China’s First J-35A Fighter Jet for Local Air Force Takes Off in 2026

Chinese aircraft manufacturer Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) has conducted the first flight of a J-35A fighter jet intended for the Chinese Air Force in 2026.

Photos of the aircraft were published by Chinese military aviation observer Ruprecht_A on the X platform.

Local aviation spotters recorded the aircraft in its Chinese Air Force configuration during a test flight over the territory of the manufacturer’s airfield.

The main visual difference between the carrier-based version of the fighter and the land-based variant lies in the nose landing gear. The naval version uses a twin-wheel configuration integrated with catapult launch components, enabling interaction with a carrier’s catapult system.

The land-based version is equipped with a single-wheel nose landing gear and lacks the equipment required for catapult-assisted launches.

The J-35 family is viewed as a complementary platform to heavier stealth aircraft, notably the J-20, and as a partial replacement for the carrier-based J-15 fighters.

The J-35 is expected to become a mass-produced multirole combat aircraft capable of a wide range of missions for both the Chinese Air Force and Navy, and is projected to serve as a mainstay fighter into the 2040s and 2050s.

The aircraft evolved from the earlier FC-31 (Project 310), an export-oriented stealth fighter featuring a conventional twin-engine layout and two swept vertical stabilizers resembling those of the US F-35.

The first reports on the development of the aircraft emerged in 2018, when initial concept images were released.

The first J-35 flight prototype, bearing tail number 350001/3501, made its maiden flight on October 29, 2021, and was powered by Chinese WS-21(H) engines.

Initially, the aircraft was reported to have been developed for China’s new Type 003 aircraft carrier, but satellite imagery from 2021-2024 indicated preparations for testing on both the Fujian and Liaoning carriers.

At the same time, a land-based variant of the aircraft has been produced to meet the requirements of the Chinese Air Force.

The aircraft entered service in 2025.