China Unveils Its Second 5th-Gen Fighter, Looks Exactly Like This US Jet
The Shenyang J-35 stealth fighter is a twin-engine, single-seater supersonic jet developed for multirole missions. J-35 is the second fifth-generation fighter China has developed after the J-20.
New Delhi:
China’s second fifth-generation stealth fighter jet is making a debut at its largest air show, taking centre stage at the event and becoming the second nation in the world after the US to have more than one fifth-generation fighter jet.
The Shenyang J-35 stealth fighter is a twin-engine, single-seater supersonic jet developed for multirole missions. J-35 is the second fifth-generation fighter China has developed after the J-20.
J-35’s design is similar to the US Lockheed Martin F-35, the only difference is that the former is twin-engine and the latter has one engine. China is known for copying the design of several aircraft – The J-20 and the US F-22 Raptor are similar in design except for canards that are present in J-20, and the Chengdu J-10 also known as the “Vigorous Dragon” is similar to the US F-16.
Global Times, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party in a report said, “The aircraft could enhance the country’s integrated combat capabilities.”
“J-35A functions within both stealth and counter-stealth combat frameworks. Its mission focuses on gaining and maintaining air superiority, eliminating hostile fourth/fifth generation fighter jets and ground/surface air defence forces, as well as intercepting aerial hostile targets including fighters, bombers and cruise missiles,” it said.
‘One Aircraft, Multiple Roles’
China plans to induct the aircraft into the Air Force and the Navy, similar to the US F-35 which has three variants – The F-35A for the Air Force, F-35B for the Marine Corps and F-35C for the US Navy.
Earlier this year, China’s largest and heaviest aircraft carrier, Fujian, was out for sea trials. The conventionally powered aircraft carrier weighs over 80,000 tons and has the most potent aircraft launch system – EMALS or Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, which currently only the US operates on the USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest operational aircraft carrier.
The US Department of Defence in a report on China’s naval modernization and its implications, said “China may be developing a carrier-capable variant of its FC-31/J-31 fifth-generation stealth fighter to complement or succeed the J-15 on catapult-equipped PLA carriers. China reportedly is also developing a carrier-based airborne early warning (NAEW) aircraft, called the KJ-600, that is similar to the U.S. Navy’s carrier-based E-2 Hawkeye AEW aircraft,82 and stealth drone aircraft.”
The J-35 is reportedly a lighter version of the J-20. However, the combat capabilities of both aircraft remain unknown.
The development of the J-35 fighter jet suggests that China is mirroring the US and aims to combat the latter in the Indo-Pacific. The inclusion in the air show suggests that J-35 is ready for deployment.
Recently, the US deployed its new long-range air-to-air missile that could potentially disrupt the balance of power in the region.
Other Attractions At The Air Show
At the Zhuhai air show, China also unveiled the world’s first twin-seat variant of a stealth aircraft. The J-20s was under development for a few years and has broken the cover at the air show. China says the aircraft is a “heavy-duty radar-evading fighter jet with long-range operation and multifunction capabilities.”
The J-20 fighter jets flew in a diamond formation at the air show. The Russian Su-57, also a fifth-generation fighter jet, participated in the event.
The airshow will feature a dedicated drone zone for the first time.
China unveiled its ‘Killer Whale’ ship ahead of the largest air show. It can also allow take-off and landing of choppers at its helipad.
Earlier this year, the US Navy completed its first deployment of four unmanned ships which spent over four months in the Pacific for sea trials. The unmanned surface vessels – Sea Hunter, Sea Hawk, Mariner and Ranger – departed Southern California in August 2023 and returned in January 2024.
India’s AMCA Program
While China has deployed the J-20 fighter jets close to the Line of Actual Control, experts have inferred that in the event of a conflict, standalone weapon systems like surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles and air defence systems will play a huge role for the Indian Air Force to combat and outmanoeuvre the Chinese.
In August, DRDO showcased 40 indigenously developed advanced systems and technologies at the International Defence Aviation Exposition IDAX 2024 during the Tarang Shakti exercise at Tamil Nadu’s Sulur. On India’s first 5.5-generation stealth aircraft, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Dr Samir V. He further said that India is among the very few nations to develop stealth aircraft.
