Mockup of China's J-35 Seen on Flight Deck of Carrier Liaoning - Reports have circulated online this week that a mockup of China's J-35 carrier-capable fighter aircraft was being employed in tests aboard the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) aircraft carrier Liaoning. As TheWarzone reported, it could be an indication of further progress in the J-35's path to a career as a frontline naval fighter. Still, it further raises the possibility of a version of the jet operating from Beijing's two in-service carriers.

Neither the Type 001 Liaoning nor the Type 002 Shandong are equipped with catapult launch gear and instead employ ski jump ramps. Both of the PLAN's aircraft carriers have exclusively operated the Shenyang J-15, the Chinese-made version of the Russian Sukhoi Su-33 carrier-based fighter. Though it features local improvements, including in terms of engines, avionics, and weapons, the J-15 has been viewed as an interim carrier-based fighter until a fifth-generation successor enters service. It has been expected that the J-35 was tailor-built to serve aboard Beijing's newer types of carriers, notably those fitted with catapults as well as arrestor gear.

The ski jump ramps require that an aircraft's payload be significantly decreased compared to one that takes off with catapult assistance. The PLAN may be looking into how the J-35 could still serve aboard the older carriers, yet, it is still important to note that the reports are based on images that were shared on social media, and more importantly that these were mockups of the J-35, not actual aircraft.

The J-35 – What We Know

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.

The twin-engine fighter was developed to be operated by the PLANAF from China's future Type 003 Fujian-class aircraft carriers. It would be capable of operating with the carrier's electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (ALS) – which should bear similarity to the U.S. Navy's Ford-class EMALS launch system.

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.

Given that payload, it would be quite the challenge for it to launch of China's older carriers, but perhaps tests are being conducted to see what the aircraft can actually carry.

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].