-Paired with Chengdu’s larger J-36, the J-50 suggests a two-track PLAAF approach. If flight testing continues apace, Beijing could field an operational sixth-gen system around 2030—pressuring U.S. F-47 NGAD timelines. The jet – known as the J-XDS and sometimes referred to as the J-50 – is believed to be a Shenyang Aircraft Corporation design. If both programs mature, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) could eventually field a complementary family of next-generation aircraft rather than a single aircraft. The U.S. Air Force aims to fly its F-47 NGAD prototype by 2028, with the Navy’s F/A-XX expected to follow sometime in the 2030s.