China to Export J‑35 Fifth‑Gen Stealth Jets to Pakistan — IAF Veterans Warn, ‘It’s Worrying News’

Concerns have been raised by a number of Indian Air Force (IAF) veterans regarding reports that China would be providing 40 Shenyang J-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter jets to Pakistan.

Earlier in July, the government of Pakistan, in a social media post, stated that it was going to procure 40 J-35 fifth-generation fighter jets, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, and HQ-19 ballistic missile defence systems reported Bloomberg.

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If the J-35 were to be sold to Pakistan, it would be the first export sale of the fifth-generation jet, which has advanced stealth technology. The aircraft was developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, and made its public debut at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow.

Group Captain (Retd.) Ajay Ahlawat, a former IAF fighter pilot and now defence analyst, said to NDTV the news is not surprising, based on the fact that Pakistani pilots have already been training in China.

"Pakistan receiving these jets is not a surprise at all because their team of nominated fighter pilots have been in China for more than six months," he told the news channel.

"They were training on the type before they were inducted. It was reported that the version that China will give to Pakistan is the FC-31, a slightly toned-down version of the J-35, which is practised across the globe. Nobody gives the full version," he added.

He added that Pakistan receiving the J-35 will cause concerns for India.

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"It's worrying news," Group Captain Ahlawat told NDTV. "Ever since independence, we have fought a very hard battle in the procurement sphere to retain an edge over at least Pakistan, if not China. And any version of J-35 in Pakistani colours is going to raise concerns on our side. It's concerning."

Air Marshal (Retd.) Sanjeev Kapoor also recognized the threat and said India needs to develop its own indigenous platform.

"As per news reports, the Pakistanis are likely to get 40 aircraft by December this year," he told NDTV. "Nine to 10 years is the official figure by the time we could induct AMCA (advanced medium combat aircraft). There is absolutely no doubt that we need to have our own indigenous platform. But as a nation, can we wait ten more years with adversaries on both sides acquiring more and better equipment?"

About J-35

The J-35 is a twin-engine stealth fighter, developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, intended to complement the larger J-20, and potentially operate from China's increasing fleet of aircraft carriers.

An iteration of the FC-31 prototype displayed at the 2014 Zhuhai Airshow, the J-35 has additional stealthy features like a faceted, aerodynamic fuselage; canted vertical stabilisers; and internal weapons bays to reduce its radar cross section.

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