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J-35AE, China’s first Stealth Jet Built For Export
A glimpse to the first export variant of the Shenyang J-35A stealth aircraft, the China’s second land-based fifth-generation fighter jet, was given by the country’s state broadcaster.
Pakistan could be the first customer of the export variant of the J-35A, dubbed J-35AE.
The aircraft, featuring the serial number 001, was shown rolling out of the hangar with the logo of China’s largest military aircraft manufacturer, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), instead of that of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in a CCTV clip filmed during the “2026 May 1st International Labour Day ‘Heart to Heart’ Special Programme.”
The J-35AE is fitted with a teal-coated electro-optical targeting system (EOTS), meaning that the aircraft has reached an advanced sensor maturity and survivability against infrared tracking, laser interference and multi-spectrum detection.
The sensor is placed under the nose and it looks similar to the F-35’s EOTS and likely has a similar role.
According to Hong Kong military commentator Liang Guoliang, the J-35AE’s first export market would undoubtedly be Pakistan, while Middle Eastern countries might place orders in the longer term.
Considered China’s answer to Lockheed Martin’s F-35, the J-35 is the country’s second fifth-generation fighter jet with full stealth capabilities after the J-20.
Beijing first unveiled the land-based variant, the J-35A, at the Zhuhai air show in November 2024.
The J-35A is the PLAAF variant, while the J-35 is the carrier variant for the People’s Liberation Army Navy Air Force (PLANAF).
Pakistan: first export market
As reported by South China Morning Post, a deal with China to acquire about 40 J-35s was allegedly signed by Pakistan after Beijing offered to Islamabad a possible sale of the fighters as part of a broader defense package that also includes KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft and HQ-19 missile defense systems.
If the agreement is confirmed it would be the first time China has exported a stealth fighter jet.
A picture of a Pakistani Air Force (PAF) pilot undergoing training in the cockpit of a J-35A was posted by AVIC last June.
Chinese weapons have played a big part in Pakistan’s military build-up: the PAF in fact operates both J-10C (built in China) and JF-17 (jointly manufactured by China and Pakistan) 4.5 generation fighters.
As already explained, an Indian Air Force (IAF) French-built Rafale was reportedly shot down by a PAF J-10C during the border clash near the disputed Kashmir region in May last year.
Noteworthy, only two fifth generation fighters have been exported: the US F-35A Lightning II, ordered by 20 air forces worldwide and the Russian Su-57 which saw the first two units delivered to Algeria in November 2025.
The first stealth jet to be launched from a carrier using EMALS
In September 2025, China became the first country to launch a stealth fighter aircraft from an aircraft carrier using the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), when the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Fujian (18) aircraft carrier successfully launched Shenyang J-35 stealth fighters.
Before the Fujian, the US Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) was the only aircraft carrier equipped with EMALS.
Ford is the first ship of the class which employs EMALS, and the plan is to add five more such aircraft carriers, bringing the total fleet strength to six.
However, USS Gerald R. Ford is yet to launch an F-35C Lightning II stealth fighter using EMALS, making the J-35 the only stealth jet to achieve the feat.
