A local newspaper has reported on Monday that China has successfully tested a homemade stealth fighter of the fifth generation called FC-31 Gyrfalcon, sources in the aviation industry, told a local newspaper.
The improved version of what was earlier known as the J-31 made its maiden flight at the weekend in the northeastern city of Shenyang, the China Daily reported.
The flight test comes four years after the initial prototype took to;the skies in 2012 and stayed airborne for 11 minutes.
An Aviation Industry Corp official confirmed the test but declined to give any details.
The daily reported the state-of-the-art aircraft appeared to be stealthier and had enhanced electronics and a larger payload capacity, while its new lean frame made the FC-31 lighter and more maneuverable.
The state-of-the-art J-20 fifth-generation jet fighter is a key part of the Chinese air force.
According to Chinese military expert, Li Li, the J-20 could possibly break the US monopoly on fifth-generation fighters.
During a recent interview with CCTV, the military expert said that the Chinese jet fighter may exert an even bigger influence than the American F-22 Raptor.
Li Li further said that although the American F-22 Raptor is the first fifth-generation fighter commissioned in an air force, its performance is not satisfactory.
She said that the J-20 and Russia’s T-50 will possibly manage to break the Western monopoly and that the J-20 could have a more significant influence than its Western counterparts.
Chinese officials maintain that the J-20 will be exclusive to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")