China officially launches serial production of J-35 stealth fighter to challenge US air superiority
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On July 8, 2025, China’s state-owned broadcaster CCTV 13 aired a program on the J-15T carrier-based fighter, which included footage from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation’s production facility, revealing several J-35 stealth fighters in advanced stages of assembly. The footage, which showed at least five or six J-35 airframes, confirmed that the aircraft had entered serial production. Aircraft visible in the video were marked with identifiers such as “040070,” suggesting they belong to the fourth production batch and supporting claims that production has advanced beyond prototype status. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The CCTV program clearly shows a green-painted Chinese J-35A fighter jet, a color typically associated with unpainted airframes or early production models. (Picture source: CCTV 13)
Earlier images circulated online in May 2025 showed green-primed aircraft, typically associated with unpainted or initial production models. Defense analyst Andreas Rupprecht identified serial numbers 61820 and 61821 operating with the 1st Air Brigade of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), located in the Northern Theater Command near Shenyang. This unit also operates the J-20 and would be the first officially identified PLAAF formation to operate both fifth-generation stealth fighters in parallel. The J-35’s introduction into service alongside the J-20 places China as the second nation after the United States to field two classes of operational fifth-generation fighters.
While the Chengdu J-20 remains a heavyweight, long-range air superiority fighter, the Shenyang J-35A provides a more compact and cost-efficient complement. The aircraft reportedly integrates distributed aperture systems, modern data links, radar-absorbent coatings, and a digital cockpit interface. Observers describe the J-10C, J-16, J-20, and J-35A as forming a four-tiered PLAAF force structure optimized for both defensive and offensive operations. The PLAAF is expected to present these assets during China’s planned military parade on September 3, 2025, commemorating 80 years since the end of World War II. The parade will feature a broad range of systems, including hypersonic weapons, cyber and electronic warfare platforms, and manned and unmanned aircraft. Reports indicate that the J-35A and other fifth-generation platforms have already been rehearsing for the event. In the long term, China intends to replicate its dual-fighter model into sixth-generation programs, with Chengdu and Shenyang having already presented flight demonstrators in December 2024.
The J-35A is the land-based version of a fifth-generation fighter developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), based on the earlier FC-31 Gyrfalcon demonstrator. The FC-31 flew for the first time on October 31, 2012, and was initially presented as a self-funded export-oriented project without PLA designation. The second prototype, 31003, appeared in 2016 with revised features including diverterless supersonic inlets (DSI), modified vertical stabilizers, and updated canopy design. PLA interest grew after additional testing, resulting in two variants: the carrier-based J-35 and the land-based J-35A. The J-35A made its first flight on September 26, 2023, and was officially introduced at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow bearing PLAAF insignia and the number “75,” likely referencing the 75th anniversary of the Air Force. At the airshow, officials, including Colonel Niu Wenbo from the PLAAF Equipment Department, described the aircraft as a combat platform capable of integrating into a wider air defense system. Chief designer Wang Yongqing noted its ability to coordinate with other systems and transfer radar data, although precise roles and specifications were not disclosed.
Open-source data suggests the J-35A is a medium-weight, twin-engine stealth fighter with internal weapons bays, trapezoidal wings, diverterless inlets, and radar-absorbent surface features. The airframe is approximately 17.3 meters long with a wingspan of around 11.5 meters, and estimates place its maximum takeoff weight between 25 and 28 tons. Early prototypes used WS-13E engines or WS-21 engines derived from the RD-93, with future models potentially employing the WS-19 for improved thrust and supercruise capability. Internal payloads may include up to six air-to-air missiles such as the PL-10, PL-15, or PL-17, and external hardpoints could carry additional guided munitions. The fighter is believed to include an AESA radar, infrared search and track (IRST), electro-optical targeting systems, a wide-area cockpit display, a helmet-mounted display system, and electronic warfare components including DRFM-based jammers and radar warning receivers. While the full avionics suite remains unconfirmed, the design suggests capability for both air-to-air combat and precision strike missions, as well as integration with other PLA assets through networked operations.
China also exhibited a model of the J-35A at the 2025 Paris Air Show, signaling its intention to offer the aircraft to states restricted from purchasing the U.S.-made F-35, including Saudi Arabia. (Picture source: Weibo/人民空军)
Parallel to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s adoption of the J-35A, the naval version of the aircraft is being integrated with the Type 003 aircraft carrier, Fujian. According to reports from March 2025, the J-35 reportedly carried out its first electromagnetic catapult launch from the Fujian, although Chinese authorities have not officially confirmed the event. The Fujian features an integrated electric propulsion system and is equipped with three electromagnetic catapults, enabling the launch of heavier carrier-based platforms, including the J-35, the KJ-600 airborne early warning aircraft, and the GJ-11 unmanned aerial vehicle. The J-35’s naval configuration includes folding wings, catapult-compatible nose gear, and reinforced landing structures. Estimates from defense analysts suggest that the Fujian could carry up to 48 J-35 fighters, while the Liaoning and Shandong carriers may be configured to operate up to 24 modified J-35s each, alongside J-15 variants adapted for electronic warfare missions. By 2030, the Chinese Navy could operate a fleet approaching 100 stealth-capable carrier-based fighters. This expansion may extend to other platforms such as the Type 076 amphibious assault ship and the future Type 004 nuclear-powered carrier, with training facilities and satellite-linked command infrastructure supporting extended-range operations.
International reports have indicated increased interest in the J-35A, with claims suggesting that Pakistan was offered 40 units at a 50% discount, including pilot training and projected deliveries beginning in 2026. In a July 2025 interview, however, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif denied that any such agreement existed, characterizing related media reports as speculative. Despite this denial, previous statements from Pakistani officials indicated that a broader package, potentially including J-35A aircraft, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control systems, and HQ-19 missile defense systems, may have been proposed. The absence of clear confirmation has led to speculation that these disclosures may be part of a broader strategy by Beijing to shape perceptions and influence potential buyers such as Egypt or Algeria. Egypt reportedly examined the J-35 during joint exercises in the spring of 2025 and may view the aircraft as a contingency option given existing barriers to acquiring upgraded F-16s from the U.S. and delays in Su-35 deliveries. China also exhibited a model of the J-35A at the 2025 Paris Air Show, signaling its intention to offer the aircraft to states restricted from purchasing the U.S.-made F-35, including Saudi Arabia. Riyadh faces procurement limitations linked to concerns about technology transfer and regional military balance. An official export version, labeled the J-35E, is currently in development, but its specifications have not been publicly detailed.
The J-35A’s entry into service with the PLAAF positions China alongside the United States as one of the few nations operating two distinct fifth-generation fighter aircraft simultaneously. While the J-20 continues to serve as China’s primary long-range stealth fighter, the J-35A is being adopted as a more affordable alternative, with reduced costs associated with production and long-term maintenance. This dual-fighter approach resembles the U.S. Air Force’s deployment strategy combining the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. The J-35A’s induction into the 1st Air Brigade may suggest a doctrinal evolution in PLAAF strategy, emphasizing stealth-based dispersion and forward deployment. The aircraft is designed to operate within a broader network that includes electronic warfare assets, satellite communications, unmanned systems, and airborne early warning platforms, allowing for joint operations in electronically contested environments. In Chinese media and official commentary, the J-10C, J-16, J-20, and J-35A have increasingly been referred to as the PLAAF’s core combat aircraft, with each fulfilling complementary roles across different mission sets.
Although the J-35 exhibits superficial resemblances to the U.S. F-35, analysts advise against assuming comparable capabilities. The J-35 features a twin-engine configuration, twin vertical stabilizers, and ventral Luneburg lenses, which can be used to enhance radar visibility during peacetime operations. The overall airframe shape, canopy design, and engine nozzle geometry differ substantially from those of the F-35. Some analysts have speculated that parts of the aircraft’s initial development may have benefited from access to restricted data from the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter program. However, official sources in China and Russia consistently present the J-35 as a domestically developed system. Regardless of the origins, the J-35’s introduction reflects a broader shift in the competitive landscape of advanced fighter aircraft production, where China seeks to establish itself as a major supplier of stealth aircraft, including for countries that may not have access to U.S. or European alternatives. As a result, the J-35 serves both as an operational asset and as a tool in China’s geopolitical and defense export strategy.
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On July 8, 2025, China’s state-owned broadcaster CCTV 13 aired a program on the J-15T carrier-based fighter, which included footage from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation’s production facility, revealing several J-35 stealth fighters in advanced stages of assembly. The footage, which showed at least five or six J-35 airframes, confirmed that the aircraft had entered serial production. Aircraft visible in the video were marked with identifiers such as “040070,” suggesting they belong to the fourth production batch and supporting claims that production has advanced beyond prototype status.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The CCTV program clearly shows a green-painted Chinese J-35A fighter jet, a color typically associated with unpainted airframes or early production models. (Picture source: CCTV 13)
Earlier images circulated online in May 2025 showed green-primed aircraft, typically associated with unpainted or initial production models. Defense analyst Andreas Rupprecht identified serial numbers 61820 and 61821 operating with the 1st Air Brigade of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), located in the Northern Theater Command near Shenyang. This unit also operates the J-20 and would be the first officially identified PLAAF formation to operate both fifth-generation stealth fighters in parallel. The J-35’s introduction into service alongside the J-20 places China as the second nation after the United States to field two classes of operational fifth-generation fighters.
While the Chengdu J-20 remains a heavyweight, long-range air superiority fighter, the Shenyang J-35A provides a more compact and cost-efficient complement. The aircraft reportedly integrates distributed aperture systems, modern data links, radar-absorbent coatings, and a digital cockpit interface. Observers describe the J-10C, J-16, J-20, and J-35A as forming a four-tiered PLAAF force structure optimized for both defensive and offensive operations. The PLAAF is expected to present these assets during China’s planned military parade on September 3, 2025, commemorating 80 years since the end of World War II. The parade will feature a broad range of systems, including hypersonic weapons, cyber and electronic warfare platforms, and manned and unmanned aircraft. Reports indicate that the J-35A and other fifth-generation platforms have already been rehearsing for the event. In the long term, China intends to replicate its dual-fighter model into sixth-generation programs, with Chengdu and Shenyang having already presented flight demonstrators in December 2024.
The J-35A is the land-based version of a fifth-generation fighter developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), based on the earlier FC-31 Gyrfalcon demonstrator. The FC-31 flew for the first time on October 31, 2012, and was initially presented as a self-funded export-oriented project without PLA designation. The second prototype, 31003, appeared in 2016 with revised features including diverterless supersonic inlets (DSI), modified vertical stabilizers, and updated canopy design. PLA interest grew after additional testing, resulting in two variants: the carrier-based J-35 and the land-based J-35A. The J-35A made its first flight on September 26, 2023, and was officially introduced at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow bearing PLAAF insignia and the number “75,” likely referencing the 75th anniversary of the Air Force. At the airshow, officials, including Colonel Niu Wenbo from the PLAAF Equipment Department, described the aircraft as a combat platform capable of integrating into a wider air defense system. Chief designer Wang Yongqing noted its ability to coordinate with other systems and transfer radar data, although precise roles and specifications were not disclosed.
Open-source data suggests the J-35A is a medium-weight, twin-engine stealth fighter with internal weapons bays, trapezoidal wings, diverterless inlets, and radar-absorbent surface features. The airframe is approximately 17.3 meters long with a wingspan of around 11.5 meters, and estimates place its maximum takeoff weight between 25 and 28 tons. Early prototypes used WS-13E engines or WS-21 engines derived from the RD-93, with future models potentially employing the WS-19 for improved thrust and supercruise capability. Internal payloads may include up to six air-to-air missiles such as the PL-10, PL-15, or PL-17, and external hardpoints could carry additional guided munitions. The fighter is believed to include an AESA radar, infrared search and track (IRST), electro-optical targeting systems, a wide-area cockpit display, a helmet-mounted display system, and electronic warfare components including DRFM-based jammers and radar warning receivers. While the full avionics suite remains unconfirmed, the design suggests capability for both air-to-air combat and precision strike missions, as well as integration with other PLA assets through networked operations.
China also exhibited a model of the J-35A at the 2025 Paris Air Show, signaling its intention to offer the aircraft to states restricted from purchasing the U.S.-made F-35, including Saudi Arabia. (Picture source: Weibo/人民空军)
Parallel to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s adoption of the J-35A, the naval version of the aircraft is being integrated with the Type 003 aircraft carrier, Fujian. According to reports from March 2025, the J-35 reportedly carried out its first electromagnetic catapult launch from the Fujian, although Chinese authorities have not officially confirmed the event. The Fujian features an integrated electric propulsion system and is equipped with three electromagnetic catapults, enabling the launch of heavier carrier-based platforms, including the J-35, the KJ-600 airborne early warning aircraft, and the GJ-11 unmanned aerial vehicle. The J-35’s naval configuration includes folding wings, catapult-compatible nose gear, and reinforced landing structures. Estimates from defense analysts suggest that the Fujian could carry up to 48 J-35 fighters, while the Liaoning and Shandong carriers may be configured to operate up to 24 modified J-35s each, alongside J-15 variants adapted for electronic warfare missions. By 2030, the Chinese Navy could operate a fleet approaching 100 stealth-capable carrier-based fighters. This expansion may extend to other platforms such as the Type 076 amphibious assault ship and the future Type 004 nuclear-powered carrier, with training facilities and satellite-linked command infrastructure supporting extended-range operations.
International reports have indicated increased interest in the J-35A, with claims suggesting that Pakistan was offered 40 units at a 50% discount, including pilot training and projected deliveries beginning in 2026. In a July 2025 interview, however, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif denied that any such agreement existed, characterizing related media reports as speculative. Despite this denial, previous statements from Pakistani officials indicated that a broader package, potentially including J-35A aircraft, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control systems, and HQ-19 missile defense systems, may have been proposed. The absence of clear confirmation has led to speculation that these disclosures may be part of a broader strategy by Beijing to shape perceptions and influence potential buyers such as Egypt or Algeria. Egypt reportedly examined the J-35 during joint exercises in the spring of 2025 and may view the aircraft as a contingency option given existing barriers to acquiring upgraded F-16s from the U.S. and delays in Su-35 deliveries. China also exhibited a model of the J-35A at the 2025 Paris Air Show, signaling its intention to offer the aircraft to states restricted from purchasing the U.S.-made F-35, including Saudi Arabia. Riyadh faces procurement limitations linked to concerns about technology transfer and regional military balance. An official export version, labeled the J-35E, is currently in development, but its specifications have not been publicly detailed.
The J-35A’s entry into service with the PLAAF positions China alongside the United States as one of the few nations operating two distinct fifth-generation fighter aircraft simultaneously. While the J-20 continues to serve as China’s primary long-range stealth fighter, the J-35A is being adopted as a more affordable alternative, with reduced costs associated with production and long-term maintenance. This dual-fighter approach resembles the U.S. Air Force’s deployment strategy combining the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. The J-35A’s induction into the 1st Air Brigade may suggest a doctrinal evolution in PLAAF strategy, emphasizing stealth-based dispersion and forward deployment. The aircraft is designed to operate within a broader network that includes electronic warfare assets, satellite communications, unmanned systems, and airborne early warning platforms, allowing for joint operations in electronically contested environments. In Chinese media and official commentary, the J-10C, J-16, J-20, and J-35A have increasingly been referred to as the PLAAF’s core combat aircraft, with each fulfilling complementary roles across different mission sets.
Although the J-35 exhibits superficial resemblances to the U.S. F-35, analysts advise against assuming comparable capabilities. The J-35 features a twin-engine configuration, twin vertical stabilizers, and ventral Luneburg lenses, which can be used to enhance radar visibility during peacetime operations. The overall airframe shape, canopy design, and engine nozzle geometry differ substantially from those of the F-35. Some analysts have speculated that parts of the aircraft’s initial development may have benefited from access to restricted data from the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter program. However, official sources in China and Russia consistently present the J-35 as a domestically developed system. Regardless of the origins, the J-35’s introduction reflects a broader shift in the competitive landscape of advanced fighter aircraft production, where China seeks to establish itself as a major supplier of stealth aircraft, including for countries that may not have access to U.S. or European alternatives. As a result, the J-35 serves both as an operational asset and as a tool in China’s geopolitical and defense export strategy.
