China J-35 Stealth Fighter: China has now shown what looks like the full export version of its J-35A stealth fighter. SCMP reported that CCTV aired a clip of the jet rolling out of a hangar with the serial number 001 and the logo of AVIC, China’s state-owned aerospace giant. SCMP said this was the first time the export form of the aircraft, now being called the J-35AE, had been shown as a full working model.
A Hong Kong military commentator, Liang Guoliang, said the jet was a “complete product” that was “ready for export”. The SCMP report also said the aircraft had an internal electro-optical targeting system, which is important for stealth because it avoids the drag and visibility of a pod outside the jet.
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Why Pakistan is Being Linked?
JUST IN:
China has unveiled the first export variant of its 5th generation J-35A stealth fighter.
The aircraft is a multirole platform designed for air superiority, strike missions, and suppression of enemy air defenses.
It has a combat range of 1,200 km and a top speed of… pic.twitter.com/cY9aUluaPv
— Current Report (@Currentreport1) May 5, 2026
Pakistan is being talked about as the most likely first buyer. SCMP said reports and analysis point to Pakistan as the most likely recipient. The same report also noted that in June 2025, AVIC posted a photo of a Pakistani pilot in a J-35A cockpit, which added more fuel to that talk. Earlier reporting from 2025 also said China had offered Pakistan 40 J-35 stealth aircraft, although the exact final deal status has been disputed in later reporting.
Military analyst Song Zhongping said the J-35A is a strong export choice because it can work from land bases and also as a carrier-based plane for navy use. In very simple words, that means one jet can do more than one job, which makes it easier to sell to other countries.
India’s Own Fifth-Gen Fighter
This news lands at a time when India is still building its own fifth-generation fighter, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, or AMCA. The Economic Times reported that DRDO chief Dr Samir V Kamat said India expects the AMCA to be ready by 2035. He said, “If you look at any programme anywhere in the world, it takes 10 to 15 years to develop a new platform. So we have started this journey only in 2024, when the CCS sanctioned the project. So it will take ten years and we have committed to deliver the platform by 2035,”
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There are also reports that India is looking at Russia’s Su-57 as a possible stopgap fighter while AMCA is still being developed. Reuters reported in February 2025 that Russia had offered India the Su-57, including domestic production and technology transfer, while later reporting in 2026 said the Su-57 was being discussed as an interim option.
