China’s second stealth fighter FC-31, comparable to F-35, is being upgraded for carrier launching

CHINA’s made a significant step forward in its bid to equal — and eventually surpass — United States air superiority. China’s J-20 stealth fighter jet, one of the few fifth-generation jets in the world, has been deployed to the South China Sea and is armed with live weapons to patrol the disputed waters. The People’s Liberation Army said that the J-20 entered combat service on February 9  2018 and had been working alongside other fourth-generation aircraft, such as the J-16 and J-10 fighters and the H-6K strategic bomber. In May it took part in island encirclement drills around Taiwan.

The state conglomerate Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) presented  its  second stealth fighter, the J-31 or FC-31 in its export version. China’s fifth-generation stealth fighter jet FC-31 showcased its latest upgrades at the ongoing Paris Air Show in June 2019, and analysts  that the displayed model shows noteworthy changes in design that could significantly improve its capabilities. The Chinese military industry wants to show the world that it is capable of developing a stealth aircraft of the same level as the American Lockheed-Martin’s F-35.

China has also become the second nation to have two stealth fighter designs: The Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Corporation (CAC) ‘J-20’ and Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) ‘J-31’.  The J-20 and the FC-31 are fifth-generation stealth aircraft with high maneuverability, low-observability,  internal weapons bays, and capable of operating in a network-centric environment.

According to AVIC, the first flight of a production model should intervene in 2019, while the plane would obtain its initial operational capacity around 2022, for an entry in operational service in 2024. But according to many experts, this timetable is considered very optimistic. Chinese industry does not yet fully master complex stealth technologies. The quality of the coating applied to the fuselage, in particular, is essential to guarantee a low radar signature.

The Chinese navy reportedly is considering acquiring a new stealth fighter to replace existing carrier-launched warplanes that have proved unreliable and unsafe. The People’s Liberation Army Navy could buy “fourth-generation” FC-31 fighters from the Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute to replace older J-15s, state-run Global Times reported.

China plans to export its stealthy twin-engine J-31 fighter, which would become the first aircraft of its kind available to global customers who face US export restrictions or cannot afford Lockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter. The potential customers include Ally Pakistan, Iran, and Venezuela. For countries looking to buy an advanced stealth fighter jet, the FC-31 is similar to the US F-35 but much cheaper, and China does not attach political conditions to arms sales as the US does, Wang said.