Stealthy J-35A fighter jet launches international debut at Paris Air Show

China's J-35A stealth fighter jet, a new type of combat aircraft, made its international debut at the 55th Paris Air Show. A large model of the J-35A is prominently displayed at the Aviation Industry Corp of China booth at the international air show, which opened on Monday.

AVIC, the nation's primary aircraft maker, describes the J-35A as a single-seater, twin-engine stealth multirole combat aircraft, featuring domestically developed technologies and a conventional aerodynamic configuration.

Its main role is to achieve and maintain air superiority for the People's Liberation Army Air Force, with a secondary mission of conducting air strikes on land and sea targets. The J-35A is designed to engage hostile aircraft, including fighters and bombers, intercept enemy cruise missiles, and neutralize adversaries' land and ship-based air defense systems, according to an AVIC statement.

Zhu Qian, a senior executive at AVIC, told China Daily on Monday that the J-35A's display aims to showcase the Chinese aviation industry's innovation, technological achievements, and commitment to cooperation and mutual benefit.

"Compared with older types like those in the J-10 family, the J-35A is characterized by its stealth capability because low-observable operations are an inevitable element in future air battles. This is why it looks very different from the J-10 series," Zhu said. "In addition, the aircraft has better situational awareness capacity and joint combat capability."

Zhu did not directly answer a question about the potential of the export of a version of the J-35A, but he highlighted increasing numbers of foreign buyers and potential customers in Chinese aviation products.

"We always uphold the principles of safeguarding world peace and no engagement in regional conflicts. We strictly observe the obligations under relevant international laws and China's laws and regulations governing the export of military products," he stated. "Through legitimate arms trade cooperation, we assist friendly countries in establishing self-reliant defense systems. With a client-oriented philosophy, we are committed to providing advanced and reliable aviation hardware to friendly countries around the world, playing a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability."

Wang Yanan, chief editor of China's Aerospace Knowledge magazine, believes the time has come for AVIC to develop an export version of the J-35A.

"China owns all technologies used on the J-35A, which means we have total control over the combat plane. In addition, we now have developed next-generation aircraft that will be better than the J-35A, and that means it is safe for us to sell it on the international market," he said.

Wang explained that numerous countries are attempting to develop fifth-generation fighter jets but are limited by their technological and manufacturing capabilities and therefore often resort to modifying fourth-generation jets with some stealth technologies, an approach that has proven to be expensive and time-consuming.

"So our J-35A is a realistic option to those seeking fifth-generation fighter jet on the international market. It incorporates China's experience and expertise in combat aircraft and also represents some of the world's best technologies available on the global market," Wang said, adding that Pakistan and some Middle Eastern countries were likely to be interested.

Wang Yongqing, the J-35A's chief researcher at the AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute, stated that the radar-evading combat plane was created to serve as the backbone of the PLA Air Force's efforts to neutralize high-level threats, particularly those presented by hostile stealth aircraft.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn