China Tests Fifth-Generation Jet Fighter

China successfully completed a test flight on Wednesday of its new fifth-generation J-31 jet fighter, according to the Huanqiu Shibao newspaper.

The flight represents a crucial step for the Chinese military, which has become only the third in the world – after the United States and Russia – to have developed a stealthy fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

The J-31 is a mid-sized combat jet with two Russian-made engines in its prototype development phase. Production models will have Chinese WS-13 engines, the newspaper said.

The Chinese are also developing the J-20 fighter jet, first tested in January 2011, which also features stealth technology. The trials take place during a time of increased tension between China and its neighbors, particularly with Japan over the disputed Diaoyu Islands (Senkaku Islands) in the East China Sea.