Rare close-ups signal China's J-35 stealth jets ready for Fujian carrier

The Star

24-07-2025

Rare close-up images of two PLA Navy J-35 stealth fighters flying in close formation have surfaced online, giving the clearest view yet of China's next-generation carrier-based aircraft.
A military observer said the markings and flight characteristics offered the strongest evidence yet that the J-35 had entered production and was approaching operational readiness for deployment aboard China's latest aircraft carrier.
Unlike previously circulated ground-based photos, the latest images appear to be air-to-air studies in tight formation. Their clearly visible identification marks suggest the fifth-generation fighter jets have entered initial production, according to former People's Liberation Army instructor Song Zhongping.
The images, which first began circulating on China's X-like Weibo at the weekend, show the jets bearing clear 'Chinese navy' markings on their fuselages and 'Flying Shark' insignia on their tails – the strongest visual indication yet of formal naval integration.
These markings, along with the official serial numbers '0011' and '0012', suggested the fighters were part of a low-rate initial production run, Song said.
'The Flying Shark insignia confirms the J-35 has joined the navy's carrier aviation force,' he said. 'It indicates the aircraft may have been in active service and is building combat and logistical support capabilities.'
Though the latest photos provide the clearest view, the J-35 itself is not an unfamiliar aircraft. Earlier prototypes have been spotted flying alongside J-15 carrier-based and J-20 stealth fighters, as well as early-warning aircraft, during rehearsals for a September 3 military parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Earlier this month, a programme by state broadcaster CCTV featuring the J-15T at its production facility clearly showed at least two 'green-primed' J-35 airframes in the background. The green primer layer is a coating used during the aircraft manufacturing process, before final painting and outfitting. The airframes were not blurred – in a departure from a technique frequently used by the PLA to prevent inadvertent exposure of advanced military technologies.
Earlier state media reports have also implied that the J-35 is operating in tandem with the J-15T fighter in a high-low capability pairing, moving towards a balanced carrier-based combat system.
The J-35 is expected to undergo extensive land-based training as well before being fully deployed aboard China's newest and most advanced carrier.
There are widespread expectations that the J-35 will become the main fighter jet aboard the Fujian, China's first carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults designed to launch heavier aircraft with higher payloads.
The warship has undergone eight sea trials and is expected to enter service before the end of the year.
Military observers commenting on the latest J-35 photos on social media noted that neither aircraft featured traditional nose-mounted airspeed probes or 'pitot tubes'. This typically indicated that the model had successfully completed its prototype and testing phases, and had entered formal production.
However, Song said that was not always a definitive indicator. 'Modern airspeed systems no longer require traditional external pitot tubes [for testing]. Sensors can now be embedded internally, improving the fighter's stealth capabilities and aerodynamic efficiency.'
He also downplayed online speculation about the significance of the two J-35s flying side by side, saying: 'Flying two aircraft – a lead and a wingman – is the most basic tactical formation. It's standard procedure.'
The emergence of the high-definition images of fully painted operational J-35 models marks a significant step forward for the PLA's naval fighter programme. It places China alongside the United States as the only countries operating two distinct fifth-generation stealth fighters, with at least one variant capable of carrier-based operations.
For China they are the J-20 land-based and J-35 carrier-capable jets, while the US has the land-based F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II multirole fighters including the carrier-capable F-35C.
The carrier-based J-35 and the land-based J-35A for the PLA Air Force both stem from the earlier FC-31 demonstrator but have evolved into specialised platforms that significantly enhance China's military aviation capabilities. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST