China’s J-35A to Give Pakistan Strategic Air Superiority Over India Until 2040, Experts Claim

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — In a seismic shift poised to redefine the strategic calculus of South Asian airpower, Pakistan is reportedly on track to acquire up to 40 units of China’s fifth-generation J-35A stealth fighter, with the first batch expected to arrive within a matter of months.

The deal, if executed as expected, will catapult the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) into an elite group of nations operating low-observable, network-centric combat aircraft—signaling a bold transformation of its warfighting doctrine.

The J-35A, developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation under China’s state-owned aviation giant AVIC, is designed to penetrate heavily defended airspace, execute long-range precision strikes, and evade modern radar and missile systems through advanced stealth shaping and materials.

According to retired Air Commodore Zia Ul Haque Shamshi, the J-35A induction will offer Pakistan a strategic edge over India for at least the next 12 to 14 years, a time window during which the Indian Air Force is unlikely to field a comparable fifth-generation fighter.

“India is unlikely to possess any fifth-generation fighter capability within that timeframe, thus allowing the Pakistan Air Force to retain a major strategic advantage,” Shamshi emphasized.

The Pakistan Air Force had publicly signaled its intention to acquire the J-35A in early 2023, with Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu declaring that the stealth fighter would soon be integrated into the PAF’s frontline fleet.

“Negotiations have taken place to enable the acquisition of the J-35A, which will soon become part of the Pakistan Air Force,” the Air Chief stated in a formal engagement.

Now, Chinese deliveries of the J-35A to Pakistan appear imminent, with a senior Pakistani government source confirming that the stealth fighters will arrive “within the next few months.”

“PAF pilots are already in China undergoing operational conversion training for flying and handling the J-35A,” the official revealed, underscoring how rapidly the acquisition is moving toward combat readiness.

This landmark transfer marks the first known export of a fifth-generation stealth fighter by China, placing Pakistan in a rare league of air forces equipped with next-gen strike platforms capable of penetrating adversary kill zones with minimal radar signature.

Multiple sources indicate that the J-35A delivered to Pakistan could be outfitted with China’s most advanced very-long-range air-to-air missile (VLRAAM), the PL-17, which is engineered to eliminate high-value airborne assets such as AWACS, refuelers, and ISR aircraft from standoff ranges beyond 400 kilometers.

The PL-17, also known as the PL-XX in some Western assessments, reportedly employs a multi-mode seeker suite combining active radar, IR sensors, and satellite navigation with mid-course data-link corrections, enabling it to home in on targets with lethal precision even in highly contested environments.

This capability would dramatically expand Pakistan’s engagement envelope, allowing its stealth fighters to shape the aerial battlespace before enemy aircraft even reach visual range—a key tenet of fifth-generation warfare.

While the J-35A shares some design lineage with the FC-31 demonstrator and the carrier-capable version intended for China’s Type 003 aircraft carriers, the PAF variant is expected to be fully optimized for land-based multirole operations, with upgraded radar-absorbing skin, enhanced thrust-to-weight ratio, and integrated avionics for real-time battle management.

At present, China’s other fifth-generation aircraft, the twin-engine J-20 “Mighty Dragon,” remains exclusively deployed by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and is tightly restricted from foreign sales due to its sensitive indigenous technologies.

With India fielding 4.5-generation Rafales and Su-30MKIs as its premier combat assets, the arrival of stealthy J-35As in Pakistan’s arsenal would instantly widen the technological gap between the subcontinental rivals, challenging India’s ability to achieve air superiority in a two-front conflict scenario.

Despite India’s ambitions for an indigenous fifth-generation fighter under the AMCA program, analysts estimate the platform will not enter operational service until after 2035—well beyond the timeframe in which Pakistan is expected to field full J-35A squadrons.

Analysts believe that the J-35A is also positioned as a successor to Pakistan’s aging F-16 fleet and Mirage 5 strike fighters, offering greater survivability, longer range, superior sensor fusion, and deep strike capability under conditions of high electronic warfare and dense air defences.

Meanwhile, Pakistani pilots undergoing conversion training in China underscore the increasing interoperability between the two nations’ air forces, which already cooperate through the JF-17 Thunder program and joint exercises like “Shaheen.”

The J-35A is reportedly powered by a new generation of WS-19 engines rated for 12-ton-class thrust, enabling the aircraft to perform supercruise at subsonic and transonic speeds without afterburners—crucial for maintaining low infrared signature during penetration missions.

Technical reports suggest that the J-35A’s maximum take-off weight (MTOW) has been increased to 28,000 kilograms, compared to earlier FC-31 prototypes which maxed out at 25,000 kilograms, allowing for greater internal fuel and munitions payloads.

The airframe incorporates twin internal weapon bays capable of housing up to four medium-range air-to-air missiles, with two side bays designated for short-range infrared missiles, preserving clean lines for reduced radar cross-section (RCS) in high-threat environments.

For strike missions where stealth may be traded for payload, the aircraft also includes six external hardpoints that can carry guided bombs, cruise missiles, and anti-ship weapons—giving it multi-theater flexibility depending on operational needs.

Strategically, Pakistan’s J-35A acquisition could shift regional deterrence equations, particularly when paired with China’s broader military support including the KJ-500 AEW&C aircraft and HQ-19 long-range missile defence systems—creating a vertically integrated kill web that spans air, space, and cyber domains.

This is particularly concerning to Indian military planners, who now face the prospect of confronting stealth-capable fighters from both China and Pakistan simultaneously in any future high-intensity conflict.

In response, India is fast-tracking upgrades to its Su-30MKI fleet with new radar, avionics, and Russian R-37M hypersonic missiles, while exploring over-the-horizon radar options such as the Russian Container-S to counter stealth intrusions.

As China positions the J-35A for export, reportedly establishing a dedicated international sales office, other nations such as Iran, Egypt, and even Turkey are being quietly courted—raising the specter of stealth proliferation in conflict-prone regions.

In the coming decade, the J-35A could well become the F-35 of the Global South—a lower-cost, high-capability stealth fighter that reshapes the operational doctrines of air forces across the developing world.

For now, Pakistan is the first beneficiary of this new era in Chinese aerospace diplomacy, and with the J-35A on the verge of deployment, South Asia’s skies are entering a new and unpredictable chapter.

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA