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Pakistan Is Buying More J-35A Fighters from China This Summer.
The J-35A’s stealth and long-range capabilities will enhance Pakistan’s ability to conduct air-to-air combat, penetrate Indian air defenses, and execute deep strikes.
China’s defense industry is having a great summer. After having proven that its systems are comparable—and far cheaper—than their Western counterparts during the recent Indo-Pakistan War, Beijing is doubling down on its competitive edge.
After Pakistan’s Air Force (PAF) showed that Chinese systems were comparable to their more expensive Western competitors, Beijing is set to hand over a tranche of its fifth-generation J-35 warplanes. This will undoubtedly upset the precarious balance of military power on the subcontinent—as India is still trying to figure out whether they want to purchase Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation warplane, or the vastly more expensive Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.
All About China’s Remarkable J-35A Fighter
The J-35A was developed by China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, and is China’s second fifth-generation plane, right behind the Chengdu J-20 “Mighty Dragon.” If the J-20 was China’s answer to America’s F-22A Raptor, then the J-35 is a response to America’s F-35. In fact, some Western analysts have accused China of simply ripping off the F-35 with the J-35.
Pakistan is believed to have acquired up to 40 J-35s from China, and deliveries are expected to begin as early as August this year. It makes sense that Beijing would seek to expedite the offloading of the F-35 to Pakistan, seeing how much damage Chinese-made systems in the hands of the PAF did to China’s major regional foe in India.
By quickly handing over 40 J-35s, Beijing hopes to totally upend India’s position on the subcontinent. Indeed, with Pakistan modernizing its forces to include advanced Chinese systems, China likely senses that it can tag-team marginalizing and containing India as a rising power—challenger—to Chinese power regionally.
The J-35A features advanced stealth technology, reducing its radar cross-section to evade detection. It is equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, electro-optical targeting systems, and advanced avionics, providing superior situational awareness and precision targeting. The jet can carry a range of munitions, including the PL-15 and PL-17 air-to-air missiles, capable of engaging targets over vast distances.
Powered by Russian RD-93 or Chinese WS-19 turbofan engines, the J-35A can achieve speeds as fast as 1,367 miles per hour.
The Strategic Implications of the J-35A Purchase
For Pakistan especially, the J-35A represents a true quantum leap in airpower, replacing its aging fleet of US-made F-16s and French Mirage fighters. With a reported 50 percent discount and favorable terms for China, Pakistan aims to deploy these new jets within two years. Indeed, Pakistani pilots are already training in China to ensure rapid integration.
The J-35A’s stealth and long-range capabilities will enhance Pakistan’s ability to conduct air-to-air combat, penetrate Indian air defenses, and execute deep strikes, potentially altering the aerial balance in South Asia.
India, meanwhile, seems to be stuck in neutral, as it cannot seem to decide whether it should purchase the F-35 or the Su-57. Although the United States and India should be closer, given their shared opposition to China’s rise, New Delhi should favor the purchase of Russia’s Su-57 for reasons of expediency. Time is not on India’s side, and they are far more familiar and integrated with the Russian systems than they are the American ones.
China’s defense industrial sector has caught up with that of the West’s. It is only a matter of time before China acts on this new reality. America’s defense industrial base must either adapt fast to the changing environment, or risk losing the next great power war.
national interest