(VIDEO) China’s J-35A Fighter Jet “Inspired” by America’s F-35 – Top USAF Official

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – U.S. Air Force (USAF) Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin has offered his first comments on China’s second fifth-generation fighter jet, the J-35A, which made its debut at the 2024 Airshow China in Zhuhai recently.

The top USAF officer remarked that China’s latest fifth-generation fighter jet has a striking feature – its design appears to be inspired by the U.S.-made F-35 fighter jet.

“It’s still fairly new,” said Gen. Allvin during an interview with Air & Space Forces Magazine on November 19.

“But yes, it’s pretty clear; you could place them side by side and see, at least, where we believe they got the blueprints from, so to speak,” he stated candidly.

The J-35A was recently unveiled to the public for the first time at the 2024 Airshow China in Zhuhai.

As Allvin noted, the J-35A bears a striking resemblance to the American-made F-35 fighter jet but features two engines compared to the single-engine design of Lockheed Martin’s F-35.

China has long been accused of copying U.S. combat aircraft designs, though that does not necessarily mean their fighter jets match the technical capabilities of their American counterparts.

Allegations of China’s involvement in the theft of F-35-related information surfaced following revelations by Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), who disclosed classified documents to a German publication in 2015.

These documents reportedly revealed that Chinese hackers gained access to sensitive data about the F-35.

Additionally, some Chinese hackers were alleged to have breached data at Lockheed Martin, the primary subcontractor, in 2007.

Beijing has consistently denied all accusations of stealing F-35-related information and has accused Washington of provoking tensions.

At the 2024 Airshow China, China officially unveiled its second fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Shenyang J-35A, which had previously been seen only in unofficial images.

The release of the official images provided observers with a detailed view of the aircraft, which is expected to enhance China’s overall military and air power.

The development of the J-35A is seen as part of Beijing’s efforts to compete with the United States in the domain of fifth-generation stealth fighter technology and its broader objective of modernizing its military forces.

The J-35A is designed for air-to-air combat and air-to-ground operations, according to Chinese defense media.

With the J-35A, China becomes the second country in the world, after the United States, to develop two different fifth-generation fighter jets – the J-35A and the J-20 “Mighty Dragon.”

Similarly, the U.S. operates two distinct fifth-generation fighters, the F-35 and the F-22 “Raptor.”

The first official images of the J-35A revealed several new details about the aircraft, previously unavailable.

Much has been said about the similarities between China’s J-35A/FC-31 and the American-made F-35, developed by Lockheed Martin.

The striking resemblance between the J-35A and the F-35 has fueled allegations that China copied the American jet through industrial espionage during its development phase.

From the official images, the J-35A appears equipped with an Electro-Optical Targeting System, similar to that found on the F-35.

Additionally, the aircraft features a Radar Reflective Luneburg Lens under its fuselage.

China has also reportedly confirmed that the J-35A is the land-based variant of the aircraft, while the carrier-based variant will be designated as the J-35, and an export variant will be known as the FC-31.

Military analyst Wang Mingzhi categorizes the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” as a heavy-duty stealth fighter, while the J-35A is classified as a medium-duty stealth fighter.

The Chief Designer at the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) confirmed that the J-35 is part of a family of fighter jets, indicating the development of multiple variants for use by both the Chinese Air Force and Navy. — DSA