China\u2019s air force is set to officially debut its new stealth fighter jet, the J-35A, giving observers the first look at a highly anticipated asset that adds to the country\u2019s fast growing military capabilities. <\/p>\n
The fighter, an image of which was released during an air force press conference Tuesday, will appear at an air show in the southern city of Zhuhai next week, officials said. <\/p>\n
The development of the jet is widely seen as part of Beijing\u2019s bid to match the United States\u2019 stealth fighter capabilities \u2013 as it pushes to modernize its armed forces and assert its military might in Asia. <\/p>\n
The J-35A is \u201cdesigned mainly for air combat operations and can also conduct air-to-surface attack,\u201d according to a report from a Chinese military-affiliated outlet. <\/p>\n
If the aircraft is commissioned into operation, it would make China the second country after the US to have two types of stealth fighter jets, according to experts cited by Chinese state media. <\/p>\n
China\u2019s J-20 stealth fighter entered service in 2017, officials said at the time. <\/p>\n
Stealth fighters are those that are designed to evade radar and other monitoring to conduct missions without being detected or intercepted. <\/p>\n
The J-35 is likely to be designed as a series and may also be used as carrier-based aircraft in the future, Chinese military expert Li Li told state broadcaster CCTV. This would \u201cgreatly improve the overall strength of China\u2019s sea and air combat,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
The fighter\u2019s debut follows what analysts at Janes global open-source intelligence firm have described as China\u2019s \u201cbolstering\u201d of its forward theater commands with additional J-20s. <\/p>\n
The People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force between July 2023 and this June inducted more than 70 J-20s, bringing the force\u2019s operational fleet up to approximately 195, according to a Janes report published earlier this year. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not clear when the new J-35A fighter would be commissioned into military use and where the fighters would be deployed. <\/p>\n
The sparse details released about the fighter so far also make it difficult to compare with other stealth fighters, including the US\u2019 F-22 and F-35. <\/p>\n
Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command\u2019s Joint Intelligence Center, said the J-35A, which has been in development for more than 10 years, was likely intended for the PLA Navy. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe J-35 made its maiden flight in 2021, but as a derivative of an earlier prototype, it may be ready for production by early next year,\u201d Schuster said, adding that the J-35A model likely improved on that earlier design with more powerful engines. <\/p>\n
China\u2019s development of stealth fighters has for years been dogged by accusations that it stole crucial stealth fighter technology from the US. <\/p>\n
Beijing has vigorously denied those claims, which came to light with the 2015 publication by German magazine Der Spiegel of documents purportedly from US National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden. <\/p>\n
The J-35A is a \u201cnew type of stealth fighter jet independently developed by Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC),\u201d a Chinese military affiliated outlet said this week. <\/p>\n
China\u2019s J-35A is not the only technology that will be on show for the first time at next week\u2019s airshow, which takes place in Zhuhai from November 12 to 17. <\/p>\n
The H-19 surface-to-air missile system and new \u201creconnaissance and strike\u201d UAVs will also have their public debut, Col. Niu Wenbo of the air force\u2019s equipment department said Tuesday. <\/p>\n
CCTV has also reported that Russia\u2019s Su-57 stealth fighter would join the air show for the first time, among equipment from 49 different countries and regions that would be represented this year. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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