What You Need to Know - 5 Points - China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is reportedly testing the Shenyang J-35 Gyrfalcon, the carrier-based variant of the FC-31 fifth-generation twin-engine fighter.

-Recent images show two J-35 aircraft on the deck of the aircraft carrier Liaoning, suggesting advancements in China's naval aviation capabilities.

-While specific details are limited, some Chinese sources claim the J-35 rivals the U.S. F-35 Lightning II, with speculation about potential technology overlaps.

-The J-35 is expected to operate from all three of China's aircraft carriers, including the new Type 003 Fujian, enhancing the PLAN's operational reach.

-Its development signifies China's ongoing efforts to modernize and expand its military aviation assets.

China's J-35 Fighter Could Be the Real Deal

The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has reportedly been conducting tests of the Shenyang J-35 Gyrfalcon – the carrier-based variant of the FC-31 fifth-generation multirole twin-engine fighter.

"China's next-generation carrier-borne fighter jet, dubbed the J-35 by military observers, has started trial operations on CNS Liaoning, an aircraft carrier of the People's Liberation Army Navy, according to China Central Television," China Daily stated in a post last week on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Two aircraft were spotted on the deck of the Type 001 Liaoning, which is noted for employing a ski jump ramp to launch aircraft. A mock-up of the J-35 was previously spotted on the PLAN's Soviet-built aircraft carrier in February.

An F-35 Clone of Sorts

Details into the capabilities of the J-35 remain sparse, even as some Chinese news sources have cited experts who claim the aircraft is at least as capable as the U.S. military's Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. There has also been speculation that the J-35 may have some F-35 DNA – acquired by hackers working at the behest of Beijing.

According to David Cenciotti of TheAvationist.com, the carrier-capable J-35 made its maiden flight just under three years ago, and there was speculation it was being developed to operate from the Type 003 Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier but the first to employ an electromagnetic catapult launch system.

The recent photographs suggest that the Gyrfalcon could operate alongside the Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark (NATO reporting name Flanker-X2), a Chinese-made aircraft based on the Soviet-designed Sukhoi Su-33 (NATO reporting name Flanker-D). The J-15 was developed specifically for the Type 001 Liaoning and the Type 002 Shandong, which both employ the aforementioned ski jump ramps. The ramps require that an aircraft's payload be significantly decreased compared to one that takes off with catapult assistance.

As previously reported by Harrison Kass for The National Interest, the FC-31/J-35 prototypes are believed to employ the RD-93 engines. China is also understood to be working on an improved engine, the WS-13E, which is expected to offer 22,000 pounds of thrust and the WS-13 could possibly replace the RD-93 on the FC-31.

Currently, the FC-31 is expected to be able to handle a payload of 18,000 pounds. Internally, the FC-31 can handle four munitions weighing a total of 4,400 pounds. Externally, the FC-31 has six hardpoints, capable of carrying 13,000 pounds. The jet's main armaments include the PL-10 short-range missile and the PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missile.

Developed for both the People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force (PLANAF) and People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), reports of the J-35 first circulated in June 2020 – which claims that it was a more "production-ready" version that featured smoother lines, had a larger radome for bigger radar, and a closer alignment of control surfaces to reduce its radar signature. The J-35 carrier-based variant of the FC-31 made its maiden flight on October 29, 2021. It features a catapult launch bar and a wing-fold mechanism.

It now appears that the J-35 could be operated from all of the PLAN's three aircraft carriers – but it is unclear what compromises will need to be made to get it in the air from the ski jump.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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