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Key Points and Summary: China’s potential export of the J-35 stealth fighter to Pakistan has significant implications for regional and global security. This move could shift the military balance in South Asia, impacting India’s air superiority and prompting increased defense cooperation with the West.

-The J-35’s acquisition would provide Pakistan with advanced stealth capabilities, potentially influencing other nations’ arms procurement decisions and impacting maritime security in the Indian Ocean.

-For China, this export marks a milestone in its arms market presence, offering a cost-effective alternative to Western fighters while providing valuable operational data for future development. However, challenges remain for Pakistan in integrating and maintaining this advanced technology.

China’s J-35 Stealth Fighter to Pakistan: A Game-Changer in South Asia?

The export of China’s J-35 stealth fighter to Pakistan has the potential to significantly alter the regional security situation, with implications for India and the United States in particular—but benefits for China as well.

A Pakistani acquisition of the J-35 (also known as FC-31) would mark a significant upgrade to Pakistan’s air capabilities. The J-35 is China’s second stealth fighter after the J-20, and its design is a fifth-generation, multi-role combat aircraft with stealth capabilities and advanced avionics.

China’s Shenyang J-35, also known as FC-31, is a fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft currently under development. Designed as a multi-role platform, the airframe aims to excel as an air superiority fighter and a ground attack aircraft. It has the potential to conduct carrier-based operations for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and Navy (PLAN). Its stealthy design emphasizes reducing the aircraft’s radar cross-section, aided by a twin-engine design and by internal weapons bays to enhance survivability and operational effectiveness.

The J-35, equipped with advanced avionics, sensors, and electronic warfare capabilities, is a direct rival to other fifth-generation fighters like the F-35, which the J-35 design is heavily reliant on. While the exact details of the J-35 program remain closely guarded, the stealth fighter’s exact specifications, represented in statistics and figures about the jet, are significantly less important than what the jet represents for Pakistan—and the implications for regional security are significant.

Regional Security Implications

This acquisition would primarily affect the military balance with India from a regional security perspective. The J-35 would give Pakistan a stealth fighter capability that could counter India’s Western fighters and upcoming indigenous fighter projects, with negative implications for India and its air defense capabilities.

A stealth fighter in the Pakistani fleet could pressure India to double down on acquiring a stealth fighter and seek out other military acquisitions from partners abroad. Deeper security partnerships with the United States, France, or Russia could all be conceivable, though with varying degrees of likelihood.

J-35 Stealth Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

A Pakistani-operated J-35 would have global security implications and could be significant for several reasons. First, it would represent another major step in China-Pakistan military cooperation, further cementing their burgeoning strategic partnership. This would enhance China’s influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region, potentially affecting U.S. strategic interests. It would also bring the two countries closer by deepening their military cooperation.

Second, the transfer of advanced stealth technology could influence other nations’ procurement decisions, particularly that of Pakistan’s number one geopolitical rival India. More broadly, countries that have traditionally relied on Western military equipment might consider Chinese alternatives, especially if the J-35 proves capable and cost-effective. The same holds true for countries typically dependent upon Soviet or Russian military aviation equipment.

The acquisition could also potentially impact maritime security in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. With its advanced capabilities, the J-35 could augment Pakistan’s ability to project power in these bodies of water—highly important areas for international trade and naval operations.

J-35 Sale: A Boon for the Chinese, Too

From a technological perspective, the J-35’s deployment would provide real-world operational data about Chinese stealth technology’s effectiveness, a potential boon for the Chinese. This could influence China’s future fighter development and serve to sharpen the assessment of The J-35 and Chinese military aviation and aerospace capabilities.

However, the J-35 is no silver bullet, and China faces several significant challenges. Operating and maintaining a stealth fighter differs from operating a non-stealthy fourth-generation fighter. It will require Pakistan to develop new maintenance and training infrastructure for such an advanced platform. Integrating the J-35 with Pakistan’s existing Chinese and Western-origin systems would require significant investment and technical expertise.

J-35

J-35 vs. F-35 Comparison. Image by Twitter User RupprechtDeino.

The Western Response

The United States, in particular, would likely move to strengthen military cooperation and aid with India to counter the stealth fighter threat from Pakistan in the future via increased military technology sharing, joint military exercises or maneuvers within the auspices of the burgeoning Quad alliance, and perhaps expedited military arms sales.

Exporting the J-35 to Pakistan marks a significant milestone for China and Beijing’s role in the international arms export market. There is considerable growth potential for China to fill a niche as an option for countries unable to source Western platforms and military technology but with a need for advanced military technology.

About the Author: Caleb Larson 

Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.