At least two photographs of the aircraft, taken from various angles on the ground, have been circulating since Monday. It is not clear from the pictures whether the plane had a cockpit or internal weapons bay.
The images reveal a slimmer fuselage and smaller size compared with images of another plane thought to be the J-36 stealth fighter, suggesting that the new aircraft might have a higher top speed.
Some military analysts suggested it could be China’s third distinct sixth-generation stealth combat aircraft, with the J-36 already believed to be nearly ready for pre-production testing.
Some analysis, including the US-based website The War Zone argued that its streamlined design and lack of the features typical of piloted fighters suggested it may indeed be a drone optimised strictly for stealth rather than manoeuvrability.
Andreas Rupprecht, an aviation analyst, wrote on social media that its shape – a lambda-wing layout reminiscent of the J-50, another Chinese stealth fighter under development – suggested it might be the design for a collaborative combat aircraft.
