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China In development Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG)
J-36
Large tailless, trijet stealth aircraft built by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, first publicly sighted flying over Chengdu on December 26, 2024, and reported in an increasingly active flight-test campaign through 2026. "J-36" is an unofficial designation coined by open-source analysts from a partial serial number; no PLA or manufacturer designation, program name, or performance specification has been officially confirmed by Chinese authorities. Caveat: dimensions, weights, speed, range and armament are not publicly documented and should be treated as unverified/speculative open-source analysis, not confirmed state or manufacturer figures.
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-24
Pricing: No cost or production figures have been disclosed; program existence itself is unconfirmed by Chinese authorities
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Chinese state channel
State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.
Channel: State export agency
Development status
Operator data not public
Status: announced · ~3 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Signature reduction Radar cross-section shaping, RAM coatings, IR suppression. Actual RCS values are classified. | Tailless diamond-double-delta planform intended to reduce radar signature; no vertical stabilizers observed in public sightings |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 2 |
|---|
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 3 |
|---|---|
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Trijet (three-engine) configuration, unconfirmed engine type |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 3 |
|---|
Specifications compiled from public Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-24.
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How many crew does the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-36 require? +
The Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-36 requires a crew of 2.
What is the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-36 used for? +
The Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-36 is a fighter aircraft typically used for air superiority, strike.
How much does the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-36 cost? +
Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-36: No cost or production figures have been disclosed; program existence itself is unconfirmed by Chinese authorities. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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