China's Sixth-Gen Fighter Jet Reveal May Be a Strategic Tactic Rather Than Substance, Suggests CDS Chauhan Calling it a "Few Seconds Clip"

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has cast doubt on recent claims from China regarding their development of a sixth-generation fighter jet. Referring to the limited evidence presented, which he described as a "few seconds clip," CDS Chauhan emphasized that the global development of such advanced aircraft is still in its early stages.

While many nations, including China, are actively pursuing sixth-generation fighter programs, CDS Chauhan stressed that a universally accepted definition of what constitutes a sixth-generation fighter remains elusive. He suggested that such an aircraft would likely incorporate features like manned-unmanned teaming, effectively acting as an aerial command post capable of controlling multiple unmanned assets.

"My understanding of a sixth-generation aircraft is that there is no globally accepted definition of what constitutes one. Essentially, a sixth-generation aircraft is a platform that integrates both manned and unmanned teaming. It acts as an aerial command post capable of controlling two to three similar assets,” said CDS Chauhan.

He further underscored that achieving a fully operational sixth-generation fighter is still a considerable challenge, implying that China's claims may be premature. His remarks suggest that the recent reveal from China could be a strategic move aimed at projecting technological prowess rather than a demonstration of actual capability.

India, meanwhile, remains focused on its own indigenous efforts to develop advanced fighter aircraft. The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program is a key initiative aimed at incorporating next-generation technologies and ensuring India's future air superiority. The Indian defence establishment continues to closely monitor global advancements in aviation technology while prioritizing self-reliance in defence capabilities.

 

[sanket]

But some comedian thinks so. Ha Ha Ha, which is flying with a 4th Gen Engine, China has just flown a fighter jet airframe with a 4th Gen Engine. What about other features, sensors, weapons & most importantly, the engine? China needs to develop a 6th Gen Engine & has to master 4th Gen Engine first.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

When AMCA can be 5.5th gen, why can't China call it's fighter 6th gen?

 

[Hari Sud]

China is always in a rush to claim something and find those claims totally unfounded.

 

[Preet]

Even though I agree we shouldn't be underestimating China, what the CDS said about China is kinda right.

The 6th-gen technologies are yet to be made across the globe. If shape is what makes something 5th or 6th gen, then even our Ghatak and Swift are 6th gen. 🤣

For 6th gen, you need adaptive cycle high-thrust engines. China has struggled to make a good 4th-gen engine (poor performance, fuel efficiency, and life hours). They don't even have a 5th-gen engine (other than some rumors spread by Pakistani channels), forget a 6th gen, which even the US hasn't been able to fly until now (200kn+ engine).

Now coming to other technologies like direct energy weapons (it's far away from actually flying so far), China hasn't even tested MUMT technology, which is the basis of 6th gen!

Other than this, the CDS said that China wanted to employ ex-Air Force guys from the west to learn some basic stuff, which is absolutely right. It just shows how much they lag behind tactically.

But China is very good at propaganda. They have successfully made people believe that the J-20 is a rival of the F-22. 🤣 People have forgotten how the J-20 has moving canards. But well, people see the paint color and judge the stealth. That's why, according to social media experts, the J-20 has better stealth than the Su-57. 🤣

And again, I'm not underestimating China, but I also don't want to overestimate their capabilities. In Brazil, the Chinese air defense system lost to the Akash system. In Morocco, a Chinese vessel lost to Tata Kestrel. We have seen their HQ-9 fail to detect anything from Mirages to BrahMos!

We must work on our Air Force, though. We should be war ready!

 

[Anonymus]

China is always in a rush to claim something and find those claims totally unfounded.

At least they have something to claim, what India currently has nothing, just a plane on paper. Sorry, now we have a 1:1 model, news achievement of Aero India 2025.

 

[Aravind Raveendran]

First, concentrate on building our 4th-generation aircraft; we can question our enemies later. 4th, 5th, or 6th, whatever it is, they have actually made their own with self-made engines (please don't start with the reverse engineering bs, we have to accept that they are way ahead compared to us). So, I would suggest we focus on ourselves.

 

[Puneet]

The CDS is right by calling the Chinese bluff. We should support the CDS for exposing Chinese lies designed to intimidate. Their 5th generation aircraft are also not as capable as claimed.

 

[tonypepperoni]

China is always in a rush to claim something and find those claims totally unfounded.

Never underestimate China’s military capabilities. How many people here even knew that China was working on not one but two next-generation fighter aircraft before footages of them emerged on December 26th? This has taught me three things.

1. Their stealth technology is so sophisticated that other nations' intelligence has no clue about their development stages.
2. All those propaganda claiming they know everything about China (e.g., claims that China's missiles were filled with water instead of fuel or that a Chinese submarine sank) are completely made up. If they truly knew everything about China—including what’s inside China’s missile propellant tanks—then why didn’t they see those two next-generation jets coming from a mile away??? They never had a clue and were caught with their pants down when those jets flew in public for the first time.
3. All the components in their next-generation systems will be indigenous. If they were to purchase components from other nations—like India buying F404 engines from GE—the supplier would know what it's for.

Chengdu and Shenyang are large cities of 34 million. If the PLAAF had the confidence to fly those aircraft over such crowded areas, it means they must have flown it many times before.

On the other hand, it’s fair to say that the IAF’s capabilities are highly highly highly exaggerated. The AMCA has been bragged and gloated for decades (AMCA 5th gen, AMCA 5.5 gen, AMCA 6th gen, AMCA 6.5 gen, AMCA BEAST mode) at the same time mocking China's 5th gen's J-20 as it closes in on production of its 315th aircraft. Yet, the AMCA is still a mock-up display with nothing functioning. A child's paper plane flies better than the AMCA.

The Kaveri engine has been plagued with failures. Initially designed for the extremely light Tejas aircraft, DRDO and GTRE couldn’t even get it to work. Now it has to be downgraded for use in tiny UAVs. The Kaveri engine is a massive failure, considering how light the Tejas is, the engine is still too weak to lift it properly and they had 39 years to work on it. Now forced to beg the U.S. for F404 engines which the U.S. aren't even giving any.

 

[Bhishma]

China is following the correct design & dev process. Learn from them.

We may need to totally rethink the fighter gen versioning and leapfrog. With a combination of VHF radar, long-range BVR, CATS + AI we can match or surpass their 6th gens. Think outside the box and catch up. We have a history of leapfrogging multiple gens in other areas (for example, having to wait decades for a landline to the world's #1 smartphone market). We can do the same here. Let's focus on what we can do instead of finding fault with Chinese jets.

 

[Preet]

Never underestimate China’s military capabilities. How many people here even knew that China was working on not one but two next-generation fighter aircraft before footages of them emerged on December 26th? This has taught me three things.

1. Their stealth technology is so sophisticated that other nations' intelligence has no clue about their development stages.
2. All those propaganda claiming they know everything about China (e.g., claims that China's missiles were filled with water instead of fuel or that a Chinese submarine sank) are completely made up. If they truly knew everything about China—including what’s inside China’s missile propellant tanks—then why didn’t they see those two next-generation jets coming from a mile away??? They never had a clue and were caught with their pants down when those jets flew in public for the first time.
3. All the components in their next-generation systems will be indigenous. If they were to purchase components from other nations—like India buying F404 engines from GE—the supplier would know what it's for.

Chengdu and Shenyang are large cities of 34 million. If the PLAAF had the confidence to fly those aircraft over such crowded areas, it means they must have flown it many times before.

On the other hand, it’s fair to say that the IAF’s capabilities are highly highly highly exaggerated. The AMCA has been bragged and gloated for decades (AMCA 5th gen, AMCA 5.5 gen, AMCA 6th gen, AMCA 6.5 gen, AMCA BEAST mode) at the same time mocking China's 5th gen's J-20 as it closes in on production of its 315th aircraft. Yet, the AMCA is still a mock-up display with nothing functioning. A child's paper plane flies better than the AMCA.

The Kaveri engine has been plagued with failures. Initially designed for the extremely light Tejas aircraft, DRDO and GTRE couldn’t even get it to work. Now it has to be downgraded for use in tiny UAVs. The Kaveri engine is a massive failure, considering how light the Tejas is, the engine is still too weak to lift it properly and they had 39 years to work on it. Now forced to beg the U.S. for F404 engines which the U.S. aren't even giving any.

Well, you should read better is all I would want to say here.

The Chinese submarine did sink; there are clear satellite images for it.

Chinese missiles were filled with water instead of rocket fuels. This is exactly the corruption scandal that caused a lot of removals in army ranks by Xi Jinping. That's also a fact.

Now coming to their 6th gen, we all knew they were working on a 6th-gen fighter. They had themselves revealed its models a few years back in their airshow. Go check it. But flying the actual prototype was a surprise.

Things can stay hidden if they want to. INS Arihant is a good example!

Now coming to the capabilities, I think they are exaggerated if you listen to Chinese claims, and they are underestimated if you hear US claims.

What CDS said was an actual fact. No BS, plain facts that exist! (I explained why in the comment above)

Now, AMCA has never been called 6th gen because it's not. It's called 5.5 gen because of some additional technologies that are being integrated on it.

I am not someone who would see a tailless delta and stupidly start calling it 6th gen. Technologies and the engine would make a stealth plane a 6th generation, not the shape.

 

[Sandeep]

Never underestimate China’s military capabilities. How many people here even knew that China was working on not one but two next-generation fighter aircraft before footages of them emerged on December 26th? This has taught me three things.

1. Their stealth technology is so sophisticated that other nations' intelligence has no clue about their development stages.
2. All those propaganda claiming they know everything about China (e.g., claims that China's missiles were filled with water instead of fuel or that a Chinese submarine sank) are completely made up. If they truly knew everything about China—including what’s inside China’s missile propellant tanks—then why didn’t they see those two next-generation jets coming from a mile away??? They never had a clue and were caught with their pants down when those jets flew in public for the first time.
3. All the components in their next-generation systems will be indigenous. If they were to purchase components from other nations—like India buying F404 engines from GE—the supplier would know what it's for.

Chengdu and Shenyang are large cities of 34 million. If the PLAAF had the confidence to fly those aircraft over such crowded areas, it means they must have flown it many times before.

On the other hand, it’s fair to say that the IAF’s capabilities are highly highly highly exaggerated. The AMCA has been bragged and gloated for decades (AMCA 5th gen, AMCA 5.5 gen, AMCA 6th gen, AMCA 6.5 gen, AMCA BEAST mode) at the same time mocking China's 5th gen's J-20 as it closes in on production of its 315th aircraft. Yet, the AMCA is still a mock-up display with nothing functioning. A child's paper plane flies better than the AMCA.

The Kaveri engine has been plagued with failures. Initially designed for the extremely light Tejas aircraft, DRDO and GTRE couldn’t even get it to work. Now it has to be downgraded for use in tiny UAVs. The Kaveri engine is a massive failure, considering how light the Tejas is, the engine is still too weak to lift it properly and they had 39 years to work on it. Now forced to beg the U.S. for F404 engines which the U.S. aren't even giving any.

It was obvious that they would be working on their so called 6th generation jet because other countries were all doing the same. It’s an open secret.

Their stealth technology isn’t that great at all and a myth. Our Sukhoi jets using 30 year old technology could see their J20 advanced stealth jets from across the border.

Also making a rubbish engine yourself which doesn’t meet the performance requirements, it’s unreliable, has poor metallurgy, requires regular MRO and gives you very little flight time before needing to change it regularly isn’t something to be proud of. If india now started to develop a brand new engine with the private sector from scratch then they would have a higher rate of succeeding. India buying an engine with foreign parts at least gives us reliability and it works.

As for India it’s currently manufacturing 4+ of the 5.5th generation AMCA prototypes so the technology is ready, developed and works very well after being tested significantly. That’s been fixed right from the start. The Beast mode is simply a the same jet with outside hard points installed and being able to carry weapons outside the internal weapons bay which just makes it more visible on radar

 

[Sandeep]

With the Chinese they love boasting about how advanced their technology is and better than others but everyone who buys something from them have complained about something like it’s unreliable, doesn’t work, faulty, doesn’t do what they claim it can.

 

[tonypepperoni]

It was obvious that they would be working on their so called 6th generation jet because other countries were all doing the same. It’s an open secret.

Their stealth technology isn’t that great at all and a myth. Our Sukhoi jets using 30 year old technology could see their J20 advanced stealth jets from across the border.

Also making a rubbish engine yourself which doesn’t meet the performance requirements, it’s unreliable, has poor metallurgy, requires regular MRO and gives you very little flight time before needing to change it regularly isn’t something to be proud of. If india now started to develop a brand new engine with the private sector from scratch then they would have a higher rate of succeeding. India buying an engine with foreign parts at least gives us reliability and it works.

As for India it’s currently manufacturing 4+ of the 5.5th generation AMCA prototypes so the technology is ready, developed and works very well after being tested significantly. That’s been fixed right from the start. The Beast mode is simply a the same jet with outside hard points installed and being able to carry weapons outside the internal weapons bay which just makes it more visible on radar

There is no reliable evidence "Our Sukhoi jets using 30-year-old technology could see their J20 advanced stealth jets from across the border."

Only boasting and talk from IAF. If they detected J-20s like they claimed, then why didn't they see those two next-generation jets coming from a mile away? They never had a clue and were caught with their pants down when those jets flew in public for the first time.

IAF's capabilities are HUGELY exaggerated. The AMCA has been bragged and gloated for decades (AMCA 5th gen, AMCA 5.5 gen, AMCA 6th gen, AMCA 6.5 gen, AMCA BEAST mode). Yet, the AMCA is still a mock-up cardboard and foam display with nothing functioning. A child's paper plane flies better than the AMCA.

The Kaveri engine has been disastrous with failures. Initially designed for the extremely light Tejas aircraft, DRDO and GTRE couldn't even get it to work. Now it has to be downgraded for use in tiny UAVs. The Kaveri engine is a massive failure considering how light the Tejas is; the engine is still too weak to lift it properly, and they had 39 years to work on it. Now forced to beg the U.S. for F404 engines, which the U.S. isn't even giving any.

Evidence is in the actions. China is using their indigenous engines for their jets. India is forced to beg for foreign engines, which they aren't getting, resulting in the crash and deaths of dozens of IAF pilots who are forced to use aging aircraft because they don't have new engines and aircraft to use.

 

[Sandeep]

There is no reliable evidence "Our Sukhoi jets using 30-year-old technology could see their J20 advanced stealth jets from across the border."

Only boasting and talk from IAF. If they detected J-20s like they claimed, then why didn't they see those two next-generation jets coming from a mile away? They never had a clue and were caught with their pants down when those jets flew in public for the first time.

IAF's capabilities are HUGELY exaggerated. The AMCA has been bragged and gloated for decades (AMCA 5th gen, AMCA 5.5 gen, AMCA 6th gen, AMCA 6.5 gen, AMCA BEAST mode). Yet, the AMCA is still a mock-up cardboard and foam display with nothing functioning. A child's paper plane flies better than the AMCA.

The Kaveri engine has been disastrous with failures. Initially designed for the extremely light Tejas aircraft, DRDO and GTRE couldn't even get it to work. Now it has to be downgraded for use in tiny UAVs. The Kaveri engine is a massive failure considering how light the Tejas is; the engine is still too weak to lift it properly, and they had 39 years to work on it. Now forced to beg the U.S. for F404 engines, which the U.S. isn't even giving any.

Evidence is in the actions. China is using their indigenous engines for their jets. India is forced to beg for foreign engines, which they aren't getting, resulting in the crash and deaths of dozens of IAF pilots who are forced to use aging aircraft because they don't have new engines and aircraft to use.

Go on Google yourself and you will find many articles that prove what I say which the Sukhoi using its radar and IRST it can see them clearly.

Also I don’t know when our jets had a confrontation with Chinese jets or that we were blinded by them. Their jets haven’t crossed the border or taken our jets on. There’s been no direct aerial skirmishes.

Also the AMCA is being manufactured right now and its technology and equipment is proven after conducting many tests. There’s no exaggeration as we are developing a 5.5th generation jet and you should check out the specifications, technology and capabilities on what it will have and what it can do.

The Kaveri engine as it stands gives a reliable performance as it passed its high altitude trials and tests but it can’t produce enough thrust that a jet needs which is why we will use it for our stealth UCAV Ghatak. If we want to develop an engine for the Tejas jets then it will have to be an entire brand new engine entirely.

Also we are buying the engines from the USA and they are delivering them with ToT and we are manufacturing them locally. We got a reliable and long lasting engine from them at least until we develop our own. India isn’t begging either because everyone wanted to sell their engines to us and with our large jet purchase we would be making hundreds and different types as well.

China and its engines have grounded most of the jets for needing more MRO, regular need for parts, inconsistent performance, unreliable, overheating, unstable etc. The Chinese have full control over their media and nothing will get published without their government allowing a free media to operate. There would be many stories on the Chinese side of their mistakes, crashes, errors etc all get hidden from their public.

 

[mrsunil58]

Sir,
At present IAF facing acute dual problem. Firstly, dwindling squadron strength and secondly, aging of legacy fighters like MIG-21bis, Jaguars, Mirage-2000s which further making a serious dent on two front war preparedness.
Another factor compounding it's woes are it's indigenous fighter aircraft engine 'Kaveri' taking ages to come to the fore and dragging production & development of varients of Tejas & AMCA. These sordid affair clearly shows the predicament in relying on foreign engines. Just think that from about a decade now we are shouting from the rooftop about indigenous aircrafts and bombers. Ok go ahead, take another decade for completion of this process.
But at present, what about countering effectively threat from China and Pakistan. Under these scenario we still academically debating the offer of advance fighters in the form of F-35A from USA.
We should immediately go after the proposal and quickly ink the deal as per our present requirements. The development of our own AMCA can go ahead as well.
S. K. Verma