New Delhi: Pakistan is in the process of acquiring Chinese-made J-31 stealth fighters, which are a copy of American F-35 and F-22 aircraft, in a move that could possibly alter the balance of air power in the region. During a ceremony in Pakistan, Pakistan air force chief Zaheer Sidhu suggested that preparations have been underway to obtain the Chinese fighter.

Once acquired, the new fighters could replace early versions of the American F-16 aircraft in Pakistan’s fleet, sources in the defence and security establishment said.

Pakistan-based media outlets quoted Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar as saying that talks are ongoing with China in this regard. “The foundation for acquiring the J-31 stealth fighter aircraft has already been laid which is all set to become part of the PAF’s fleet in the near future,” he said.

The PAF is already operating two types of Chinese-made aircraft, one of which — JF-17 ‘Thunder’ — is being jointly manufactured in Pakistan and was also acquired by Nigeria in 2021. Besides the 150 odd JF-17s in its fleet, PAF also acquired 25 J-10C ‘Vigorous Dragon’ fighters in 2022 in what was seen as a counter to India’s acquisition of 36 French-made Rafale fighter jets.

The acquisition of the J-31, however, may come as a shot in the arm for Pakistan since India does not operate a stealth fighter. Though India is currently working on an indigenous stealth fighter, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), it is unlikely to be inducted before 2030.

While Shenyang is developing the FC-31/J-31 – tentatively designated J-35 – for use aboard future Chinese aircraft carriers, such as CNS Shandong, plans for a land-based version are murky. In the 2010s AVIC conducted tests with a J-31 demonstrator, including an appearance in the flying display of the 2014 version of Air Show China in Zhuhai.

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force has instead focused on acquiring the Chengdu J-20, which has entered service and is steadily being deployed.

Nonetheless, Beijing and Islamabad have close relations in military aircraft. The Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17 is a joint effort between the two countries. Pakistan is also the only country apart from China to operate the J-10, with the J-10C serving with the Pakistan air force’s 15 Sqn – media reports have suggested Pakistan will obtain up to 25 J-10Cs.

Sidhu’s remarks also appear to be at odds with a social media post by Turkish defence minister Yaser Guler in August 2023, which indicated that Islamabad was poised to sign up to the Turkish Aerospace Industries Kaan fighter program.

AVIC, the parent of Shenyang, has previously mooted the possibility of working with international partners on the FC-31/J-31 program.

At the Dubai air show in 2015, in an extremely rare media briefing, AVIC promoted the FC-31/J-31 ‘Gyrfalcon’ as a low-observable jet with “multi-spectrum, low-observability characteristics”.

AVIC said at the time that a first flight of a production example could take place in 2019, but that this would be contingent on securing a “well-funded” customer.

Work on an advanced, stealthy aircraft such as the FC-31/J-31 might prove of interest to Pakistan, which has worked to develop its aerospace sector.

Cheap Copy of American Stealth Jets

According to a report by Military-Today.com, China in 2007 managed to obtain blueprints of and other classified information on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the F-22 Raptor.

Reports suggest the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) relied on this data to develop the J-31 or FC-31 stealth aircraft. While earlier versions of the J-31 looked like near-clones of the F-35, pictures that surfaced later hint at a more elongated shape with larger tail surfaces — more suggestive of the F-22.

India's Concerns

Pakistan has disclosed an intention to obtain the Shenyang FC-31/J-31 fighter, potentially setting the stage for the first acquisition of the type. No details about the number of jets to be obtained or the delivery schedule were provided.

The proposed acquisition of the J-31 by Pakistan ought to generate concerns in the Indian establishment. Not only is it an indication of the ever strengthening nexus between China and Pakistan, it comes at a time when the combat fleet of the IAF is clouded with complete uncertainty on the funding and the timely development and commissioning of the AMCA stealth jets.

A significant point to note is that the capabilities of Chinese military hardware is clouded in complete secrecy as no performance data is available in the public domain. The Chinese keep a tight lid on it. The J-31 suffers the very same fate. Curiously, the deal may not fructify with Pak since the world and especially the west would come to learn of the drawbacks of the platform. China would not want to break the effective propaganda chain it has managed to spin about the platform. As this would bolster the west's defence against the belligerent communist regime. Therefore, it would be premature for the Indian defence establishment to be unduly worried in this regard.

However, whatever may be the truth in this matter, unlike India, Pakistan is not burdened with the procedural hurdles that the Indian defence procurement is afflicted with, in all probability, in the years ahead, the IAF may well find itself lagging far behind the adversaries in respect capability in the regime of air power unless the govt expediates the agencies to quickly deploy a similar platform to counter its adversary