Note: This aircraft is obviously meant for the far future, not now. It is still quite obscure with information.
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Suggestion No.59
G’day lads. I want to suggest one of China’s most advanced stealth aircraft, competing with the F-35 aswell as other nations stealth aircraft, and that is of course the Shenyang J-35A :)
Description:
Spoiler
The Shenyang J-35 is a Chinese twin-engine, all-weather, stealth multirole combat aircraft developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC). It is designed for both air superiority and surface strike missions. The J-35 has two main variants: a land-based version for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), known as the J-35A and a carrier-based version optimized for catapult-assisted takeoff (CATOBAR) for the People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF), whose name is still not known. The J-35 is derived from the FC-31 Gyrfalcon, a stealth aircraft prototype initially developed as a privately funded venture by SAC. The FC-31 made its maiden flight on October 31, 2012, and the J-35 prototype took its first flight on October 29, 2021. The land-based variant, designated J-35A, emerged in 2023 and was officially debuted ahead of the 2024 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition. The J-35 incorporates advanced electronic warfare technologies and stealth features.
History:
Spoiler
The origins of the Shenyang J-35 lie in the FC-31 Gyrfalcon project, developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC). The FC-31 was a prototype fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter that first flew on October 31, 2012. Initially unveiled at the 2014 Zhuhai Airshow, the FC-31 was intended to attract international buyers as an export-oriented fighter.
Despite its initial export focus, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) saw the potential in the FC-31 for domestic use. As a result, SAC began refining the design to meet the specific needs of the Chinese military. This effort led to the creation of the J-35, an advanced iteration of the FC-31, which first took to the skies on October 29, 2021. The J-35 prototype underwent extensive testing and evaluation, which included addressing design improvements and performance enhancements.
By 2023, the land-based variant of the J-35, designated J-35A, was developed and prepared for presentation. The aircraft was officially introduced at the 2024 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition. It’s stealth characteristics however still remain unknown, with even less information being available than the Chengdu J-20, which is also a stealth aircraft. As far as I know, the only stealth characteristic that was released is the frontal minimum RCS being 0.01 square meters.
Armaments:
Spoiler
PL-15E “Abaddon” Folding Fins AAM (6x internal, 6x external)
PL-12AE AAM (6x internal, 6x external)
PL-10E AAM (6x external)
LD-8A ARM (?x internal, ?x external)
Supersonic ASM (Air to Surface Missile) (4x internal, 4x external)
Supersonic ASM (Anti Ship Missile)/ARM (Anti Radiation Missile) (4x internal, 4x external)
500kg deep penetration bombs (4x internal, 4x external)
Small diameter bombs (12x internal, 18x external)
KLJ-7A AESA radar (?)
Distributed aperture system optical early-warning system
Electro-optical targeting system (EOTS-86?)
Specifications:
Spoiler
The J-35 has a length of 17.30m, a height of 4.80m, a width/wingspan of 11.50m. It has a gross weight of 17500kg, with a MTOW of 28000kg. It is powered by WS-21, sometimes known as WS-13X, which has a thrust of around 93.2kN. This engine however is intended to be replaced with the WS-19 (?). Thanks to the WS-21 engines, it can go around 1400km/h at sea level. It has a frontal minimum RCS of 0.01 square meters according to AVIC (allegedly).
Sources:
Spoiler
Airshow China 2024: China showcases J-35A fifth-generation fighter
https://thediplomat.com/2024/11/assessing-the-j-35a-the-chinese-air-forces-new-stealth-fighter/
China's new J-35 stealth fighter stars at Zhuhai air show - Nikkei Asia
China unveils J-35A and other new fighters at Zhuhai Airshow
Истребитель J-35A для ВВС НОАК: imp_navigator — LiveJournal
F-35 vs. J-35: Comparing America and China’s Fifth-Gen Fighters
China Showcases Air Superiority at Zhuhai Air Show 2024
歼-35A隐形战斗机：称得上“重型机”-兵器知识-世界论坛网（电脑版）
Datei:Shenyang J-31 (F60) at 2014 Zhuhai Air Show.jpg – Wikipedia
Thanks a lot for reading! If you have any extra information, then feel free to share them in the replies! As always, have a good day :)
