Exclusive
FATF’s Positive Report Card for Singapore FATF’s Positive Report Card for Singapore Tunisian authorities threaten to dissolve the parent company of ICIJ partner Inkyfada Tunisian authorities threaten to dissolve the parent company of ICIJ partner Inkyfada The Passing of International Law Should Worry ASEAN The Passing of International Law Should Worry ASEAN
Current Affairs

Chinese J-35 stealth jets set to give Pakistan edge over India in fifth-generation tech

A year after fending off a massive Indian air assault with the help of Chinese warplanes and missiles, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Thursday…

By Samantha Johnson / May 8, 2026
A year after fending off a massive Indian air assault with the help of Chinese warplanes and missiles, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Thursday unveiled plans to upgrade its fleet through further acquisitions of Chengdu J-10C fighters and substantial upgrades to the JF-17s co-produced by the two allies.

The PAF further confirmed that it has signed an “initial collaborative agreement” for the acquisition of fifth-generation Sheyang J-35 stealth fighter, without disclosing any details about the scope of the deal.

Speculation is rife that Pakistan could take the delivery of an initial batch of J-35s by the end of this year, following the airing of a video by CCTV last week showing the first fully operational export version of the warplane. As the only overseas customer to date, the PAF is the obvious destination.

Advertisement

According to analysts, the PAF’s induction of Chinese fifth-generation warplanes into service would alter the balance of air power with India, which has a much larger fleet of 4.5-generation fighters bought from France and Russia but is lagging behind Pakistan in the acquisition of stealth warplanes.

The J-35s would also boost the PAF’s ability to project military power into the Persian Gulf. Pakistan last month deployed a squadron of fighters – including JF-17s – to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence pact signed last September.

An export variant of the J-35A fighter jet appears on CCTV’s May 1 special programme. Photo: CCTV
An export variant of the J-35A fighter jet appears on CCTV’s May 1 special programme. Photo: CCTV

At a press conference in Islamabad, PAF deputy chief of air staff Air Vice-Marshal Tariq Ghazi said “foundations have been laid for the acquisition of advanced capabilities” – including long-range precision weapons (LRPW), next-generation platforms, “additional” J-10C aircraft, and “much upgraded” JF-17s.

Don't Miss: