Beijing: The first video of a new Chinese stealth fighter jet, believed to be a 6th-generation aircraft, has surfaced on social media giving a glimpse into the newly-developed aircraft and its unique design.
The large, tail-less fighter is thought to be a strike aircraft, and its unconventional design could make it incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for conventional radars to detect.
Once inducted, these Chinese stealth jets are likely to pose a significant and unprecedented threat along India’s borders. Currently, India does not have a stealth fighter jet of its own.
According to an NDTV report in May, satellite images revealed China had deployed its most advanced J-20 stealth fighter jets less than 150 km from India’s Sikkim border.
India counters the J-20 with its fleet of 36 French-built Rafale fighter jets. Notably, Shigatse, where the J-20 has been spotted, is less than 290 km from Hasimara in West Bengal, where India’s second Rafale squadron is based with 16 aircraft.
The Chengdu J-20, also known as the Mighty Dragon, is a twin-engine stealth fighter that entered service in 2017. Reports suggest that China may have already deployed as many as 250 of these stealth fighters, which are designed to evade radar detection.
China approves construction of dam near India border
China has approved the construction of the world’s largest dam, set to be the biggest infrastructure project globally, with a cost of USD 137 billion. The dam will be built on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, near the Indian border, raising concerns among riparian states, including India and Bangladesh.
According to an official statement quoted by state-run Xinhua news agency on Wednesday, the Chinese government has approved a hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra.
The dam will be constructed at a vast gorge in the Himalayan region, where the Brahmaputra River makes a dramatic U-turn before flowing into Arunachal Pradesh and then into Bangladesh.
