Covered in waterproof cloth, full-scale models of a stealth fighter jet reportedly called the J-35 (right) and a J-15 fighter jet are spotted on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Liaoning in Dalian Shipyard, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, in mid-February, 2024. Photo: VCG

A new type of warplane was tested earlier this year on the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, China's state broadcaster has revealed. Media speculated that the new aircraft could be the long-expected J-35, China's next generation carrier-borne stealth fighter jet.

Zhang Naigang, a member of the aviation support branch on the aircraft carrier Liaoning who set fly the first J-15 carrier-borne fighter jet on November 23, 2012, set fly a new-type warplane this year, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Friday.

"The warplane is very beautiful. It was a clear day, just like the day of the J-15's first flight [on the aircraft carrier]," Zhang was quoted as saying.

Experts reached by the Global Times on Saturday said that the CCTV report is an official confirmation that China now has a new-type carrier-borne aircraft ready for service.

The report also confirmed that the new warplane is operational not only on China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which is equipped with electromagnetic catapults, but also the previous two carriers, the ramp-equipped Liaoning and Shandong, experts said, noting that this will significantly boost the capabilities of Chinese aircraft carriers.

The CCTV report provided no further details about the new warplane. However, according to photos released by Hong Kong-based news outlet wenweipo.com previously, a full-scale model of a J-35 stealth fighter jet wrapped in waterproof cloth, was seen conducting flight deck dispatch tests on the Liaoning during the carrier's maintenance in February.

Analysis by the wenweipo.com report said that the J-35 is superior to its US counterpart, the F-35. The report also indicated that Chinese aircraft carriers are expected to be equipped with both the J-15 and the J-35, as their capabilities complement each other.

Hong Kong-based newspaper the South China Morning Post on Saturday also linked the new aircraft to the J-35. It said that China is reportedly developing a new fighter jet called J-31 or J-35 for deployment on its aircraft carriers, and to be used in mix-and-match formations with current air wings of J-15s, a fourth-generation fighter which formally entered service in 2013.

The CCTV report also for the first time showed the interior of the aircraft carrier Fujian.

During an aviation support training on the flight deck of the Fujian, Tian Wei, a crew member of the carrier, stressed the importance of enabling pilots to be provided with seamless transitions from ramp-assisted takeoffs to catapult-assisted takeoffs, according to the CCTV report.

Military enthusiasts are eagerly expecting aircraft landing and takeoff tests on the Fujian, which has been conducting multiple voyage tests since May 1.