China's J-35: The Carrier-Based Stealth Fighter

On September 22, 2025, a Shenyang J-35 stealth fighter launched from the deck of the carrier Fujian using an electromagnetic catapult — the first time a stealth fighter had ever completed an EMALS launch at sea. It was a milestone that China's aviation industry had been building toward for over a decade, and it announced the J-35 as something more than a technology demonstrator. China now operates a carrier-capable, low-observable, twin-engine combat aircraft that it intends to build in volume and sell to the world.

The J-35 is China's second stealth fighter, complementing the larger J-20 Mighty Dragon. Where the J-20 is a heavy air superiority platform designed for long-range interception, the J-35 is a medium-weight multirole fighter built for carrier operations, fleet defense, strike missions, and — critically — export. Together, they form a high-low mix strategy that mirrors the American pairing of the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

From FC-31 Demonstrator to Carrier Fighter

The J-35's origins trace back to the FC-31 "Gyrfalcon," a private venture by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation that first flew on October 31, 2012. The FC-31 was initially dismissed by many analysts as a technology demonstrator with no clear customer — the People's Liberation Army Air Force had already committed to the J-20, and the FC-31's Russian RD-93 engines left visible smoke trails that undermined its stealth credentials.

A substantially redesigned second prototype flew in December 2016 with Chinese WS-13E engines replacing the smoky Russian powerplants, a single-piece canopy replacing the original two-piece design, refined vertical stabilizers, and improved overall shaping. By 2018, reports confirmed that the PLA had taken formal interest in the program, transforming it from a private venture into an official military project.

The carrier-based variant made its maiden flight on October 29, 2021, with visible modifications for naval operations: a catapult launch bar on the nose gear, folding wing mechanisms, reinforced landing gear, and an arrestor hook. The land-based J-35A followed with its first flight on September 26, 2023. By early 2026, serial production was confirmed, with at least 57 airframes produced and factory footage showing five to six aircraft in simultaneous assembly.

Design and Specifications

The J-35 is a single-seat, twin-engine stealth multirole fighter measuring approximately 17.3 meters (56.7 feet) in length with a wingspan of roughly 11.5 meters (37.7 feet). Maximum takeoff weight is estimated at 28,000 to 30,000 kilograms (62,000 to 66,000 pounds). The aircraft can reach Mach 1.8 to 2.0 with a combat radius of approximately 1,200 kilometers (745 miles).

The J-35's visual resemblance to the F-35 Lightning II is not coincidental. In 2007, Chinese hackers penetrated the networks of Lockheed Martin subcontractors and stole over 50 terabytes of data from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program — including stealth shaping data, radar design, and engine specifications. This was confirmed by documents released by Edward Snowden in 2015. The twin diverterless supersonic inlets, wing planform, and internal weapons bay arrangement all reflect this influence.

That said, the J-35 is not a clone. Key differences from the F-35 include twin engines (providing redundancy over water), no STOVL variant, different avionics architecture, and a significantly lower projected price point. The J-35 is its own aircraft designed around Chinese operational requirements and industrial capabilities.

The Engine Story

The J-35's engine evolution is one of the most fascinating engineering narratives in modern military aviation. The program has used at least four different engine types across its life:

The first FC-31 prototype flew on Russian RD-93 engines — a practical choice for a demonstrator but one that produced visible smoke trails incompatible with stealth operations. The second prototype switched to the Chinese WS-13E, a smokeless indigenous turbofan. The current carrier variant uses the WS-21, an improved derivative featuring serrated "sawtooth" exhaust nozzle petals engineered to scatter radar energy and reduce infrared signature, with single-crystal turbine blades and corrosion-resistant coatings for maritime environments.

The intended production engine for the land-based J-35A is the WS-19 "Huangshan", projected to deliver 110 to 116 kN (25,000 to 26,000 lbf) of thrust per engine — a significant upgrade. However, reports suggest the WS-19 may still be underperforming its targets, and some J-35As have appeared with WS-21 engines instead. China's struggle to develop reliable, high-thrust indigenous turbofan engines — often called the "heart disease" of Chinese military aviation — remains a real challenge, though one where steady progress is evident.

Stealth Features

The J-35 incorporates multiple stealth design elements: diverterless supersonic inlets that reduce radar return from the engine face, serrated exhaust nozzles that scatter radar energy, internal weapons bays, radar-absorbent materials across the airframe, a single-piece canopy minimizing seam reflections, sawtooth panel edges, and canted vertical stabilizers. Chinese state media has claimed a radar cross-section of 0.007 to 0.01 m² — roughly comparable to the F-35's estimated signature, though these figures are unverified.

Sensors and Weapons

The J-35 carries a nose-mounted AESA radar, an infrared search-and-track system, an electro-optical targeting system with 360-degree field of view, and possibly a distributed aperture system similar to the F-35's DAS. The cockpit features a glass layout with a wide-angle holographic HUD and multiple color LCD displays.

In stealth configuration, the two main ventral weapons bays can carry four to six air-to-air missiles. The primary weapon is the PL-15E, a long-range BVR missile with approximately 200 km range — a new variant with folding tail fins was specifically designed to fit more compactly inside stealth fighter weapons bays. The PL-10 short-range missile with thrust vectoring provides close-in capability. Reports from 2025 indicate the very-long-range PL-17 may also be compatible with J-35 internal bays. In non-stealth "beast mode," the J-35 can carry up to 12 missiles on external hardpoints for a total payload of approximately 8,000 kilograms.

Carrier Operations and the Fujian

The J-35 was designed specifically for China's Type 003 carrier Fujian — only the second warship in the world (after the USS Gerald R. Ford) to use electromagnetic catapults. China's EMALS system uses a Medium-Voltage Direct Current integrated power system, claimed to be more reliable than the Ford-class AC-based design.

The September 2025 catapult launch was historic: the J-35 became the first stealth fighter globally to validate electromagnetic catapult operations at sea — technically ahead of the F-35C, which had not yet launched from the Ford despite that carrier being operational since 2022. The J-35 completed both catapult launches and arrested recoveries during sea trials, with a catapult takeoff distance of approximately 260 meters and an arrested landing distance of roughly 180 meters.

Aboard the Fujian, the J-35 will operate alongside the J-15T (an upgraded Flanker variant) and the KJ-600 airborne early warning aircraft, giving China a carrier air wing with stealth strike capability, fourth-generation air superiority, and organic airborne radar — a significant step toward the kind of capability that US carrier air wings have maintained for decades.

Why China Needs Two Stealth Fighters

The J-20 and J-35 are not competitors — they are complementary. The J-20 is a heavy, long-range air superiority platform optimized for defending Chinese airspace and intercepting high-value targets at extreme distances. The J-35 is a medium-weight multirole fighter designed for carrier operations, fleet defense, and — critically — the export market that the J-20 was never intended to serve.

Export Ambitions

The J-35 made its international debut at the Singapore Airshow 2026 alongside the J-10CE, marking its first appearance as an export product. The pitch to potential buyers is straightforward: a fifth-generation stealth fighter at approximately $50 million per unit — roughly $30 million less than the F-35A — with no political strings attached. No ITAR export controls, no requirements to share operational data, no alliance prerequisites.

Pakistan is the most advanced export prospect, with reports indicating a 40-unit order and initial deliveries potentially arriving as early as 2026-2027. Satellite imagery has shown new infrastructure at SAC's production facility, and Pakistani Air Force pilots are reportedly already training. The broader target market includes Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern, and African nations excluded from the F-35 program or unwilling to tie into the American defense ecosystem.

If the J-35 succeeds as an export fighter, it would be the first Chinese combat aircraft to offer genuine fifth-generation capability to the international market — a development that would fundamentally alter the balance of the global fighter trade.

What the J-35 Represents

The J-35 is more than a fighter jet. It is a statement about where China's aerospace industry stands after two decades of intensive development. The country that could not build a reliable jet engine ten years ago is now producing carrier-capable stealth fighters in serial production, launching them from electromagnetic catapults, and marketing them to the world.

Challenges remain real. The engine situation is still evolving — the gap between WS-19 targets and actual performance is an open question. The avionics and sensor fusion capabilities remain unproven against Western systems in any meaningful test. And the export market will ultimately judge the J-35 against not just the F-35 but also proven European competitors like the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale.

But the trajectory is unmistakable. The J-35 represents a serious, production-ready, fifth-generation combat aircraft that will shape the global fighter market for decades to come.