In a landmark strategic pivot that may reshape the trajectory of air combat doctrine in Asia, China has officially designated the J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighter as the central node in its emerging kill chain architecture—a sweeping warfighting paradigm that fuses detection, decision, and destruction into a seamless, real-time operational loop.
This revelation, first published by China Daily and attributed to Wang Yongqing, a prominent designer at the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), reflects a decisive evolution in how the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is preparing to fight future wars. In Wang’s words, the J-35A is “optimized to intercept stealth aircraft and low-observable cruise missiles”—the hardest targets for any integrated air defence system (IADS) to neutralize.
What is perhaps most significant is not simply the J-35A’s cutting-edge design but its role as an enabler across every phase of the modern kill chain—find, fix, track, target, engage, and assess (F2T2EA). According to Wang, “The J-35A can lock onto targets, share target data with other weapon systems like surface-to-air missiles, and even guide those weapons using its own radar,” turning it into both a stealthy shooter and a forward-deployed battle manager.
Unlike traditional fighters, the J-35A is not just built to engage enemy aircraft. It is engineered to connect, coordinate, and command a distributed ecosystem of sensors and shooters across domains—airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, naval strike groups, land-based missile batteries, and even satellites.
Its internal systems—including a next-generation active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, low probability of intercept (LPI) communications, and sensor fusion capabilities—enable it to act as both hunter and command node in the Chinese kill web. This is the future of air combat, and China intends to lead it.
Wang’s declaration that the J-35A will serve as the “backbone” of China’s future fighter fleet signals that the aircraft is not just an export product, but a core pillar of China’s military modernization—one that complements, rather than replaces, the fifth-generation twin-engine J-20.
In a move that caught many defence analysts off guard, Pakistan has reportedly signed a contract to acquire 40 J-35A fighters, with initial deliveries expected within months. This procurement positions Pakistan as the first foreign operator of the fifth-generation stealth platform, and immediately raises questions about the balance of air power on the subcontinent.
This decision appears to be part of a broader Pakistani strategy to replicate China’s network-centric approach. With an eye toward matching Indian capabilities, Islamabad is building a kill chain architecture of its own—one that combines AEW&C aircraft, YLC-8B anti-stealth ground-based radars, and long-range PL-15E air-to-air missiles.
For Pakistan, the J-35A’s stealth, sensor suite, and networking capabilities offer an opportunity to punch well above its weight, creating a distributed, survivable kill web capable of detecting and engaging Indian Air Force (IAF) assets far from Pakistani borders.
Recent skirmishes near the Line of Control, particularly in the Pahalgam sector, have reportedly served as testbeds for this evolving doctrine. There, Pakistan is believed to have employed J-10C fighters in coordination with AEW&C platforms to track and engage Indian aircraft with beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles in real time.
According to Michael Dahm, a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, “Pakistan is capable of integrating ground-based radars with fighter jets and airborne early warning aircraft.” In a recent interview with Air & Space Forces Magazine, Dahm highlighted the sophistication of Pakistani tactics in simulated or limited engagements.
He elaborated: “The Pakistani Air Force deployed a weapon ‘A’ launched by platform ‘B’ and guided by system ‘C’, hitting its intended target”—a telling reference to a May 12 report by China Space News, which outlined how multi-platform kill chains are now an operational reality, not just a theoretical construct.
In modern warfare, success often comes down to milliseconds. The kill chain—a loop of detection, decision-making, and destruction—must be completed faster than the adversary can respond. In that context, the J-35A’s true value lies in its role as an integrator of this loop.
For example, a scenario might begin with a stealthy Indian Su-30MKI variant or Rafale fighter entering contested airspace. A Pakistani ground radar system might detect the intrusion and relay coordinates to a forward-deployed J-35A. That J-35A can then designate the target, launch a missile—or more significantly—hand off the targeting data to another platform, such as a PL-15E missile launched by a J-10C or ground-based missile battery. Midcourse guidance is provided by AEW&C platforms, all connected by encrypted datalinks.
This layered architecture creates a robust, flexible response mechanism that is hard to jam, intercept, or disrupt.
The arrival of the J-35A in Pakistan’s arsenal presents a dire challenge for India. While New Delhi boasts formidable platforms such as the Rafale and Su-30MKI, it lacks a true fifth-generation fighter in operational service. The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), India’s indigenous stealth program, remains years from frontline deployment.
Until then, India’s air dominance depends on legacy platforms bolstered by limited AEW&C coverage and surface-to-air missile (SAM) defences. Unlike Pakistan, India has yet to operationalize a distributed kill chain where data seamlessly flows between detection platforms, shooters, and command centers in real-time.
This asymmetry could leave India vulnerable to precision strikes on forward bases, air defence radars, or critical infrastructure—especially if Pakistan develops the capacity to use J-35As as penetrating scouts or strike leaders in deep interdiction missions.
The J-35A’s arrival in Pakistani service is more than just a tactical upgrade. It is a statement of intent—a signal that Islamabad is moving beyond traditional force-on-force metrics and embracing a 21st-century warfighting model that prioritizes connectivity, speed, and stealth.
For China, this development aligns perfectly with its long-term strategy: exporting not just weapons, but entire operational concepts. Pakistan’s adoption of Chinese-style kill chain warfare gives Beijing a strategic ally that mirrors its own doctrine, potentially opening avenues for greater joint training, intelligence sharing, and synchronized deterrence posture in South Asia.
Moreover, the J-35A deal illustrates China’s growing influence in the international arms market. For nations unable or unwilling to acquire American or European fifth-generation fighters, Beijing offers an attractive alternative—less costly, less politically restrictive, and increasingly competitive in terms of capability.
There’s also a maritime angle to this shift. Given the J-35A’s compatibility with carrier-based operations (its naval variant is reportedly being tested aboard China’s Fujian-class carriers), its deployment could extend to Pakistani naval aviation in the long term—potentially giving Islamabad a stealthy sea-based strike option in the Arabian Sea.
This would complicate India’s maritime calculus considerably, especially with New Delhi’s focus on securing sea lanes and protecting carrier battle groups from long-range air and missile threats.
With the J-35A, Pakistan acquires not only a stealth fighter but a force multiplier capable of redefining the rules of engagement. By integrating it into a robust kill chain, Pakistan aims to level the airpower disparity with India—or perhaps tilt the balance.
If India does not rapidly invest in fifth-generation capabilities, enhance its AEW&C fleet, improve multi-domain datalink networks, and operationalize real-time decision-making across its own kill web, it risks being caught in a reactive posture in the event of conflict.
While the Rafale is an advanced platform, it was not designed to operate against fifth-generation adversaries supported by a deep, distributed sensor network. And while India’s surface-to-air missile shield is potent, it was never meant to operate in isolation without comprehensive airborne situational awareness.
As nations across Asia look to modernize their air forces, the J-35A’s journey underscores a critical lesson: the future of air combat belongs to those who can see, shoot, and disappear faster than their adversary can react. It’s no longer about the best fighter—it’s about the best-connected force.
China has understood this. Pakistan is now applying it. The question is whether India, and others in the region, can adapt quickly enough to compete in the age of the kill chain.
