Beijing showcases cutting-edge fighter jets

Star of Airshow China is the new J-35A stealth fighter jet

ZHUHAI:

Stealth fighter jets and attack drones took centre stage as China's largest air show officially opened on Tuesday, attracting more than 890 companies from 47 countries and regions.

The star of Airshow China, which showcases Beijing's civil and military aerospace sector every two years in the southern city of Zhuhai, is the new J-35A stealth fighter jet.

Its inclusion in the airshow suggests it is nearly ready to enter operation, which would make China the only country other than the United States to have two stealth fighters in action, experts said.

The J-35A is lighter than China's existing model, the J20, and looks more similar in design to a US F-35. A group of J20s performed a display flight on Tuesday morning, flying in a diamond formation across a grey sky.

State news agency Xinhua quoted military expert Wang Mingzhi as saying the combination of the two models greatly enhances the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)'s "ability to conduct offensive operations in high-threat and contested environments".

The airshow will feature a dedicated drone zone for the first time, reflecting their increased prominence in warzones, including Ukraine.

The SS-UAV -- a massive mothership that can rapidly release swarms of smaller drones for intelligence gathering, as well as strikes -- will be on display in Zhuhai, according to the South China Morning Post.

This year the show's focus is squarely on the military sector, as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the PLAAF, but China's burgeoning space industry will also be showcasing developments.

A model of a homegrown reusable space cargo shuttle will debut at the show, Xinhua reported on Monday.

Named Haoloong, the shuttle is designed to be launched on a commercial rocket, and then dock with China's space station Tiangong.

"It can re-enter the atmosphere, fly and land horizontally at a designated airport, allowing for recovery and reuse," Xinhua said.

China's homegrown regional jetliner, the ARJ21, was rebranded as C909 at a product launch by its developer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).

Since its commercial operation in 2016, the C909 has delivered a total of 150 aircraft and safely carried over 17 million passengers.

The jetliner has undergone continuous improvements in performance, cabin comfort and crew operations, allowing it to offer multiple cabin configurations. It is equipped with excellent takeoff and landing capabilities at airports with short, narrow runways, as well as in high-altitude, hot or cold environments, making it highly adaptable to the operating conditions in China's border regions, Southeast Asia, Africa and other overseas areas.

The C909 is well-suited for building a route network based on regional or secondary hub airports, providing capacity support to major hub airports. Additionally, it is capable of flying on commercial routes using sustainable aviation fuel, meeting the diverse needs of customers.