Third J-36 prototype makes its first flight, a year after the first was spotted

Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (AVIC)/J-36

A third J-36 flew for the first time with a J-10C chase plane. It keeps the second prototype's thrust-vectoring nozzles and lacks the nose data probe of the first two, suggesting Chengdu is testing several configurations in parallel before production.

• First flight 25 December 2025, with a J-10C as chase aircraft.
• Keeps the 2D thrust-vectoring nozzles.
• Nose flight-test probe removed.