical achievement in stealth and fighter design but a bold new chapter in China's aerospace ambitions, one that includes a clear aspiration to dominate not only the skies but the space beyond."
Or it could be an attempt at Chinese misdirection.
We know Beijing keeps its cards close to the chest, but more importantly, we also know that it has struggled with the engines with its Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, so it seems difficult to believe that the PLAAF has made a "great leap forward" from barely being able to deliver a fifth-generation fighter to suddenly producing a space plane that can somehow do it all. And then showing it to the world?
We should believe that the Nantianmen Project is working on a sixth-gen fighter, but it would seem unlikely that it would reveal such details so early in the program.
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
Image Credit: The main image is from X; all others are Creative Commons images of NGAD fighter mockups from the U.S. military.
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