China's J-35 Stealth Fighter_ Serial Production for Pakistan

Syed Farrrukh Hussain

40 J 35s  for Pakistan by December 2025

Transcript

00:00China officially launches serial production of J-35 stealth fighter to challenge U.S. air

00:05superiority. On July 8, 2025, China's state-owned broadcaster CCTV-13 aired a program on the J-15T

00:13carrier-based fighter, which included footage from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation's production

00:18facility, revealing several J-35 stealth fighters in advanced stages of assembly.

00:24The footage, which showed at least five or six J-35 airframes, confirmed that the aircraft

00:29had entered serial production. Aircraft visible in the video were marked with identifiers such as

00:35040070, suggesting they belong to the fourth production batch, and supporting claims that

00:42production has advanced beyond prototype status. Earlier images circulated online in May 2025

00:48showed green-primed aircraft, typically associated with unpainted or initial production models.

00:54Defense analyst Andreas Ruprecht identified serial numbers 61820 and 61821 operating with the 1st Air

01:01Brigade of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, PLAAF, located in the Northern Theater Command near

01:07Shenyang. This unit also operates the J-20, and would be the first officially identified PLAAF

01:14formation to operate both fifth-generation stealth fighters in parallel. The J-35's introduction

01:20into service alongside the J-20 places China as the second nation after the United States to field

01:26two classes of operational fifth-generation fighters. While the Chengdu J-20 remains a heavyweight

01:32long-range air superiority fighter, the Shenyang J-35A provides a more compact and cost-efficient

01:38complement. The aircraft reportedly integrates distributed aperture systems, modern data links,

01:44radar-absorbent coatings, and a digital cockpit interface. Observers describe the J-10C,

01:50J-16, J-20, and J-35A as forming a four-tiered PLAAF force structure, optimized for both defensive

01:59and offensive operations. The PLAAF is expected to present these assets during China's planned

02:04military parade on September 3, 2025, commemorating 80 years since the end of World War II. The parade

02:11will feature a broad range of systems, including hypersonic weapons, cyber and electronic warfare

02:16platforms, and manned and unmanned aircraft. Reports indicate that the J-35A and other fifth-generation

02:23platforms have already been rehearsing for the event. In the long term, China intends to replicate

02:28its dual-fighter model into sixth-generation programs, with Chengdu and Shenyang having already

02:34presented flight demonstrators in December 2024. The J-35A is the land-based version of a fifth-generation

02:41fighter developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China

02:48based on the earlier F-C-31 Jurfalken demonstrator. The F-C-31 flew for the first time on

02:55October 31, 2012, and was initially presented as a self-funded export-oriented project without PLAA

03:02designation. The second prototype, 3-1003, appeared in 2016 with revised features including diverter-less

03:10supersonic inlets, DSI, modified vertical stabilizers, and updated canopy design. PLAA interest grew after

03:19additional testing, resulting in two variants, the carrier-based J-35 and the land-based J-35A.

03:26The J-35A made its first flight on September 26, 2023, and was officially introduced at the

03:322024 Zhuhai Airshow bearing PLAAF insignia and the number 75, likely referencing the 75th anniversary of

03:41the Air Force. At the airshow officials including Colonel Niu Wenbo from the PLAAF Equipment Department

03:47described the aircraft as a combat platform capable of integrating into a wider air defense system.

03:52Chief designer Wang Yongqing noted its ability to coordinate with other systems and transfer radar

03:58data, although precise roles and specifications were not disclosed. Open-source data suggests the

04:04J-35A is a medium-weight twin-engine stealth fighter with internal weapons bays, trapezoidal wings,

04:10diverter-less inlets, and radar-absorbent surface features. The airframe is approximately 17.3 meters

04:17long with a wingspan of around 11.5 meters, and estimates place its maximum takeoff weight between

04:2225 and 28 tons. Early prototypes used WS-13E engines or WS-21 engines derived from the RD-93,

04:31with future models potentially employing the WS-19 for improved thrust and supercruise capability.

04:37Internal payloads may include up to six air-to-air missiles such as the PL-10, PL-15 or PL-17,

04:44and external hardpoints could carry additional guided munitions. The fighter is believed to include an

04:50AESA radar, infrared search and track, IR-ST, electro-optical targeting systems, a wide-area

04:56cockpit display, a helmet-mounted display system, and electronic warfare components including DRFM-based

05:03jammers and radar warning receivers. While the full avionics suite remains unconfirmed, the design

05:09suggests capability for both air-to-air combat and precision strike missions, as well as integration

05:15with other PLA assets through networked operations. Parallel to the People's Liberation Army Air Force's

05:21adoption of the J-35A, the naval version of the aircraft is being integrated with the Type 003

05:28aircraft carrier, Fujian. According to reports from March 2025, the J-35 reportedly carried out its

05:36first electromagnetic catapult launch from the Fujian, although Chinese authorities have not officially

05:41confirmed the event. The Fujian features an integrated electric propulsion system and is

05:47equipped with three electromagnetic catapults enabling the launch of heavier carrier-based

05:52platforms, including the J-35, the KJ-600 airborne early warning aircraft, and the GJ-11 unmanned

06:00aerial vehicle. The J-35's naval configuration includes folding wings, catapult-compatible nose

06:06gear, and reinforced landing structures. Estimates from defense analysts suggest that the

06:11Fujian could carry up to 48 J-35 fighters, while the Liaoning and Shandong carriers may be configured

06:17to operate up to 24 modified J-35s each, alongside J-15 variants adapted for electronic warfare missions.

06:26By 2030, the Chinese Navy could operate a fleet approaching 100 stealth-capable carrier-based

06:31fighters. This expansion may extend to other platforms such as the Type 076 amphibious assault ship,

06:38and the future Type 004 nuclear-powered carrier, with training facilities and satellite-linked

06:43command infrastructure supporting extended-range operations. International reports have indicated

06:48increased interest in the J-35A, with claims suggesting that Pakistan was offered 40 units

06:54at a 50% discount, including pilot training and projected deliveries beginning in 2026.

07:00In a July 2025 interview, however, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif denied that any such

07:06agreement existed, characterizing related media reports as speculative. Despite this denial,

07:13previous statements from Pakistani officials indicated that a broader package potentially

07:17including J-35A aircraft, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control systems, and HQ-19 missile defense

07:25systems, may have been proposed. The absence of clear confirmation has led to speculation that

07:30these disclosures may be part of a broader strategy by Beijing to shape perceptions,

07:35and influence potential buyers such as Egypt or Algeria. Egypt reportedly examined the J-35 during

07:42joint exercises in the spring of 2025, and may view the aircraft as a contingency option given existing

07:48barriers to acquiring upgraded F-16S from the US, and delays in Su-35 deliveries. China also exhibited a

07:56model of the J-35A at the 2025 Paris Airshow, signaling its intention to offer the aircraft to states

08:02restricted from purchasing the US-made F-35, including Saudi Arabia. Riyadh faces procurement

08:08limitations linked to concerns about technology transfer and regional military balance. An official

08:14export version labeled the J-35E is currently in development, but its specifications have not been

08:20publicly detailed. The J-35A's entry into service with the PLA-LAF positions China alongside the United

08:27States, as one of the few nations operating two distinct, fifth-generation fighter aircraft

08:32simultaneously. While the J-20 continues to serve as China's primary long-range stealth fighter,

08:37the J-35A is being adopted as a more affordable alternative, with reduced costs associated with

08:43production and long-term maintenance. This dual-fighter approach resembles the US Air Force's

08:49deployment strategy combining the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. The J-35A's induction into the

08:56first air brigade may suggest a doctrinal evolution in PLA-AF strategy, emphasizing stealth-based

09:02dispersion and forward deployment. The aircraft is designed to operate within a broader network

09:08that includes electronic warfare assets, satellite communications, unmanned systems, and airborne early

09:14warning platforms, allowing for joint operations in electronically contested environments. In Chinese

09:21media and official commentary, the J-10C, J-16, J-20, and J-35A have increasingly been referred to as the

09:29PLA-AF's core combat aircraft, with each fulfilling complementary roles across different mission sets.

09:36Although the J-35 exhibits superficial resemblances to the US F-35, analysts advise against assuming

09:42comparable capabilities. The J-35 features a twin-engine configuration, twin-vertical stabilizers,

09:49and ventral Lundberg lenses, which can be used to enhance radar visibility during peacetime operations.

09:55The overall airframe shape, canopy design, and engine nozzle geometry differ substantially from

10:01those of the F-35. Some analysts have speculated that parts of the aircraft's initial development may

10:06have benefited from access to restricted data from the US Joint Strike Fighter program. However,

10:12official sources in China and Russia consistently present the J-35 as a domestically developed system.

10:18Regardless of the origins, the J-35's introduction reflects a broader shift in the competitive

10:24landscape of advanced fighter aircraft production, where China seeks to establish itself as a major

10:30supplier of stealth aircraft, including for countries that may not have access to US or European alternatives.

10:36As a result, the J-35 serves both as an operational asset, and as a tool in China's geopolitical and

10:42defense export strategy.

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