The J-35A medium-sized multirole stealth fighter jet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force is set to make debut at Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province from November 12 to 17, 2024. Photo: Courtesy of the PLA Air Force

China's new stealth fighter jet, the J-35A, is set to debut at the Airshow China 2024, according to a Tuesday announcement by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force.

With the official commissioning of the J-35A into the PLA Air Force, China becomes the world's second country to operate two types of stealth fighter jets, experts noted.

The PLA Air Force will bring 36 types of equipment for aerial flight demonstrations and ground static displays, to showcase the development of its equipment in a comprehensive and close-up manner, the PLA Air Force announced on Tuesday at a press conference marking the 75th anniversary of its establishment and its participation in the Airshow China 2024.

The Bayi and Red Falcon aerobatic teams, along with 26 aircraft across seven types, such as the J-20 stealth fighter jet, J-16 multirole fighter jet, and YU-20A tanker aircraft, will deliver flight performances, the PLA Air Force said.

The static display area will be arranged by equipment categories. For the first time, new equipment such as the J-35A medium-sized multirole stealth fighter jet, the HQ-19 surface-to-air missile weapon system, and the new-type armed reconnaissance drone will be showcased. The cargo hold of the Y-20 transport aircraft will be open for viewing, with reservations available via a lottery system, according to the PLA Air Force.

The Airshow China 2024 is scheduled to be held from November 12 to 17 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province.

The PLA Air Force's announcement of the J-35A can be interpreted as confirmation of its entry into service, and it meets the PLA's technical and tactical standards such as performance, safety and reliability, Chinese military aviation expert Fu Qianshao told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The J-35A, together with the J-20, positions China as the second country to operate two types of stealth fighter jets, following the US' F-22 and F-35, Fu said.

The J-35A has a different design than China's first stealth fighter jet, the J-20. The J-20, with a canard wing configuration, is a heavy fighter jet with a focus on air superiority missions comparable with the US' F-22, while the medium-sized J-35A uses a tailplane wing configuration similar with the US' F-35 that also has strong surface attack capabilities, according to Fu.

The heavy J-20 and the medium-sized J-35A could perform complementary roles in joint missions, Fu said. He noted that the medium-sized J-35A is likely to be less costly than the heavy J-20, so it can be produced in large numbers in a short period of time.

Based on the photo released by the PLA Air Force, the J-35A has a streamlined profile, indicating exceptional stealth capabilities, Fu said. "In my opinion, the J-35 is the world's most stealthy fighter jet, and is fully capable of rivaling and suppressing its opponents" he said.

According to a Tuesday press release by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the developer of the J-35A, the stealth aircraft's mission is to seize and control air superiority, eliminate hostile fourth/fifth generation fighter jets and ground/surface air defense forces, as well as intercept aerial hostile targets including fighters, bombers and cruise missiles.

Wang Yongqing, chief expert at AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute, said that the J-35A is a multirole fighter jet, meaning it can fight against air, land and sea targets.

The J-35A has significant advantages in terms of first detection, first strike, and securing operational advantages, Wang said. He elaborated that in combat against previous generations of aircraft, the J-35A can remain outside the effective detection range of the enemy, achieving one-way transparency of the battlefield situation and possessing overwhelming advantages that disrupt traditional air combat patterns. In engagements with aircraft of the same generation, it can leverage its strong lethality and survivability, along with advanced coordinated tactics within formations, to obtain accurate situational information and establish a rapid and stable closed-loop kill chain against the enemy, thereby seizing the initiative.

Chinese military expert Zhang Xuefeng told the Global Times on Tuesday that the J-35A reflects the latest insights of Chinese warplane designers on air combat, as the aircraft is incorporated with new concepts and technologies.

The "A" in the J-35A indicates that this warplane likely has different variants, Zhang said.

A new type of warplane was tested earlier this year on the PLA Navy's aircraft carrier Liaoning, China Central Television reported in September. Media speculated that the new aircraft could be the carrier-borne version of the J-35.