中國將推出J-35A隱形戰鬥機，空軍目標是與美國空中力量抗衡

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

China to unveil J-35A stealth fighter jet as air force aims to match US aerial power

Simone McCarthy, CNN

Tue, November 5, 2024 at 4:51 p.m. GMT+8·3 min read

China’s air force is set to officially debut its new stealth fighter jet, the J-35A, giving observers the first look at a highly anticipated asset that adds to the country’s fast growing military capabilities.

The fighter, an image of which was released during an air force press conference Tuesday, will appear at an air show in the southern city of Zhuhai next week, officials said.

The development of the jet is widely seen as part of Beijing’s bid to match the United States’ stealth fighter capabilities – as it pushes to modernize its armed forces and assert its military might in Asia.

The J-35A is “designed mainly for air combat operations and can also conduct air-to-surface attack,” according to a report from a Chinese military-affiliated outlet.

If the aircraft is commissioned into operation, it would make China the second country after the US to have two types of stealth fighter jets, according to experts cited by Chinese state media.

China’s J-20 stealth fighter entered service in 2017, officials said at the time.

Stealth fighters are those that are designed to evade radar and other monitoring to conduct missions without being detected or intercepted.

The J-35 is likely to be designed as a series and may also be used as carrier-based aircraft in the future, Chinese military expert Li Li told state broadcaster CCTV. This would “greatly improve the overall strength of China’s sea and air combat,” she said.

The fighter’s debut follows what analysts at Janes global open-source intelligence firm have described as China’s “bolstering” of its forward theater commands with additional J-20s.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force between July 2023 and this June inducted more than 70 J-20s, bringing the force’s operational fleet up to approximately 195, according to a Janes report published earlier this year.

It’s not clear when the new J-35A fighter would be commissioned into military use and where the fighters would be deployed.

The sparse details released about the fighter so far also make it difficult to compare with other stealth fighters, including the US’ F-22 and F-35.

Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, said the J-35A, which has been in development for more than 10 years, was likely intended for the PLA Navy.

“The J-35 made its maiden flight in 2021, but as a derivative of an earlier prototype, it may be ready for production by early next year,” Schuster said, adding that the J-35A model likely improved on that earlier design with more powerful engines.

China’s development of stealth fighters has for years been dogged by accusations that it stole crucial stealth fighter technology from the US.

Beijing has vigorously denied those claims, which came to light with the 2015 publication by German magazine Der Spiegel of documents purportedly from US National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.

The J-35A is a “new type of stealth fighter jet independently developed by Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC),” a Chinese military affiliated outlet said this week.

China’s J-35A is not the only technology that will be on show for the first time at next week’s airshow, which takes place in Zhuhai from November 12 to 17.

The H-19 surface-to-air missile system and new “reconnaissance and strike” UAVs will also have their public debut, Col. Niu Wenbo of the air force’s equipment department said Tuesday.

CCTV has also reported that Russia’s Su-57 stealth fighter would join the air show for the first time, among equipment from 49 different countries and regions that would be represented this year.

Translation

中國將推出J-35A隱形戰鬥機，空軍目標是與美國空中力量抗衡

中國空軍新型隱形戰鬥機 J-35A即將正式亮相，讓觀察家們首次看到這一備受期待的資產，它增強了中國快速增長的軍事能力。

這架戰鬥機的圖片在周二的空軍新聞發佈會上發佈了，官員稱它將於下週在南部城市珠海舉行的航展上亮相。

人們普遍認為，這款飛機的開發是北京追趕美國隱形戰鬥機能力的一部分，因為中國正在推動其武裝部隊現代化並在亞洲樹立其軍事實力。

根據中國軍方所屬媒體報道，J-35A「主要用於空戰行動，也可以進行空對地攻擊」。

中國官方媒體引述專家的話說，如果這架飛機投入使用，中國將成為繼美國之後第二個擁有兩種類型隱形戰鬥機的國家。

官員當時表示，中國的殲20隱形戰鬥機於2017年開始服役。

隱形戰鬥機是那些旨在逃避雷達和其他監視以執行任務而不被發現或攔截的戰鬥機。

中國軍事專家Li Li告訴國營中央電視台，J-35很可能被設計成一個系列，未來也可能被用作艦載機。她說，這將「大大提高中國海空作戰的整體實力」。

在這款戰鬥機首次亮相之前，珍氏全球開源情報公司的分析師稱，中國通過增加 J-20 來「支持」其前線戰區司令部。

根據珍氏今年稍早發布的一份報告，中國人民解放軍(PLA) 空軍在2023 年7 月至今年6 月期間列裝了70 多架J-20，使該部隊的作戰機隊數量達到約195 架。

目前尚不清楚新型 J-35A 戰鬥機何時投入軍事用途以及這些戰鬥機將部署在哪裡。

到目前為止，有關該戰鬥機的詳細資訊很少，因此很難與其他隱形戰鬥機進行比較，包括美國的 F-22 和 F-35。

美國太平洋司令部聯合情報中心前作戰主任Carl Schuster表示，J-35A 的研發超過 10 年，很可能是為解放軍海軍設計的。

Schuster表示：「J-35 於2021 年進行了首飛，但作為早期原型機的衍生品，它可能會在明年初準備好生產」。他補充說，J-35A 型號可能會在早期設計的基礎上改用更強大的引擎。

多年來，中國隱形戰鬥機的研發一直被指責從美國竊取了關鍵的隱形戰鬥機技術。

德國雜誌《明鏡周刊》2015年公佈了據稱來自美國國家安全局洩密者Edward Snowden的文件，把這一說法被曝光。北京方面極力否認這些說法。

中國軍方下屬媒體本週表示，J-35A是「中國航空工業集團公司（AVIC）自主研發的新型隱形戰鬥機」。

中國的J-35A並不是下週航展上首次亮相的唯一技術，該航展將於11月12日至17日在珠海舉行。

空軍裝備部Niu Wenbo大校週二表示，H-19地對空飛彈系統和新型「偵察打擊」無人機也將首次公開亮相。

根據央視報道，今年航展有來自49個不同國家和地區的裝備，其中俄羅斯的蘇57隱形戰機將首次參加航展。

              So, China’s air force is set to officially debut its new stealth fighter jet, the J-35A, giving observers the first look at a highly anticipated asset. If the aircraft is commissioned into operation, it would make China the second country after the US to have two types of stealth fighter jets. Apparently, China is increasing its military capabilities.

Note:

1. Janes (珍氏, 詹氏, 簡氏）is a global open-source intelligence company specializing in military, national security, aerospace and transport topics, whose name derives from British author Fred T. Jane. Jane's Information Group was founded in 1898 by Fred T. Jane, who had begun sketching ships as an enthusiast naval artist while living in Portsmouth. (Wikipedia)

2. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passenger on board.