Overview of the J-35 fighter jet & brief mention of its development history and purpose.

Development and design of the J-35 showcases China’s ambitious leap into fifth-generation fighter technology. The program, launched in the early 2010s, aimed to create a carrier-capable stealth fighter that could rival global counterparts like the F-35 and Su-57. Key objectives focused on agility, low observability, and multi-role versatility.

So, what makes the J-35 so significant? This next-generation stealth fighter boasts cutting-edge avionics, advanced radar evasion, and unmatched versatility, capable of excelling in air superiority, ground attack, and reconnaissance missions.

Developed over years of intense research and innovation, the J-35 is the result of a strategic push to strengthen global aerial capabilities.

2. DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN

Unique design features and technological innovations.
The J-35 aircraft has two variants: a land-based version for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and a carrier-based version for the People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF). The land-based J-35, tentatively called J-31, made its first flight on 26 September 2023. It differs from earlier prototypes with smaller wings, a single nose wheel, and non-clipped wings.
Collaborations and influences in its design (comparison to other fighter jets).
The J-35 is inspired by both domestic and foreign designs, notably the F-35, but features its own unique characteristics, such as dual engines and a sleek airframe optimized for carrier operations. It evolved from the FC-31 Gyrfalcon, a stealth aircraft designed to attract export customers after SAC lost the J-XX bid. The FC-31 first flew on 31 October 2012.
On 13 February 2024, a full-size mockup of the naval J-35 was spotted aboard China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning for testing, signaling its intended use on both CATOBAR and STOBAR carriers. This testing continued as the Liaoning carried the mock-up on a sea voyage on 29 February 2024, and a third flying prototype was spotted on 13 March 2024.
On 5 November 2024, the PLAAF unveiled the J-35A, an air force variant, at the Zhuhai Airshow, with distinctive features such as a different wing size, nose wheel, and vertical stabilizer. The J-35A performed its first public flight on 12 November 2024.

3. PERFORMANCE AND SPECIFICATIONS

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 17.3 m (56 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
Height: 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)
Gross weight: 17,500 kg (38,581 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,729 lb)
Fuel capacity: 7,200 kg (15,900 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Guizhou WS-13E (FC-31) or Guizhou WS-21 (J-35) afterburning turbofans, 87.2–93.2 kN (19,600–21,000 lbf) with afterburner

Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8
Mach 1.14, 1,400 kilometres per hour (870 mph; 756 kn) at sea level
Combat range: 1,250 km (780 mi, 670 nmi) (radius) on internal fuel
1,900 kilometres (1,200 mi) (radius) with air refueling
2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) (radius) with external fuel tanks
Service ceiling: 16,000 m (52,000 ft)
g limits: +9/-3

The Shenyang FC-31 is a medium-sized aircraft, smaller than the Chengdu J-20, and designed to complement the latter with a lower cost and simpler operations. The twinjet aircraft features a conventional configuration with a blended body and a chiseled nose section, followed by forward-swept intake ramp, diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) bumps, trapezoidal wings with leading/trailing-edge flaps, all-moving tail-planes, and two canted swept-back vertical stabilizers (the first prototype has triangle stabilizers) with truncated rudders (full-length rudders on the naval J-35).
The initial prototype featured a two-piece canopy, later replaced by a single-piece bubble canopy on the second prototype and the clamshell-type canopy on the J-35 variants.

The FC-31 prototype has a twin-wheel nose landing gear, giving provision for the fighter’s navalizetion as a carrier-based fighter. The twin-wheel design was late preserved in the naval Shenyang J-35 design, with catapult launch bar added. The naval J-35 also features handholds inside the cockpit, folded wings, and a recovery tailhook to operate on the aircraft carrier. On the land-based Shenyang J-35A, the wheel section is replaced by a single-wheel design, and the variant also features a smaller wing area and different vertical stabilizers. Though two variants have separate missions and roles, the shared platform allows easier cross-service joint operations, according to the AVIC.

Engines

Two prototypes of the FC-31 and the later Shenyang J-35 use different engine options. The earliest prototype is fitted with Klimov RD-93 engines. The RD-93 engine was reportedly inefficient, leading to the aircraft to exhale black-colored exhausts. Replacing the engine with a more efficient, indigenous choices became a priority for the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The second FC-31 prototype is fitted with the domestic Guizhou WS-13E engine,[61] an improved variant of the Guizhou WS-13 that powered the JF-17, providing 87.2 kN (19,600 lbf; 8,890 kgf) of maximum thrust. The WS-13E engine is smokeless and more efficient than the RD-93.

The further developed Shenyang J-35 is powered by the Guizhou WS-21 engine, also known as the WS-13X, a derivative and upgrade of the WS-13E. The WS-21 provides 93.2 kN (21,000 lbf; 9,500 kgf) of thrust, serving as an interim powerplant for the early production J-35. The intended definitive powerplant for the J-35 is the Guizhou WS-19, an engine capable of producing approximately 110–116 kN (25,000–26,000 lbf; 11,200–11,800 kgf) of thrust with a higher thrust-to-weight ratio. The J-35 is reportedly capable of super cruise with the WS-19 engines fitted.

The J-35 is equipped with a retractable refueling probe for inflight refueling. The aircraft can achieve a short-take off distance of 450 m (1,480 ft) and a landing distance of 700 m (2,300 ft).

Key performance metrics (speed, range, ceiling, etc.).

The J-35, China’s next-generation stealth fighter, boasts impressive performance metrics. It reaches a top speed of Mach 2 and has a combat range of approximately 1,200 miles. With a service ceiling of 65,000 feet, it dominates airspace with ease.

Comparison with other 5th-generation fighter jets (e.g., F-35, Su-57).

When compared to other 5th-generation jets like the U.S. F-35 or Russia’s Su-57, the J-35 excels in stealth design and electronic warfare but may lag in engine reliability and global operational experience. As China continues refining its technology, the J-35 is poised to become a formidable contender in the competitive world of advanced fighter jets.

The Shenyang FC-31 has a lengthened centerline internal weapons bay with a dimension similar to that of Chengdu J-20. The weapons bay has six internal hardpoints. Externally, the fighter has six hardpoints on the wings. The first FC-31 prototype can reportedly carry 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) of payload in total, split between the internal carrying capabilities of 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) and external carrying capacity of 6,000 kg (13,000 lb). Under the regular combat load, the fighter has a combat radius of 648 nmi (746 mi; 1,200 km) and maximum take-off weight of 25,000 kg (55,000 lb). On the second prototype, the maximum take-off weight is increased to 28,000 kg (62,000 lb) along with a modified fuselage.

Armament

Equipped with cutting-edge avionics, the J-35 features advanced radar systems, electronic warfare capabilities, and stealth-optimized sensors. Its versatile weapon load includes air-to-air, air-to-ground, and anti-ship missiles, ensuring battlefield superiority.

Inside the weapons bay, the J-35 can carry six air-to-air missiles, such as PL-10, PL-15 and PL-21. Aside from air-superiority loadouts, the internal bay can also carry precision-strike munitions, with maximum provisions for twelve small diameter bombs, four large deep-penetration bombs of 500 kg (1,100 lb), four supersonic land-attack missiles, or four anti-radiation/anti-ship missiles.

Externally, the wings allow the maximum provisions of six air-to-air missiles, 18 small bombs, four large bombs of 500 kg (1,100 lb) or four land-attack missiles. Presumably, the operator can mix the combinations of armaments according to the missions.

4. STEALTH CAPABILITIES

Compared to competitors like the F-35 and Su-57, the J-35 holds its own, with advanced stealth coatings and electronic warfare systems enhancing its survivability. Stealth is crucial in today’s air combat, allowing fighters to strike first and evade enemy detection.

The Shenyang FC-31 features low-observable aircraft designs, focusing on the reduction of the radar cross-section (RCS). To achieve stealth, the control surfaces are edge-aligned, and engine blades are hidden by the serpentine inlets (s-ducts) behind the diverterless supersonic inlets (DSI) bumps, which obscure the reflective surface of the engine from radar detection. The airframe and its internal weapons bay, compartment doors, and embedded antennas are lined with sawtooth edges and covered with radar-absorbent coating materials, both structurally “baked in” and applied externally. The early prototype featured simple round engine nozzles, which were redesigned on the later models with serrated edges to reduce radar and infrared signatures. AVIC claims the aircraft is stealthy against L-band and Ku-band radars, and would be low-observable against many multi-spectrum sensors. The Shenyang J-35 inherits the FC-31 design with a smooth surface and low-observable characteristics. A radar reflector (Luneburg lens) is fitted underneath the J-35 to mask its signatures.

Avionics

The Shenyang FC-31 and Shenyang J-35 are fitted with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with a distributed aperture system (DAS) serving as an optical early-warning system and infrared search and track (IRST). The radar advertised for the FC-31 prototype is the Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology (NRIET) KLJ-7A, which is reportedly similar to performance of the AN/APG-81. Under the chin, the fighter is fitted with a electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) turret.
Inside the cockpit, there is a sidestick controller, a conventional heads up display, and a large single-piece multi-function touchscreen display (MFD) of 20 in × 8 in (510 mm × 200 mm) in size. The pilot is also provided with a helmet-mounted display and sight (HMD/S) system, comparable to that of Striker system made by BAE Systems. The flight control system is fully digitalized, with triple redundancy modules and twin data bus. The aircraft is intended to serve as a node in the network of elements with other platforms.
There is quite a limited knowledge on avionics of the aircraft for now! But it’s assumed that the aircraft holds an internal EW suite, MAWS (MISSILE APPROACH WARNING SYSTEM), CFD (CHAFF & FLARE DISPENSER), TDL (tactical data link) other important avionics necessary to classify the jet in 5th Gen category.

Potential operators

PAKISTAN
On 3 August 2024, Pakistan’s news source reported that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) pilots are currently undergoing training on the Chinese FC-31 stealth fighter aircraft in China. The news of pilot training on the FC-31 itself, however, suggests that Pakistan may be considering acquiring the more advanced J-35 variant, rather than just its export counterpart.