China Tested Novel Stealth Jets, Launched New Class Amphibious Assault Ship

An anonymous reader writes: Blurry images [and videos] of two seemingly new Chinese military aircraft with stealthy characteristics appeared online, with defense experts saying they were clearly advanced designs, but there was not enough detail for definitive conclusions. The larger of the two [tail-less] designs is roughly diamond-shaped, with three air intakes for its engines — two alongside the fuselage and one on top — an extremely unusual configuration. The smaller one has a more conventional layout. Both have the lack of 90-degree angles typical of stealth shaping, which is designed to reduce radar detection. 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. 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. Separately, Chinese state media outlet Xinhua reported the People's Liberation Army Navy had launched its newest amphibious assault ship which has a full load displacement of more than 40,000 tons, features a double island superstructure, a full-length flight deck, and an electromagnetic catapult system allowing it to launch fixed-wing aircraft,