General Anil Chauhan, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), expressed skepticism on Wednesday over China’s claims regarding their sixth-generation fighter aircraft, asserting that these aircraft are still in the development phase.
When asked about the Chinese sixth-generation fighter jet, CDS Chauhan noted that although several countries are working on sixth-generation programmes, he believes that all of them are far from completion. He suggested that some nations might be showing these technologies as part of their strategic tactics.
“It’s very difficult to see these kinds of platforms with six-generation capability. What we are talking about is by external viewing of an aircraft and that too with a few seconds clip which will not give you an idea that this is six generation aircraft. 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, ANI quoted CDS Chauhan as saying.
#WATCH | Bengaluru | Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan says, “My understanding of a sixth generation aircraft is that there is no proper globally accepted definition of what a sixth generation aircraft is. Basically, a sixth generation aircraft is a platform which… pic.twitter.com/DZBcCWUxhU
— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2025
He further mentioned that China had previously recruited numerous ex-pilots of the American and British Air Force to refine their drills and systems. He emphasised that these displays may be intended to suggest that the country is still progressing in both technology and tactics. On India’s end, he highlighted the development of the AMCA program, a fifth-generation fighter, as a significant milestone.
General Chauhan also shared his perspective on sixth-generation aircraft, describing it as a platform capable of both “manned” and “unmanned” operations. “My understanding of a sixth generation aircraft is that there is no proper globally accepted definition of what a sixth generation aircraft is. Basically, a sixth-generation aircraft is a platform that 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 added.
CDS Chauhan further added that these aircraft would integrate advanced technologies such as networks, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to improve pilot’s decision-making abilities in combat situations.
“So that’s the kind of concept of six-generation and it involves a number of technologies. It will involve networks, data analytics which will provide that kind of situation awareness to that pilot over there and also command and control of all the assets. He should be able to network himself or spar passage of information through terrestrial or say aerial networks. It will also use artificial intelligence to give him that better decision making ability during combat. It also will have maybe long range smart air-to-air missiles, weapon systems and apart from that stealth technology with self-healing kind of capabilities,” he concluded.
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What Are Sixth-generation Aircraft?
Sixth-generation aircraft will build upon the features of fifth-generation aircraft with enhanced capabilities. These advanced aircraft are designed to possess broad-spectrum stealth, enabling them to reduce radar detectability across multiple frequencies within the electromagnetic spectrum, according to Firstpost.
Equipped with cutting-edge sensors, they will extensively utilise artificial intelligence and data fusion, allowing them to function as “flying command posts.” Additional key features include optional manning, sensor fusion, advanced data processing, 6G communication speeds, next-generation power plants, increased electric power generation, and the integration of Directed Energy Weapons (DEW).
