Key Points and Summary – Following the public debut of the J-35 stealth fighter at China’s recent Victory Day parade, a new Chinese state TV broadcast has revealed fresh details about the jet.
-The CCTV segment confirmed the carrier-capable jet can carry six internal missiles and provided the closest look yet at its naval features, like folding wings.
J-35 Fighter Screenshot. Image Credit: YouTube Screenshot.
-The J-35, which has both carrier and land-based variants, is China’s second fifth-generation fighter.
-This carefully managed reveal signals Beijing’s growing confidence as the jet prepares to deploy on its new generation of aircraft carriers, starting with the soon-to-be-commissioned Fujian.
J-35: Designers Reveal More About China’s Next Carrier-Borne Stealth Jets
The Shenyang Aircraft Corporation’s (SAC) J-35 is China’s second fifth-generation fighter, having emerged from the FC-31 stealth project. Spearheaded by the SAC’s 601st Design Institute, the FC-31 first flew in October 2012, with the later naval variant – the J-35 – completing its maiden flight on October 29, 2021.
Until recently, however, the aircraft has been somewhat under wraps, with much of what the West knows about it having been deduced from limited confirmations by Chinese officials and designers. That all changed this month when Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired a segment about the aircraft.
As confirmed by China Daily on September 3, the aircraft comes in two variations: one is land-based, and the other carrier-based. The J-35 is the carrier version engineered for naval operations and equipped for catapult launches, while the J-35A is a land-based variant built for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
The J-35A first flew on September 26, 2023, and was publicly unveiled for the first time at the November 2024 Airshow in China.
Both variants, however, made their public debut on September 3, 2025, during China’s largest-ever Victory Day parade, which commemorated the 80th anniversary of Japan’s WWII surrender.
In the days that followed, CCTV’s broadcast provided the closest official look at the new stealth jets, revealing a number of previously unseen design features.
What Viewers Saw
The broadcast claims that the carrier-borne J-35 stealth fighter is capable of carrying as many as six missiles, citing designers who worked on the project.
According to the broadcast, both the J-35 and J-35A – which took part in aerial formations and flyovers during the Victory Day parade – share common components that were engineered for reuse.
While the aircraft were officially debuted at the recent Victory Day parade, the CCTV broadcast offered the closest official look at the aircraft yet. Viewers were shown close-ups of a J-35 model featuring folding wings, a tailhook, and an internal weapons bay.
That imagery prompted speculation among analysts online, many of whom noted that it was similar in design to the United States’ F-22 – the country’s most technically advanced operational stealth fighter.
“Foldable fins support a compressed launcher concept, allowing six missiles to be housed within the internal bays of stealth aircraft,” the South China Morning Post reports.
An earlier broadcast by CCTV from July this year also offered a look at the J-35 ahead of its aerial debut earlier this month. The segment showed two partially-finished J-35 aircraft, painted in green zinc-chromate primer. The aircraft were clearly visible in the background of an interview, subtly suggesting at the time that the aircraft were ready for mass production, or had already entered the manufacturing phase. Analysts quickly noted that the placement of the aircraft appeared to be deliberate.
What We Know So Far
The J-35 is confirmed to be a twin-engine, single-seat stealth multirole fighter. Its dimensions – 17.3 meters in length and 11.5 meters wingspan – were published by Chinese state-linked outlets and have since been cited by analysts all over the world.
However, analysts have been forced to estimate many of the aircraft’s specifications, including its maximum take-off weight – which reports suggest is in the range of 25-28 tons. Those estimates were made based on imagery and disclosures from the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.
Chinese state media reports also describe an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and electro-optical targeting system. Photos revealed during the Zhuhai Airshow also reveal a wide-angle head-up display and network-centric datalink displays.
Engine information has also been obtained via open-source tracking of prototypes. Earlier versions of the aircraft are understood to have flown with the WS-13E, while later test flights showed the WS-21 (WS-13X) in action – identified largely by its exhaust geometry. Chinese officials claim that the final aircraft will use the WS-19, which is intended to enable limited supercruise capabilities.
But specifically, the carrier-optimized J-35 incorporates clear naval features – and the aircraft is just one of a number of new additions to China’s planned air fleet that will work alongside the Type 003 Fujian aircraft carrier, as well as the upcoming Type 004.
The aircraft features folding wings and a catapult-launch bar, making it CATOBAR-capable while also compatible with ski-jump launches on older carriers – enabling deployment across the carrier fleet.
Deck trials aboard the Fujian in May 2025 sea trials also featured the ship-borne J-35 aircraft, confirming integration with the new electromagnetic catapult deck.
Meanwhile, China’s Fujian carrier – its first CATOBAR-equipped, indigenously designed carrier – is poised to enter service as soon as September 2025. And, beyond that, the Type 004 supercarrier is already under construction and will be a turning point for China’s naval operations.
The aircraft carrier will be bigger and more capable than the Fujian, with accommodations made for both manned and unmanned aircraft, helicopters, and other next-generation PLAAF assets.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York who writes frequently for National Security Journal. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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