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The United States Armed Forces have rapidly expanded programs in the past decade to advance stealth technology to maintain both the strategic and tactical upper hand in any conflict. These 5th and 6th-generation fighter jets are far more ‘exquisite’ than many combat situations demand. However, they are the only way in which an armed contest between the US and its most advanced adversaries can be won.
The Chinese and Russian Air Forces both have fully functional stealth fighter jets in production, but it is the Chinese aircraft that are the greatest threat to American military supremacy in the air. Although Russia did develop its own Sukhoi Su-57 Felon, the number of airworthy examples is very small. In contrast, not only has China produced hundreds of Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, but it is currently in the final stages of development of the Shenyang J-35, with other prototypes also seen in test flights via social media leaks.
Stealth Parity: China’s Fighter Advances
China’s current 5th-gen fighters and forthcoming 6th-gens have spotlighted how the gap in low-observable technology is narrowing, as the ISW explains. Although it has yet to field a second stealth fighter type, two or three prototypes of 5th and even 6th-Gen aircraft have already been seen on public social media channels. Simultaneously, China is surging in manufacturing capacity, with projections suggesting it could produce up to 400 tactical aircraft annually. China is even aggressively marketing the J-35 as a competitor to the F-35. Pakistan may be the first customer, according to Defense Watch, with negotiations ongoing.
The J-20 is China’s flagship heavy stealth fighter and represents the greatest threat to US air dominance because it is now being produced at an unprecedented scale. By 2030, China may field a fleet of 1,000 J-20 stealth fighters, challenging the US numerical advantage in the Indo-Pacific. Unveiled in 2025, the J-20S even became the world’s first two-seat stealth fighter, according to USNI. It is reportedly designed for precision maritime strikes and controlling loyal wingman drones from the air, making it a serious adversary to American air forces in a conventional conflict.
Earlier this year, reports emerged that the J-20A is now beginning to be produced with the long-awaited WS-15 engines that are both high-thrust and optimized for a stealth profile, according to SCMP. This upgrade provides the thrust necessary for supercruise, or sustained supersonic flight without afterburners, and enhances maneuverability, narrowing the performance gap with the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. This would make it very dangerous to US high-value aircraft like AWACS, tankers, and aircraft carriers, but also empower the jet to go toe-to-toe with the best fighter the US has.
The J-35 is a more versatile, twin-engine stealth fighter that was developed with a parallel strategy to America’s F-35 Lightning II. The J-35B is optimized for China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which features electromagnetic catapults (EMALS). It has been seen with a reinforced twin-wheel nose gear and a launch bar for catapult takeoffs. The land-based variant for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force is believed to have entered low-rate production already, as one was spotted in green primer paint for a flight test early this year.
The Russian Menace: Moscow’s Stealth Fighters
The Sukhoi Su-57 is Russia’s sole operational 5th-generation fighter, but it has not been battle-tested, in contrast to US and Chinese stealth aircraft. Each has yet to see combat, despite recent claims of F-22 and F-35 engagements in the confrontation with Iran. Even so, the Felon has purportedly carried out a significant number of missions for air defense suppression, long-range precision strikes, and even shot down a malfunctioning Russian S-70 stealth drone before it crashed in disputed airspace.
The Su-57 was designed to maximize performance in long-range engagement as a ‘missile truck with wings’ with the added benefit of stealth. It is primarily intended to target crucial NATO support assets such as radar planes and refueling tankers. Like the latest version of the J-20 in China, the Felon is reportedly receiving next-gen engines, which will not only make it more stealthy but give it greater dogfighting performance. Its most lethal weapon is the R-37M long-range missile, which is allegedly capable of striking targets up to 350 miles away and at speeds claimed to reach Mach 6.
Compounding this long-range lethality is the electronic warfare system built into the jet that is designed to make it a force multiplier alongside legacy Russian platforms on the battlefield. Production of the Su-57 is estimated to be limited to just a couple of dozen airworthy planes, although the Russian Air Force claims to expect around 75 airworthy examples next year. The technology of these jets is impressive, but it limits their battlefield usefulness to specialized missions.
Sanctions against Russia and the ongoing drain of resources due to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 are obstacles to the Felon program, but that hasn’t stopped Russia from investigating other new designs as well. Marketed as a low-cost competitor to the F-35, the Su-75 Checkmate is currently in a pre-flight development phase. While Russia claims a first flight in early 2026, international sanctions have crippled its supply of semiconductors, leading to significant delays and skepticism about its viability.
How Boeing Fighters Stack Up Against Lockheed Martin In 2026
Two of the biggest names go head-to-head.
Enemy At The Gates: Stealth Fighter Jets Prod America
On March 4, 2026, NORAD launched its largest response in ten years, scrambling twelve aircraft, including F-35s and F-22s, to intercept Russian Tu-142s. In recent intercepts in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, lone bombers have been replaced by intricate, multi-aircraft formations that test US reaction capabilities near the Alaskan border. Meanwhile, China performs daily flights around Taiwan as a ‘gray zone’ tactic to wear down Taiwan’s air force and probe Japan’s defense as well as America’s response.
Over 3,000 airspace violations were estimated to have been committed by PLAAF and PLA Navy aircraft in 2024. That year set a record for harassing behavior, and the normalized high activity levels undermined Taiwan’s threat awareness. Concerns that US and allied radar networks may require major upgrades to maintain a ‘kill chain’ advantage are also raised by unverified reports and ongoing analysis regarding whether the J-20 has successfully flown undetected near Taiwan or allied boundaries.
Chinese J-20s and Russian Su-57s may eventually intend to operate jointly near North American airspace, as evidenced by the first-ever combined patrol of Russian and Chinese bombers observed in 2024 near Alaskan airspace. The Pentagon is worried that adversaries will be able to improve their own stealth designs and counter-stealth sensors as a product of continuous exposure to US response tactics during these incursions, further reducing the technological gap that the F-22 and F-35 hold.
How The F-35 Lightning II Stacks Up Against The J-20 Mighty Dragon In 2026
How do the headline stealth fighters of the East and West compare?
Technological Partnership And Defense Pact: The Joint Strike Fighter
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is also known as the Joint Strike Fighter because it was designed to build on the legacy of the F-16 and F-4 fighter jets that came before it as part of a multinational initiative to bolster global air defense. Through the JSF, the US collaborated with its closest partners to develop a stealth fighter program that has vastly surpassed Chinese production output. Today, there are more than 1,300 airworthy examples and a planned total of over 3,000 airframes.
The unprecedented defense-industrial cooperative program was made possible precisely because of its huge scale. The F-35 program is the single most expensive defense industrial effort in history, with a final cost estimated to be as high as two trillion dollars. Despite political challenges generated by the Donald Trump presidential administration, the global fleet already has 19 partner nations, with even more being considered.
The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and the F-22 stealth fighter were infamously expensive. In contrast, the F-35 has been far less expensive, costing up to 25% less than a Dassault Rafale and roughly the same fly-away price as an F-15EX or Eurofighter Typhoon. Despite its great value, this aircraft’s design compromises to cut costs have left it less capable than the F-22 that came before it. Still, the performance compromises of the F-35 are why even more stealthy and lethal 6th-Gen fighters are in development.
F-35 Production Is Outpacing All Other Allied Fighter Jets Combined
The reign of the Lightning II.
Next Generation Air Dominance: Ultimate Air Power
The United States and its allies around the world are currently pushing forward with 6th-gen stealth fighter development as the Pentagon believes Chinese 6th-Gen jets, tentatively known as the J-36 and J-50, may enter service by 2035. Russia continues to develop the Mikoyan PAK DP, an interceptor to replace the MiG-31, but it is not the current threat due to industrial choke points caused by sanctions and the prolonged invasion of Ukraine.
The Air Force named the future fighter the F-47 after choosing Boeing to head its NGAD program in late 2025, after a very private competition. According to reports, in order to maintain air superiority in a future conflict with China, the US may construct a fleet of about 500 6th-generation aircraft, including the new Northrop B-21 bombers. By 2028, the first F-47 is anticipated to take to the skies.
The Navy’s 6th-Gen carrier-based fighter, the F/A-XX, has faced more turbulent progress due to budget issues. After being shelved in early 2025 to prioritize the Air Force’s F-47, Congress revived the program in early 2026 by adding nearly $900 million to the budget. Boeing and Northrop Grumman are the final two contenders for the contract. Top lawmakers indicated to Air and Space Forces magazine, just days ago on March 17, that neither the F-47 nor the F/A-XX will be fully available for operational service until the mid-2030s.
Meanwhile, a trilateral partnership between the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy is developing a 6th-Gen platform dubbed Global Combat Air Programme, often called the Tempest in the UK, to replace their current Eurofighter Typhoon and Mitsubishi F-2 fleets. The Future Combat Air System is a massive trilateral European project between France, Germany, and Spain, following along the same lines as the Tempest, but is currently in a political gridlock over industrial sharing.
