Key Points – China’s new J-35A stealth fighter, a land-based derivative of the carrier-capable J-35 and earlier FC-31, is designed to be a crucial “kill chain coordinator” within the PLAAF’s air defense network, specifically to counter hostile stealth aircraft like the US F-35 and F-22.
-Its chief researcher, Wang Yongqing, stated the J-35A can lock onto targets, share data with other weapon systems (like SAMs), and even guide their munitions.
-Bearing a strong resemblance to the F-35 (likely due to espionage, e.g., the Su Bin case), the J-35A is also China’s flagship stealth export fighter, with Pakistan reportedly acquiring 41 units.
The J-35A Was Built to Fight Stealth Fighters from America
China has released further details about the role it envisions the J-35A fulfilling in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
According to the project leader in the J-35A’s development, China’s new stealth fighter jet will act as a “coordinator” or “organizer” in the country’s air-defense network and extensively strengthen the system’s operational capability.
That assessment clarifies the J-35A’s importance as a primary PLAAF fighter type, and not an aircraft mainly aimed at the export market.
The jet is a descendant of the J-31/FC-31 Gyrfalcon family.
The J-35A Was Created To Take On American Stealth Aircraft
Wang Yongqing, the J-35A’s chief researcher at Aviation Industry Corp of China’s Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute, said in an exclusive interview with China Daily that the radar-evading stealth aircraft was created to act as the backbone of the PLAAF’s efforts to neutralize high-level threats, especially hostile stealth aircraft.
Moreover, the J-35A is also needed by the Air Force to establish a “considerable scale” fleet of affordable, powerful stealth jets, he said at the institute’s headquarters in Shenyang, Liaoning province. He noted that the J-35A will play a key role in Chinese kill chains, countering stealth aircraft and low-observable cruise missiles attempting to breach Chinese air defences. The type debuted at China’s Zhuhai air show in November 2024.
“It can lock on the targets, share the targets’ position with other weapon systems, such as surface-to-air missiles, and even use its own radar to guide other weapons to bring the targets down,” Wang said.
“Our adversaries will definitely use their stealth aircraft or low-observable cruise missiles to penetrate our air defense networks,” Wang added. “And if those hostile craft succeed in infiltrating our defense lines, they will outperform our conventional countermeasures in terms of detection capability and range, which means they can spot us from hundreds of kilometers away, but at the same time, we can’t find them. That means our defense units will not be able to survive such an encounter.”
Listen to the Pilots, Strive For Excellence
As the chief designer of the J-35A, Wang believes the most critical aspect is to know clearly what pilots and their commanders truly need.
Gu Songfen is a pre-eminent aircraft designer who worked for decades at the Shenyang Institute. He is among a handful of recipients of the nation’s highest science and technology award.
Wang said Gu once told him and other chief designers that they must make friends with front-line pilots to hear what they want and listen to their advice. “He said, ‘It is the aviators, not you, that really know whether your aircraft perform well or poorly up in the skies,'” Wang said, adding that he usually pays several visits to military units each year to talk with pilots and solicit their suggestions.
Exporting the J-35A to Pakistan
The J-35A’s stealth profile, advanced avionics, internal weapons bays, and likely network-centric capabilities make it a force multiplier designed to penetrate contested airspace and carry out precision-strike and air-superiority missions.
While the J-20 remains China’s primary platform in stealth technology, its export has been prohibited due to concerns over technological espionage, mirroring the U.S. policy of restricting F-22 Raptor exports. This makes the J-35A China’s flagship stealth export fighter.
Pakistan has bought 41 J-35A aircraft, with aircrews already training inside China. According to retired Pakistan Air Force Air Commodore Zia Ul Haque Shamshi, the arrival of the J-35A fleet will provide Pakistan with a “12 to 14-year” advantage in stealth-fighter capabilities compared to India’s current air inventory.
“India is not expected to field a fifth-generation combat aircraft during that timeframe, which grants Pakistan a strategic advantage in the region,” he said, emphasizing the operational vacuum India may face.
The introduction of the J-35 is expected to eventually phase out Pakistan’s aging fleet of F-16s and Mirage 5s, replacing them with a platform that offers next-generation survivability, lethality, and sensor fusion.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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