A J-35A stealth fighter jet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force flies over the Jinwan Airport in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, during the opening day of the Airshow China 2024 on November 12. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China 2024, kicked off in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, on Tuesday with a spectacular opening ceremony featuring unprecedented flight performances of three types of stealth fighter jets, namely the debut of China's newly unveiled J-35A, a group of J-20s and Russia's first-time visitor Su-57.

Ahead of the opening ceremony in the morning, people gathered at the exhibition site at Zhuhai Jinwan Airport, eagerly waiting the appearance of the J-35A. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force announced a week earlier that the J-35A medium-sized multirole stealth fighter jet will debut at the airshow, and the aircraft had conducted adaptive trainings before the event.

The PLA Air Force's Bayi Aerobatic Team spearheaded the opening day's flight performance. After a series of spectacular maneuvers by the team's J-10 fighter jets, a group of J-20 stealth fighter jets put the opening ceremony to a first climax.

Four J-20s flew in a diamond formation, before breaking up to perform moves such as small radius turn, large attack angle ascending and close-range two-aircraft flyby, prompting waves of applause and wows from the crowd. Two of the J-20s landed in front of the audience for ground displays.

Closely following the J-20s' show, the long-anticipated J-35A appeared from the skyline. The new stealth fighter jet's debut was brief, as it performed only a few maneuvers like fast ascending, rolling, and turning before vanishing into the sky, leaving the audience to eager to see more.

Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times at the airshow that while the J-35A's debut did not feature many aerobatic maneuvers, the debut itself is significant.

The appearance of the J-35A is very clean, meaning detailed work was done to boost its stealth capability, Zhang Xuefeng said, noting that the J-35A's radar stealth capability is one of the best in the world with new concepts, crafting techniques and materials reflecting Chinese designers' new understandings on aerial warfare.

The J-35A and the J-20 have made China the second country in the world after the US to have two types of stealth fighter jets in active service, Zhang Xuefeng said.

Chinese military expert Wei Dongxu told the Global Times at the airshow that the J-35A and the J-20 are a combination of a medium-sized fighter jet and a heavy fighter jet. They can become powerful partners and extend combat capabilities beyond the mere addition of two aircraft.

Compared with the heavy J-20, the medium-sized J-35A can better control cost and be produced in large numbers while maintaining high combat capabilities, winning the advantage in terms of numbers, Wei said.

The PLA Air Force's J-16 fighter jet, YU-20 tanker aircraft, JL-10 advanced trainer jet and the Red Falcon aerobatic team among other aircraft also delivered flight performances in the morning.

At noon, Russia's Su-57 stealth fighter jet, another highly anticipated item, soared through the air. It is the first time the Su-57 has visited China.

Piloted by Sergey Bogdan, the Su-57 made thrilling aerobatic maneuvers including the falling leaf and Pugachev's Cobra, demonstrating the aircraft's super-maneuverability, which impressed the crowd.

Fu Qianshao, another Chinese military expert, told the Global Times that this year's Airshow China has set a record: three stealth fighter jets delivering flight performances on a same stage.

Russia has sent its best fighter jet to China, which is a reflection of the two countries' high level military cooperation, Fu said.

Following the Su-57, the Russian Knights marked their return to Airshow China after an eight-year absence, flying with Su-35S and Su-30SM heavy fighter jets and bringing thrilling performances.

Navy sensations

In previous editions of Airshow China in recent years, the most attractive flight performances were usually arranged before noon, particularly the debuts of new aircraft. But this year, things were different.

The highlight in the afternoon was the PLA Navy's first participation in Airshow China, as its carrier-borne J-15 series aircraft and shipborne helicopters delivered flight performances.

A group of two J-15T fighters and a J-15D electronic warfare aircraft delivered flight performances including buddy refueling. This is the first time these two types of J-15 variants have been shown to the general public.

Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times that the J-15T has reinforced front landing gear to become compatible with catapult launch systems. It also has longer detection range and can carry missiles with longer range.

The J-15D is a dedicated electronic warfare aircraft, a key component of an aircraft carrier air wing, and a significant addition to an aircraft carrier group's far seas combat capabilities, Zhang Junshe said. It is equipped with advanced electronic warfare systems with strong capabilities to disrupt and suppress electronically, he said.

The PLA Navy's Z-20J shipborne helicopter also performed in a group of naval helicopters, making its debut.

Zhang Junshe said the Z-20J is a main aviation equipment for the marines to conduct amphibious operations, as it can be equipped with air-to-ground missiles, rockets and guns to provide strong fire support against land targets while also playing multiple roles in aerial transport as well as search and rescue missions.

After performances by helicopters from the PLA Army, China's C919 and C909 airliners also performed at the show.

With these items, particularly the three types of stealth fighter jets, on display, Airshow China has virtually become the world's most attractive airshow, Fu said.

Foreign impressions

This year's airshow is the first edition after the COVID-19 pandemic, which to a certain extent affected the previous two editions of Airshow China particularly in terms of foreign involvement. Many foreign exhibitors and visitors were seen this year at the event, and some of them interviewed by the Global Times expressed their interests in what China has to offer at the airshow.

Miko Issa Ismael, a senior officer of the Niger Air Force, told the Global Times at the airshow on Tuesday that the Niger Air Force expected to buy some Chinese assets to enhance his country's security. He said that he had seen some Chinese fighter jets and transport aircraft, which he deemed very reliable.

A member of Saudi Arabia's delegation who asked for anonymity told the Global Times at the airshow that "we are here to build connections with our Chinese partners as well as exhibitors of other countries, to learn about the latest development in relevant areas, so that we can help our defense authorities to have more cooperation to boost our military industrial strength."