It’s now official: Shenyang, a manufacturer that is part of AVIC, will unveil the J-35A stealth fighter during the Zhuhai Airshow, which will take place from November 12 to 17.
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) itself confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday. An image of the aircraft was released, showing the variant with the number ’75’ on its tail, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the creation of the air force on November 11.
The J-35A is a variant optimized for land operations and is based on the development of the J-35 naval fighter, which will be part of the air wing of the aircraft carrier Fuijan.
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The differences are in the single-wheel tailplane, the vertical stabilizers and the absence of an arrestor hook, of course.
Although it shares many similarities with the US F-35 fighter, the J-35A has two WS-21 engines and a slimmer fuselage.
The J-35 is derived from the FC-31, a stealth fighter concept that was first introduced in Zhuhai 10 years ago.
Rejected by the PLAAF, which preferred the larger Chengdu J-20, the supersonic aircraft has been redesigned for a naval and export variant.
While a possible acquisition by the air force is not ruled out, the J-35A could be Pakistan’s first customer.
