China’s new stealth jet fighter rocketed skywards on Wednesday as Beijing puts on an unprecedented display of openness – and military force – at the country’s premier airshow.
The black J-31 rose in a nearly vertical climb on take-off in Zhuhai before circling back and doing two rolls, in the aircraft’s first announced public appearance.
Defence analysts said China appears eager to sell the new fifth generation fighter abroad, also putting on display a model with a designation typically used for overseas destinations: FC-31.
"China's defence industry wants to show the potential for export," said Andrew Erickson, associate professor at the China Maritime Studies Institute of the US Naval War College. Ally Pakistan is a likely first market, he added.
The plane's existence has been the subject of rumour and speculation for years, with photographs appearing increasingly frequently on military websites in recent months.
Defence analysts say the J-31 is China's answer to the United States' F-35.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2014.
COMMENTS (5)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
lol at the guys saying this is F-16, it is clearly NOT an F16, it resembles the now scrapped F22 from USAF, but not with F16 in any way unless the editor changed the picture.
Editor Tribune! What's the matter with you? Showing an F-16! Go to any non-military website and you will find many fotoz. Salams.
Inshallah our all-weather friend will give us 100 free planes.
Good Lord! At least show the real picture of the FC-31 fighter. I mean comon, you guys.
Is it just me or does it look like an F-16 painted black?