China Is Unleashing a New Stealth Fighter, And It’s a Direct Challenge to America

The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) officially announced it will adopt the sleek J-35A medium-weight multi-role stealth fighter "mainly for air combat operations," the government announced. It will become the second air force after the U.S. to operate two distinct stealth fighter types.

The J-35A isn't intended to strictly outperform China's first stealth fighter, the beefy Chengdu J-20, which likely will retain greater range, maximum payload, and maximum speed. However, it seems the J-35A's lower cost and weight may have been valuable enough for the PLAAF to consider trading in older, non-stealth warplanes for shorter-range stealth fighters.

Intentionally or otherwise, the J-35 designation also serves as an ironic nod to the U.S. F-35 stealth jet, to which it bears a passing visual and conceptual resemblance, adaptable to both land- and carrier-based deployment and for export overseas.

View in Browser  SHOP EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBE China Is Unleashing a New Stealth Fighter, And It's a Direct Challenge to America China Is Unleashing a New Stealth Fighter, And It's a Direct Challenge to America The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) officially announced it will adopt the sleek J-35A medium-weight multi-role stealth fighter "mainly for air combat operations," the government announced. It will become the second air force after the U.S. to operate two distinct stealth fighter types. The J-35A isn't intended to strictly outperform China's first stealth fighter, the beefy Chengdu J-20, which likely will retain greater range, maximum payload, and maximum speed. However, it seems the J-35A's lower cost and weight may have been valuable enough for the PLAAF to consider trading in older, non-stealth warplanes for shorter-range stealth fighters. Intentionally or otherwise, the J-35 designation also serves as an ironic nod to the U.S. F-35 stealth jet, to which it bears a passing visual and conceptual resemblance, adaptable to both land- and carrier-based deployment and for export overseas. The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) officially announced it will adopt the sleek J-35A medium-weight multi-role stealth fighter "mainly for air combat operations," the government announced. It will become the second air force after the U.S. to operate two distinct stealth fighter types. The J-35A isn't intended to strictly outperform China's first stealth fighter, the beefy Chengdu J-20, which likely will retain greater range, maximum payload, and maximum speed. However, it seems the J-35A's lower cost and weight may have been valuable enough for the PLAAF to consider trading in older, non-stealth warplanes for shorter-range stealth fighters. Intentionally or otherwise, the J-35 designation also serves as an ironic nod to the U.S. F-35 stealth jet, to which it bears a passing visual and conceptual resemblance, adaptable to both land- and carrier-based deployment and for export overseas. Read More Read More These Are the Best Portable Power Stations for Outings and Outages Be prepared for unexpected power failures and off-the-grid camping trips. Read More We Built an Integrating Sphere to Test and Determine the Best Flashlights What we found in our evaluations was... illuminating. Read More The Army's $21 Billion Augmented Reality Helmets Will Save Soldiers' Lives. Why Are They Still Delayed? The headsets would give soldiers crucial information at a glance, creating a tactical advantage on the battlefield—but implementing them has proven a difficult task. Read More Costco Is Selling a "Pop-Up Garage" That You Can Park Your Car In This will be a godsend come winter. Read More A Mysterious Image Was Supposed to Be Amelia Earhart's Plane. Searchers Found Only an Illusion. "I guess that's life." Read More Need Assistance? Contact Us. Follow Us Unsubscribe | Privacy Notice | CA Notice at Collection Popular Mechanics is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2024 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779