Pakistan plans to purchase 40 Chinese J-35 stealth fighter jets – Times of India

TOI Correspondent from Islamabad:Pakistan is set to acquire 40 of China’s much-anticipated J-35 stealth fighters, a Chinese media outlet reported, signalling Beijing’s first export of fifth-generation fighter jets to a foreign ally.
The acquisition of fifth-generation jets is expected to impact the military balance between Pakistan and India, the Hong Kong-based “South China Morning Post” reported.
The land-based J-35A will make its first public debut on Tuesday, a day after the 75th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) foundation, with a flying show. Another variant, the J-35, is intended for deployment on China’s aircraft carriers.
The Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, a division of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China, has designed and built the J-35 and J-35A. Prior to the air show, the state-run news organisation “People’s Daily” stated that the J-35A primarily carries out the task of seizing and maintaining air supremacy.
Compared to China’s other stealth aircraft, the land-based J-20 fighter, both J-35 versions are significantly smaller. An estimated 200 J-20s are in service with the PLAAF.
Last week, Pakistani media reported that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has approved the purchase of 40 of the aircraft, which will be delivered within two years to replace the country’s outdated fleet of American F-16s and French Mirage fighters.
In July, BOL News, a local TV station, reported that PAF pilots had formally started their J-31 stealth fighter training in China. They name the J-31 the J-35.
Following Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu’s declaration in Jan that “the foundation for acquiring the J-31 stealth fighter aircraft has already been laid”, these events occurred months later.
Despite Pakistan’s dire economic problems, the country has been pursuing the purchase of the new aircraft.
There is no official confirmation in Beijing, nor is there any mention of such a deal in the official media here, but speculation has been rampant since the J-35, primarily regarded as a jet fighter designed for Chinese aircraft carriers, was displayed at the annual air show in Zhuhai city last month which was attended by top PAF officials.
A close and secretive military alliance existed between China and Pakistan. As it updated its own armed forces with billions of dollars in defence spending, Beijing has been assisting Pakistan in modernising all three branches of the military. China has assisted Pakistan in jointly developing and operating the J-17 Thunder fighter jet, the PAF’s backbone. In recent years, China has provided the Pakistan Navy with four cutting-edge naval frigates, allowing it to play a larger role alongside its navy in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.