On September 15-16, images of the cutting-edge Chinese fighter jet appeared on the web. The state-of-the-art aircraft bears strong resemblance to the American F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

It looks like a traditional stealth fighter and will probably be known as J-21, although the Chinese authorities have never commented either on the name of their new and powerful machine nor confirmed the fact of its existence.

The brand-new fighter spots a double-tail design, much like that of the F-21 and F-35. The location of its air inlets is also reminiscent of the F-35. Experts say the new aircraft could be a fourth-generation fighter with less sophisticated avionics than those of its American rivals.

The so-called "J-21" may have been designed as a lighter alternative to the J-20. Both planes could also be mutually supplementary.

The new Chinese stealth jet copies many of American F-22 design solutions, for instance its tail and empennage (photo), as well as its fuselage and air inlets.

China's air fleet consists of a wide range of planes, many of which are in fact replicas of Russian and Ukrainian aircraft.