China to unveil new stealth fighter

The six-day China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition will begin on November 12 in Zhuhai city, Guangdong province, according to Reuters today, November 8.

As the highlight of the show, China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) will unveil to the public the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation's new J-35A stealth fighter. The PLAAF describes the J-35A as a "medium-sized stealth multirole fighter."

Photo: China Daily screenshot

The J-35A is a variant of the J-35, a stealth aircraft that China is developing for use on aircraft carriers. Little is known about the J-35A's performance or capabilities, although it looks similar to the Lockheed Martin F-35.

The J-35 program is a follow-up to the Chinese-made J-31 fighter jet, which was first shown to the public at the Zhuhai Air Show in 2014 but has never been used by the Chinese military or sold to foreign customers, according to Reuters.

Diplomats and security analysts have closely watched the development of J-35 variants due to the fighter's importance to China's aircraft carrier program.

November 11 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PLAAF, so the force will have the largest presence at the exhibition, according to Xinhua.

Russia also brought its most advanced fighter jet, the Su-57, to Zhuhai in its first overseas air show, in what was seen as a clear message to the West about China-Russia cooperation, according to Reuters.