The United States and China are racing to field their next-generation, or the so-called "sixth-generation," fighter aircraft, which are designed to be superior to the most advanced combat jets that are currently in service with both nations, experts have told Newsweek.

The smaller of the advanced jets is expected to be carrier-based while the larger plane could become a fighter-bomber, observers say.

As tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to mount, the race to produce the world’s first-ever sixth-generation aircraft is in full throttle. At the tail end of 2024, new images surfaced the internet depicting a Chinese-made stealthy,