‘Some distance away’: CDS Chauhan doubts China's 6th gen fighter aircraft claim
CDS Chauhan said that many countries are pursuing a sixth-generation program and that he personally believes that all of them are some distance away.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has raised doubts over China's claim related to sixth-generation fighter aircraft, saying that they are still in the developmental stage.
CDS Chauhan said that many countries are pursuing a sixth-generation program and that he believes that all of them are some distance away.
The CDS also emphasised that such technological demonstrations could be a part of some tactics by different countries.
“It is very difficult to see these kinds of platforms with six-generation capability. What we are talking about is external viewing of an aircraft, and that too with a few seconds clip, which will not give you an idea that this is a six-generation aircraft,” CDS Chauhan told ANI.
Also Read | CDS focusses on jointness as military charts path towards theatre commands
"In fact, a large number of countries are pursuing a six-generation program, and that's my personal belief that all of them are some distance away…But sometime back, we had heard about the capabilities of WS 10 or WS 15 engines, which are there on 5th generation aircraft for the Chinese."
He further added that there is still no properly globally accepted definition of a sixth-generation aircraft.
“Basically, a sixth-generation aircraft is a platform which can perform both manned and unmanned teaming. It is kind of an aerial command post which can take control of 2-3 similar kinds of assets, maybe UAVs, maybe drones which are sound drones and then put combat in a different kind of a manner,” he told the agency.
Also Read | Bengaluru's Aero India 2025: Indian Army and Air Force chiefs fly LCA Tejas, marking historic moment
The CDS added that a sixth-generation aircraft would use various technologies, networks, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to improve the pilot's decision-making ability during combat.
China's ‘sixth generation fighter aircraft’
In December, unverified images of what was termed as a Chinese sixth-generation fighter aircraft went viral on social media.
Defence experts said they were clearly advanced designs, but there was not enough detail for definitive conclusions, according to Reuters.
China's defence ministry did not respond to Reuter's request for comment, while the US Department of Defense had said it was "aware of the reports" but said it did not have an additional comment beyond what was included in its annual report on the Chinese military this month.