Reuters confirmed a video showing the larger of the two new Chinese aircraft flying over Chengdu by matching nearby buildings, signage, logos and trees to satellite imagery and file images. The date could not be verified independently.

The Chinese aircraft in the online images are not the first modern tailless designs. The Northrop Grumman B-2 and B-21 stealth bombers are both flying wings, and several uncrewed aircraft, such as the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 and China's CH-7, lack tails.

Neither Chinese jet has an official designation that has been made public. Although the designs are novel relative to the rest of China's fleet, it is not possible to tell how stealthy they are, how maneuverable or fast they are, or what sort of "under the hood" avionics they carry - the sorts of detail needed to determine whether they are truly "next-generation" designs, five defense experts said.