SEE IT: China stuns with maiden flight of sixth-generation aircraft

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China’s sixth-generation stealth jet takes maiden flight

Videos and images shared on social media showed the unfamiliar fighter jet soaring over Sichuan province in China on Dec. 26. (Credit: Reuters)

China appears to have conducted the maiden flight of its new sixth-generation fighter aircraft, marking a significant milestone in the ever-evolving landscape of fighter jets.

Video and photos from social media showed the previously unseen aircraft conducting a daytime test flight, alongside a two-seat Chengdu J-20S fighter, which served as a chase plane.

The planes were soaring high in Chengdu, Sichuan, China on Dec. 26, which is notably the birthday of the founding father of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong.

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Chinese military aircraft fly in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, in this screengrab taken from a social media video released on December 26, 2024.  (Social Media/via REUTERS)

Photos and video of the tailless Chinese aircraft came as the U.S. continues to work on developing its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter jet.

The NGAD fighter jet is intended to replace the F-22 Raptor, a fifth-generation stealth combat aircraft that has been in service with the U.S. Air Force since the early 2000s.

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Fifth generation aircraft incorporated stealth technology, with the sixth generation aircraft promising further advancements.

Chinese military aircraft fly in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, in this screengrab taken from a social media video released on December 26, 2024.  (Social Media/via REUTERS)

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This new aircraft is the latest in a series of milestones for China’s aviation. At the Zhuhai Airshow, China unveiled the J-35A fifth-generation fighter jet and the J-15T fighter. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to China’s Ministry of Defense for comment.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. 

Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.