The FC-31 Gyrfalcon, with a variant unveiled as the ‘J-31B’, is positioned as the Chinese equivalent of the US fifth-generation F-35 Lightning-II. China’s latest stealth fighter jet with carrier-based potential may be ready to enter military service, a manufacturer’s video posted by state media suggests

by Amber Wang

The FC-31 Gyrfalcon, with a variant now officially revealed as the “J-31B”, is expected to complement the J-20, China’s most advanced stealth fighter which entered service in 2017.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Monday posted a promotional video from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), developer of the warplane and state-owned subsidiary of one of China’s top defence contractors.

The video features a computer-generated prototype of the new jet, notably with a side weapon bay carrying two missiles.

The aircraft, captioned in the video as “Gyrfalcon”, has the name “J-31B” painted on its fuselage.

Beijing-based military analyst Fu Qianshao said the labels showed that the fighter, developed by SAC over more than a decade, was ready for service.

“The transformation of the FC-31 into J-31 indicates that it has met the formal requirements for military service and has received an official designation,” Fu said.

The medium-sized stealth fighter was earlier designated as FC-31 for the export market. It was mostly referred to as the J-31 or J-35 by domestic media and commentators but never had an official name.

Designed as a fifth-generation stealth fighter for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and potentially for export markets, the warplane has undergone significant development and testing since its maiden flight in 2012.

It was unveiled to the public at the 2014 Zhuhai air show, and is positioned as the Chinese equivalent of Lockheed Martin’s fifth-generation F-35 Lightning-II. Its commissioning would make China the second country to have two types of stealth aircraft, after the United States with its F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

In 2013, in the early years of the FC-31’s development, chief designer Sun Cong told state media that he hoped a variant of the jet would follow the J-15 onto the PLA Navy aircraft carriers. The fourth-generation J-15, also developed by SAC, is China’s only ship-borne fighter jet in active service.

State news agency Xinhua reported back in 2015 that the J-31 could complement the J-20 fighter jets in air combat, and might also be paired with the J-15 as a carrier-based aircraft.

However, analysts cannot be sure if the model featured in the SAC video is meant to be ship-borne.

Fu, who is a retired PLA Air Force equipment analyst, said the code “B” indicated there might be several variants of the J-31, but whether it was carrier-based was not clear.

“It is still hard to say whether it [the B variant] will be carrier-based, land-based, or for export,” he said.

Fellow military analyst Shi Hong said the J-31B looked like it would be commissioned into the PLA Air Force, rather than the navy. This was because the front landing gear shown in the video was single-wheeled, which was typically more suited to land-based aircraft rather than carrier-based ones, he said.

The PLA Navy’s third and most advanced carrier, the Fujian, is the first to be equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system. The ship’s first official sea trial in May has sparked widespread speculation about when the PLA might reveal fighter jets capable of such take-offs.

The J-31B seen in the video was also the first variant to feature weapon bays on the side, Shi said, noting that this could “significantly enhance its combat capabilities”.

Each weapon bay was capable of carrying two missiles, he said, adding that this distinguished the J-31B from the US F-22 Raptor and China’s own J-20, which also incorporate side weapon bays but can only carry one missile on each side.

“This would increase its weapon payload … and the firing capabilities in close distance combat would be strong,” Shi explained in a video posted on his Weibo social media account.

China displayed a model of the FC-31 at the World Defence Show in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. A Chinese official at the show, who asked not to be named, said the FC-31 was not yet in service with the PLA Air Force but would soon be in operation.

The Pakistan Air Force chief said in January that his country was on track to acquire the FC-31 Gyrfalcon fifth-generation fighter.

Chinese Media