Rumoured Projects & Likelihood Thereof

ACuriousPLAFan · 2026-07-15T07:35:00-0400

Two patent documents that are related to the high-supersonic aircraft currently discussed above, titled "一种用于高马赫飞机的可变倾角尾翼构型" ("A variable-incidence tail configuration for high‑Mach aircraft") and "一种压燃冲压发动机进发排匹配设计方法" ("
A design method for matching the inlet, engine, and exhaust of a compression‑ignition ramjet"). Note that both documents share three authors and were filed last month. Posted by @一定会对蛙动手 on Weibo.

ougoah · 2026-07-15T08:56:42-0400

ACuriousPLAFan said:
Do you have the links to the reports and/or academic papers on these developments?

I have too many links to sift through for those. They were shared on SDF at some point (the payload separation studies) and the HGV payload separation test was mentioned by the US in their observation of Chinese hypersonic flights. IIRC this may have been in relation to the "FOBS" flight which circumnavigated the globe but it could have easily been misattributed to the "FOBS" when it could have been an HGV flight that performed the payload separation test.

Blitzo · 2026-07-15T16:47:41-0400

GTI said:
I also think it’s a little odd. However, taking the premise that their interest is in fact true, this is what I’m positing (admittedly, somewhat shoehorned):

In a 6 / 6.5 / 7th gen future of air combat - there will be heavy use of UAVs (obviously), and also munitions with extreme range and speed. Essentially A2A, A2G, and ASh Prompt Global Strike. Some of them may even be loitering (like Iran’s “A2A mines”) and multimodal (I’m thinking of a smaller YJ-19 with a detachable powered loitering wing kit — like a large simplified and stripped down Wing Loong / MQ-9). And then there’s space-based AMTI and surface targeting…

So the high speed recon aircraft, can also serve as a targeting and comms node. It can provide targeting information to long-range fires (CJ-1000, 1000km SAMs and everything else that gets developed along these lines), especially against moving or time sensitive targets when there are no AMTI (and other types) of satellites passing overhead or that remain functional or otherwise un-destroyed. It could also be used to quickly travel closer to (non-AI, remotely controlled) UAVs that are under EW attack and reestablish control with tight beams to the UAVs.

I think it's one thing to float the idea that they may have a manned high speed recce aircraft in the works -- but the idea that this is related to a "7th" generation fighter so early is a bit too detailed and too out there.

The moment that people start talking about "next generation" fighter concepts it throws everything out the window because people just start wildly fantasizing, especially because 6th generation has yet to even be defined.

GTI · 2026-07-16T10:48:38-0400

Blitzo said:
I think it's one thing to float the idea that they may have a manned high speed recce aircraft in the works -- but the idea that this is related to a "7th" generation fighter so early is a bit too detailed and too out there.

The moment that people start talking about "next generation" fighter concepts it throws everything out the window because people just start wildly fantasizing, especially because 6th generation has yet to even be defined.

I haven’t said anything about “7th generation fighters”. Nor suggested that the concept / project is a “7th generation fighter”.

What I have mentioned though, are trends and technologies, pertaining to air combat, that currently range from academic research, including some since verified via (some scale of) technical demonstration — to systems in service in at least test and evaluation capacities.

Or in other words, extrapolating likely aspects of future air warfare based on things that people, today, are researching, testing, developing, and fielding.

And then there’s the opening paragraph of my overall comment... A takeaway of “fantasising about 7th generation fighters” almost sounds intentionally obtuse from someone who writes, comprehends, and contextualises as wonderfully as you do.

P.s. You could’ve just corrected grammar and advised alternatives to emotive language, per usual

Rumoured Projects & Likelihood Thereof

ACuriousPLAFan

Lieutenant General

ougoah

Brigadier

Blitzo

General

GTI

Junior Member