J-35A Fighter Explained in 1 Word
F-35?: China's J-35A stealth fighter, recently showcased at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, has sparked comparisons with the U.S. F-35 Lightning II due to its design similarities. U.S. officials suggest that the J-35A, like its predecessor the J-20, may have drawn heavily from stolen U.S. designs.
-Intended for deployment on China's Type 003 Fujian aircraft carrier, the J-35A is expected to complement the J-20 in air superiority, intercepts, and defense missions.
-However, Beijing's reliance on Russian engines and challenges in developing domestic turbofans raise questions about its overall performance and capabilities.
Is China's J-35A a Copy of the F-35?
Last week, attendees at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition were treated to a display of China's Chengdu J-20S Mighty Dragon fifth-generation stealth fighter, while the Shenyang J-35A – the carrier-based variant of the FC-31 – also took part in a brief aerial performance.
It was a short debut for the highly-anticipated fighter, and the all-too-brief demonstration left the audience (and analysts) wanting to see more. It also made clear that China has become only the second country after the United States to operate two distinct stealth fighters.
An F-35 Clone in the Making
From even the brief demonstration, some aviation experts saw similarities to the U.S. Air Force's F-35. Of course, it should be remembered that Beijing may have also gotten some help with its designs by liberally "borrowing" from the U.S. fighters in the past, and that the J-20 almost certainly has DNA from Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. Moreover, it is hard not to see a bit of the F-35 in the similarly-named J-35A.
"It's still fairly new," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said in a Nov. 19 interview with Air & Space Forces Magazine. "But, yes, it's pretty clear; you could put it side-by-side and see, at least, where we believe they got their blueprints from, if you will."
Allvin wouldn't go into details on what U.S. officials know about the J-35, but added, "Overall I think we should just be very aware of the scope and the scaleif nothing else, the scope."
The Air Force chief also said that China's capabilities are something that needs to be respected, but also maintained that the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) won't "catch up on us" in terms of the "quality of our force, the quality of our entire total force." That included the pilots, maintainers, and the rest of the service.
The J-35A: What Do We Know
China hasn't shared a lot of details about the J-35A, but as Maya Carlin previously wrote for The National Interest, citing Chinese state media, "The J-35A will be capable of taking part in missions ranging from air superiority and air-to-air engagements to intercepts of fighters and bombers and air defense against ground attacks and cruise missiles. Other Chinese experts have suggested that the upcoming fighter can coordinate with the Chengdu J-20 in combat."
Moreover, she noted that Beijing has struggled to develop a high-performance turbofan jet engine, and has largely relied on Russian designs. Yet, a J-35A could be equipped with China's new WS-19 engine, which could provide the aircraft with as much as 10% more power.
The J-35A was developed to be operated from China's Type 003 Fujian aircraft carrier, which has been undergoing sea trials this year ahead of its expected commissioning as early as the end of next year. It is the only carrier in service apart from those operated by the U.S. Navy, to launch aircraft via a catapult.
Once the carrier enters service, which could be as early as sometime next year, we'll likely be seeing a lot more of the J-35A.
Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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