Recent reports from Tencent News in mainland China stated that during the third sea trial of the Chinese Communist Party’s third aircraft carrier, the “Fujian” carrier, there was a “green-painted version of the J-35” aircraft on board, indicating preparations for actual J-35 catapult launches. This aircraft’s body and external configuration bear a striking resemblance to the F-35, with Chinese state media promoting it as a fighter intended to rival the US F-35.
Experts have pointed out that in terms of stealth capabilities, aviation electronics, engines, and other performance aspects, the US F-35 holds an absolute advantage over the J-35. The J-35 is not even close to being on the same level as the F-35, let alone able to surpass it.
The J-35, developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation of China, was first unveiled at the Zhuhai Air Show in 2014 under the official designation FC-31 “Falcon.” In Chinese media, this aircraft is often considered as China’s next generation carrier-based aircraft and has been referred to as the J-31 or J-35.
Xu Zhixiang, Assistant Researcher at the Institute of Chinese Communist Party’s Military and Operational Concepts at the National Defense Security Research Institute, explained that Chinese aircraft are developed and produced by various aerospace companies. The Chinese military uses the FC numbering system before officially adopting designations like J-XX, such as J-15, J-16, J-20.
The J-35 has been widely criticized for its extensive similarities to the US fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-35. Many features of the J-35 have raised concerns, such as the striking similarity in the shape of the air intake with the US F-35, the front pilot seat resembling that of the F-35, and the rear portion bearing a strong resemblance to the F-22.
In 2013, Chinese People’s Daily revealed the similarity in design between the FC-31 and the US F-35, stating that both used the same DSI air intake. A report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission in 2014 cited an investigation result indicating that Chinese cyberattacks had stolen critical specifications and technical details of various US weapon systems, including the F-35.
Xu Zhixiang emphasized that from the exterior to the internal structure, the J-35 shares many striking similarities with the F-35, suggesting instances of imitation and theft. However, the extent to which these technologies were independently developed, stolen, or imitated and integrated remains unclear.
Regarding the development of other aircraft models, Xu Zhixiang noted that China has a history of relying on reverse engineering and imitation, indicating limited innovation. He cited the example of China’s carrier-based J-15, originally purchased as a prototype from Ukraine’s Su-33. The lack of significant original developments poses a challenge for China’s aerospace industry in creating new aircraft from scratch.
Taiwan’s National Defense University’s former dean of the Political Warfare College, Yu Zongji, highlighted China’s strategy of acquiring Western military technologies through theft due to its lack of research infrastructure and innovation capabilities.
The article continues to investigate various aspects of the J-35, comparing it to the F-35 with a focus on stealth technology, advanced sensors, and aerospace electronics. QCOMPARE