Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has categorically denied reports that Islamabad has finalized a landmark defense procurement deal with China for the acquisition of the J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. Speaking on national television, Asif waved off mounting speculation with a hint of sarcasm: “I think it is only in the media. It is good for sale, Chinese defense sales, you know.”
His flat denial, however, has done little to quell growing evidence pointing in the opposite direction. From pilot training camps in China to credible leaks within Pakistan’s defense establishment, signs suggest that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is already deep into its stealth transition—quietly preparing to induct what would be the most advanced aircraft in its history.
If these reports prove true, Pakistan will not only be the first foreign operator of China’s J-35A but also the only country in the Islamic world, and one of just a handful globally, to possess operational fifth-generation air combat capability.
The Shenyang J-35A is the export-ready variant of China’s FC-31—a stealth aircraft developed by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) to rival the American F-35. Featuring low radar observability, internal weapons carriage, and a suite of advanced electronic warfare systems, the J-35A is designed to operate in contested environments where legacy aircraft would struggle to survive.
Analysts estimate the procurement deal, involving up to 40 units, to be valued at over $3.4 billion USD when factoring in the cost of weapons packages, training, and long-term maintenance. With each airframe priced around $85 million, the acquisition would be one of Pakistan’s most significant peacetime military expenditures in decades.
Such an acquisition isn’t just about filling a hardware gap. It would vault the PAF into an elite circle of stealth-enabled air forces, enabling Pakistan to challenge regional rivals from a position of unprecedented technological sophistication.
The timing of this transition couldn’t be more consequential. South Asia’s military landscape is shifting rapidly, with India investing heavily in indigenous platforms like the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), expected to be ready no earlier than 2035. Until then, India’s frontline fleet will consist primarily of upgraded Su-30MKIs and French Rafale fighters—formidable platforms, but lacking the stealth advantage.
By contrast, the J-35A is optimized for survivability and penetration in hostile airspace. Its reduced radar cross-section, use of radar-absorbent materials, and minimal infrared signature allow it to engage high-value targets deep behind enemy lines with minimal risk of early detection. The J-35A’s low observability, when paired with over-the-horizon targeting and electronic warfare capabilities, represents a doctrinal evolution in Pakistan’s warfighting strategy.
“India is unlikely to possess any fifth-generation fighter capability within that timeframe,” said retired Air Commodore Zia Ul Haque Shamshi. “The J-35A gives Pakistan a strategic edge—an opportunity to lead rather than follow.”
Pakistan’s growing alignment with China goes far beyond the J-35A. The PAF already operates Chinese-origin JF-17 fighters, co-developed with AVIC, and maintains interoperability with Chinese systems like the HQ-9B surface-to-air missile and the KJ-500 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft.
With the integration of the J-35A, Pakistan gains access to China’s broader “kill web”—an ecosystem that connects aerial, terrestrial, cyber, and space-based assets into a seamless, multi-domain operations network. The J-35A’s sensor fusion architecture will allow it to operate as both a shooter and a data relay node, enhancing the lethality of the entire force structure.
This concept mirrors the American F-35’s role in NATO—a hub-and-spoke model where stealth fighters act as force multipliers for fourth-generation allies.
Perhaps the most lethal capability Pakistan will gain from the J-35A program is the PL-17—an ultra-long-range air-to-air missile designed to take out high-value airborne targets like AEW&C aircraft, tankers, and surveillance drones from over 400 kilometers away.
With a multi-mode seeker suite—including active radar, infrared imaging, and satellite-guided navigation—the PL-17 poses a major challenge for Indian Air Force command-and-control platforms, which currently operate under the assumption of operational sanctuary at standoff ranges.
When carried in internal bays and used in combination with the J-35A’s stealth profile, the PL-17 offers Pakistan a “first-look, first-shot, first-kill” capability—a foundational doctrine in fifth-generation warfare.
Despite the public denials, multiple defense sources confirm that Pakistan has already dispatched several squadrons of pilots and maintenance crew to China for operational conversion training. A senior Pakistani official, speaking anonymously, said the first batch of J-35A aircraft could arrive “within the next few months.”
Ground crews are reportedly being trained on stealth maintenance procedures, low-observability coatings, and next-generation mission planning systems. Hangars and logistics hubs near Kamra and Sargodha airbases are being upgraded to support stealth operations, including the construction of underground storage facilities and radar-absorbing hangars.
All of these developments hint at a state of high readiness—one that contradicts Khawaja Asif’s casual dismissal.
India, though taken aback by the speed of Pakistan’s stealth pursuit, is not standing still. The Indian Air Force has embarked on a series of upgrades to its existing Su-30MKI fleet, equipping them with AESA radars, new electronic warfare pods, and long-range R-37M hypersonic missiles. These upgrades extend the aircraft’s engagement range and survivability, but they cannot compensate for the inherent visibility and radar signature of a fourth-generation platform.
India is also investing in ground-based over-the-horizon radar systems, such as Russia’s Container-S system, capable of detecting stealth aircraft through skywave reflection. However, these are not foolproof solutions and require integration with interceptor systems that may still fall short against fast-moving, low-RCS threats like the J-35A.
More critically, India’s AMCA project remains years away from operational deployment. Although a prototype is expected by 2026, full-scale induction will likely not occur before 2035—leaving a stealth capability gap that Pakistan seems poised to exploit.
China’s decision to offer the J-35A for export represents a calculated move to challenge U.S. dominance in the global fighter market. While the American F-35 has been sold to NATO allies and Asian partners like Japan, South Korea, and Australia, the J-35A is being positioned as a stealth option for countries excluded from Western technology pipelines.
Potential customers include Iran, Egypt, Algeria, and even Turkey—should its relationship with NATO continue to deteriorate. If Pakistan successfully integrates and operationalizes the J-35A, it will serve as a case study for future buyers in the Global South.
“Much like the F-35 became a symbol of Western airpower integration, the J-35A may become the flagship for emerging multipolar security alliances,” notes defense analyst Lin Cong of the Shanghai Institute of Strategic Studies.
Analysts believe Asif’s statement may be part of a deliberate information strategy aimed at maintaining strategic ambiguity. Openly acknowledging the induction of stealth jets could inflame regional tensions, trigger sanctions, or provoke preemptive military procurement responses from India or Western partners.
Moreover, Pakistan’s defense procurement is increasingly being handled away from civilian oversight. The military-to-military relationship between Islamabad and Beijing allows such deals to be inked with minimal transparency, sometimes even outside parliamentary review processes.
The dissonance between official denials and ground realities is thus not new in Pakistan’s defense narrative. Similar ambiguity surrounded the initial phases of the JF-17 program and Pakistan’s ballistic missile testing in the 1990s.
With the J-35A, Pakistan may be on the cusp of redefining its airpower doctrine. No longer limited to reactive defense or limited counterstrikes, the PAF will now possess the ability to conduct deep interdiction, deny enemy airspace, and execute preemptive strikes against command-and-control centers.
This capability becomes even more potent when viewed in light of South Asia’s nuclear overhang. A stealth-enabled force, backed by nuclear delivery platforms and early-warning systems, increases the threshold for conventional conflict—while also complicating escalation control.
The J-35A does not merely represent a new fighter jet—it represents a new mindset, one rooted in information warfare, first-strike deterrence, and integrated multi-domain operations.
For decades, stealth technology was considered the exclusive preserve of Western air forces. With the potential export of the J-35A to Pakistan, that monopoly has been broken.
While Khawaja Asif’s denial may serve short-term political purposes, the strategic reality is unfolding in real time: pilots are training, hangars are being built, and systems are being wired into a new combat architecture.
Whether Islamabad chooses to announce it or not, Pakistan’s entry into the stealth era appears inevitable. And when the J-35A finally appears in PAF livery on a runway in Sargodha or Kamra, the balance of airpower in South Asia will have irreversibly shifted.
