If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then China’s embrace of stealth aircraft technology is a compliment to American ingenuity. Both awed by — and apprehensive about — U.S. stealth capabilities, China has invested heavily in developing stealth aircraft, as well as anti-stealth air defenses. But China has learned the wrong lessons from America’s…
China’s second fifth-generation fighter jet, the J-35, could find buyers in the Middle East as demand grows for advanced stealth aircraft in the region – though its capabilities remain unknown, according to analysts. A model of the J-35 – made by China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (Catic) and with a design similar to…
Key scientists behind China’s latest stealth fighter and aircraft carrier have been promoted to one of the country’s top scientific academies in recognition of their contributions to advances in military technology. The honours also highlight the global lead Chinese military technology has taken in a number of areas. Wang Yongqing, the chief designer and expert…
After the India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed 26 lives, China initiated a disinformation campaign to hinder sales of French Rafale jet in favor of its own J-35s, claimed a report by the US. The claim in a report comes months after French intelligence and…
It happens in an instant – your eyes register motion, your brain predicts what comes next and, in a split second, you think you understand what you are seeing. But what if that instinct is wrong? When a video was released on November 8 showing the carrier’s electromagnetic catapult firing in an empty launch, viewers…
China has disclosed an incident last year in which one of its J-16 aircraft locked onto and expelled two unnamed foreign stealth fighter jets of a type that has not appeared near the country’s coastal waters since. State broadcaster CCTV on Friday aired an interview with Li Chao, a pilot from the People’s Liberation Army’s…
The size of the cross-section – a measure of how detectable an object is by radar – was revealed in a programme aired on state broadcaster CCTV on Saturday. “As a stealth fighter, the J-35 series’ low observability comes from its unique airframe shape and the country’s proprietary metamaterial technology,” CCTV reported. “In the electromagnetic…
The futuristic drones, intercontinental missiles and laser and microwave systems that rolled through central Beijing on Wednesday reflect not only the intensity of China’s military modernisation drive but also advances in the research and manufacturing ecosystem that has sprung up to develop it. At least five nuclear-capable missile types made their debut during the military…
China is on a mission to turn its military into a modern fighting force. In the second of this four-part series, we look at how its massive defence industry can support China’s military goals, and during wartime could be further bolstered by the civilian manufacturing sector. In the northeastern city of Shenyang, the future of…
For the first time, China has unveiled the production facilities of its fifth-generation fighters, hinting at the aircrafts’ readiness for carrier-based catapult launchers. At least two J-35 fighter jets were spotted in a hangar of its developer, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, during an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday. The stealth aircraft – covered…