Is Pakistan getting China's J-35A stealth fighter next year? No, says its defence minister
The J-35A, a fifth-generation twin-engine stealth fighter under development by China's Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, is positioned as Beijing's answer to the US F-35. Its potential transfer to Pakistan was being viewed as a game-changing move that could shift the region's aerial balance of power—particularly in the aftermath of the military hostilities between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control and International Border in May after the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack and India's Operation Sindoor.
In an interview with Saudi Arabia-based news outlet Arab News last week, Asif dismissed the claims and said, 'I think it's only in the media, you know… It's good for Chinese defence sales.'
New Delhi: Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has denied reports suggesting that China will supply J-35A stealth fighter jets to the Pakistan Air Force by 2026.
However, Asif's comments suggest that no formal agreement exists between Beijing and Islamabad for the acquisition. 'It's good for sales,' he said, hinting that such reports may serve more to boost interest in Chinese defence exports than reflect any actual bilateral deal.
Pakistan-China defence ties
Pakistan, and its all-weather ally China, share a decade-old strategic partnership, anchored in economic, military and geopolitical cooperation. Their defence ties include joint ventures, such as the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft—co-developed by both nations, and now a backbone of the Pakistan Air Force. The J-35A represents a significant technological leap beyond current joint platforms, featuring radar-evading capabilities and advanced avionics.
During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan employed Chinese-origin fighter jets, PL-15 missiles and drones. At the same time, the deployment of Chinese survey vessel Da Yang Yi Hao—equipped with cutting-edge sensors—in the Indian Ocean points to a deeper strategic alignment. Alongside Chinese military technology, Pakistan's use of Chinese air defence systems and satellite-based ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) support in response to Operation Sindoor reflects growing tactical coordination.
India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, meanwhile, Thursday strongly condemned Pakistan-based terror groups during a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in Qingdao, China. With Pakistan's Asif present, Singh asserted that the SCO must speak with one voice against terrorism and reject double standards, when it comes to confronting such threats.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: 'Won't hesitate to hit terror epicentres'—Rajnath Singh at SCO meet attended by Pakistan defence minister
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
China purges senior military official Miao Hua from top ruling body
China's top legislature has voted to remove senior military official Miao Hua from the Central Military Commission, its highest-level military command body, according to a statement published on Friday by state news agency Xinhua. Miao, 69, was put under investigation for "serious violations of discipline" in November. The former political ideology chief of the People's Liberation Army was also suspended from his post. The Xinhua statement did not contain any other details, but the move marks another stage in President Xi Jinping's ongoing anti-corruption purge of China's military, in which over a dozen PLA generals and a handful of defence industry executives have been implicated. Miao's photo had been removed from the senior leadership page of the Chinese defence ministry's website in recent weeks. He was also removed from China's national legislature for "serious violations of discipline and law," according to a communique released by the legislature last month. "The Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission held a military representative conference on March 14 this year and decided to remove Miao Hua from his position as a representative of the 14th National People's Congress," the statement said. Live Events Miao was stationed in the coastal province of Fujian when Xi worked there as a local official, according to his official biography. Xi personally elevated Miao to the Central Military Commission. Another senior military official, Vice Admiral Li Hanjun , was stripped of his parliamentary delegate status on Friday, according to a separate state media announcement. Li was chief of staff of the PLA Navy and its third-ranking officer. Another Central Military Commission member and China's second-ranking general, He Weidong, has not been seen in public since the March 11 closing ceremony of the annual parliamentary sessions in Beijing. Since then, he has not appeared at a series of high-level Politburo and military public engagements. He is the third-most powerful commander of the People's Liberation Army and is considered a close associate of President Xi Jinping, the army's commander-in-chief. China's defence ministry said in March it was "unaware" of reports he had been detained. His photo remains on the defence ministry's website. Two former Chinese defence ministers have been removed from the Communist Party for corruption. One of them, Li Shangfu, was suspected of corruption in military procurement, Reuters has reported. Last year, the defence ministry denied reports that Defence Minister Dong Jun was being probed on suspicion of corruption. Dong has continued to appear at public events, attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation defence ministers' meeting in Qingdao this week.
NDTV
22 minutes ago
- NDTV
Exclusive: Navy Was Assigned Target Packages During Op Sindoor, Almost Hit Pak
New Delhi: The Indian Navy fleet had been assigned their target packages, and were put on hot-standby to launch land-attack missiles at targets inside Pakistan on more than one occasion during Operation Sindoor. The final orders to fire ultimately never came with sources telling NDTV, "the Navy stopped short of launching an attack on identified targets. This included Pakistan Navy ships and submarines in harbour and land-based targets." An all-out Naval attack would have marked a significant escalation in the military hostilities during Op Sindoor. Targets inside Pakistan, including Pak Navy ships at Karachi harbour, would have been attacked with BrahMos missiles and submarine-fired land-attack cruise missiles, believed to be of the Klub series, which are integrated with India's Russian built 'Kilo' Class submarines. "Both warships and submarines were in position to launch anti-ship and land attack missiles." Throughout the military hostilities between India and Pakistan, the Pakistani Navy's frontline assets including frigates and corvettes stayed bottled-up within harbour and did not venture out. NDTV has learnt that many of these warships could have been sunk at port if the order to fire had come to the Navy. While the Indian Navy's warships, which enjoy an overwhelming qualitative edge over the Pak Navy, did not fire, NDTV has learnt that Naval weapons were deployed from land bases to strike terrorist bases and other targets within Pakistan. The weapon-systems used have not been specified. India's dominance of the North Arabian Sea revolved around the INS Vikrant carrier battle group and its integral component of MiG-29K fighter-jets. This ensured dominance of airspace off the Southern coast of Pakistan. "The presence of the Carrier Battle Group also kept the pressure on Pakistani air assets, with literally nil presence over sea." Navy's MiG-29K forced Pakistan Navy's RAS-72 Sea Eagle to head back to coast NDTV has learnt that a lone Pakistan Navy RAS-72 Sea Eagle, a maritime patrol version of the ATR-72 turbo-prop aircraft had been tracked by INS Vikrant battle group a few days after military hostilities between India and Pakistan came to an end. "The lone Pak surveillance aircraft which ventured out was effectively tracked and quickly formatted on by MiG-29K forcing it to head back to coast." The Indian Navy MiG-29K, which was launched from INS Vikrant, positioned itself within a few hundred metres of the Pak Navy aircraft, forcing the Pak Navy aircraft to return. File pic of Pak maritime surveillance aircraft that Indian Navy MiGs tracked and came within a few 100 metres away Operation Sindoor was a series of air and missile strikes conducted by Indian Armed Forces between May 6-7 which targeted at least nine Pakistani terrorist infrastructure sites. This was in retaliation for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 civilians were shot dead.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
23 minutes ago
- First Post
Russia assures supply of more S-400 systems to India during meeting with Rajnath Singh
Indian and Russian defence ministers discussed issues related to rapid modernisation of the Indian military, regional security situation and cross-border terrorism in China's Qingdao read more Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday (June 26) held high-level talks with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China's Qingdao. The two leaders reportedly discussed issues related to the rapid modernisation of the Indian military, the regional security situation and cross-border terrorism. Following the meeting, Singh wrote on X: 'We had insightful deliberations on boosting India-Russia defence ties.' This was Singh's first foreign visit since India launched its Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In May, India launched strikes on terror sites and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. S-400 defence system Following the military conflict with Pakistan, India's confidence in the S-400 missile defence system seems to have increased as it was able to thwart all Pakistani missiles that were fired at India's military sites. The S-400 now forms the outer shield of India's integrated air defence network and are directly linked to the Indian Air Force's command and control system (IACCS). It can spy on and take down targets flying from distances ranging between 120 and 380 kilometres. India asks for pending S-400 supplies Under the $5.43 billion (₹40,000 crore) deal signed in 2018, India was set to receive five S-400 squadrons by the end of 2023, but the Russia-Ukraine war delayed the schedule. India has received and deployed three squadrons in the northwest and east to counter threats from Pakistan and China. In Qingdao, Russia confirmed the fourth squadron will be delivered in 2026 and the fifth by 2027. Notably, each S-400 squadron includes two missile batteries loaded with 128 missiles. 'As per Russia, the fourth squadron will now come next year, and the fifth in 2027,' a source was quoted as saying by the Times of India. Upgrading Su30MKI jets During the Singh-Belousov meeting, the focus was also on upgrading India's Su-30MKI fighter jet fleet, crucial for air dominance. India seeks enhancements including advanced radars, electronic warfare systems, and integration of modern air-to-air missiles to counter evolving aerial threats. The urgency for these upgrades has intensified since May, driven by increased threats on India's western and eastern fronts.
