Pakistan Air Force: Pakistan is rapidly advancing its military capabilities in its attempt to outgun India in case of another showdown between the two bitter rivals. In recent years, Pakistan has taken several measures to modernize its armed forces, especially the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which will soon boast a fleet of the latest 5th generation J-35 stealth fighter jets, acquired from China.
Reports say that the PAF has inked a deal to acquire 40 J-35 fighter jets, which will be delivered within the next two years. The deal was set in motion in January 2024, when PAF chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu had stated that the “foundation for acquiring the J-31 stealth fighter aircraft has already been laid”, and the Chinese-made stealth fighter would join the PAF fleet “in the near future”.
Pakistan will have edge over India for over a decade
Experts believe Pakistan’s acquisition of the J-35 warplane would give it superiority over the Indian Air Force (IAF) in terms of firepower and aerial supremacy, giving Islamabad a strategic edge over New Delhi over the next decade or more. According to Zia ul Haq Shamsi, a retired PAF officer, the deployment of J-35 fighters can give Pakistan an edge over India for the next 12-14 years.
However, some experts consider this period to be limited to around 7-8 years. Let us find out about the capabilities and features of the J-35 stealth fighter jet.
Squadron Leader Vijainder K. Thakur (retd), an IAF veteran and military expert, notes that PAF’s acquisition of the J-35 will provide a significant boost to its offensive capabilities, and combined with F-16 and J-10C, the J-35’s land-attack variant would provide Pakistan an edge over India, according to the Eurasian Times.
Brendan Mulvaney, the Director at US Air Force’s China Aerospace Studies Institute believes that Pakistan’s move reflects a shift away from Western countries and towards China.
However, he asserted that the J-35 effectiveness will also depend on the weapons, sensors and C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) provided by China.
India’s push for indigenous 5th gen fighter jets
Meanwhile, experts believe that India is at least a decade away from acquiring a 5th-gen stealth combat jet, with its AMCA, unlikely to be inducted in the IAF before 2034.
According to the 2024-25 report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, deliveries of India’s indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fifth-generation fighter jets are expected to start in the next decade. But the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is facing several technical and timeline-related challenges which could push the project timeline further back.
Currently, only three nations have operational fifth-generation fighters — US, Russia, and China, so realistically, acquiring the Su-57 Felon or the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet from Russia or United States, are the only two options for India to acquire a 5th-gen aircraft.
But, so far, the US has not explicitly stated that it would be open to selling the F-35 to India, because India buys a large amount armaments from Russia, including the S-400 air defense system.
How Pakistan is building air superiority despite failing economy?
Pakistan is facing a severe financial crisis, heavy debt, and its economy is crumbling, yet the country is rapidly expanding its military prowess, spending frantically on acquiring the latest military technology. According to a World Bank report, Pakistan owes $29 billion to China, and $9.16 billion to Saudi Arabia, with Beijing having a 22% share in Islamabad’s total foreign debt.
Experts believe that China, the world’s second largest economy, with a $18.7 trillion GDP, is the reason why Pakistan is able to rapidly build its military power, despite its economy being under severe stress.
Beijing and Islamabad share deep military ties, and have often referred to each other as “all-weather allies”, and China is helping to modernize all three wings of Pakistan’s armed forces, especially the Pakistan Air Force.
India and Pakistan have been engaged in a race to stay ahead of each other in combat aircraft since the 1950s when the two rival nations started building their air power.
J-35 features, capabilities
The Shenyang J-35 is a 5th generation, twin-engine stealth multirole combat aircraft manufactured by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), designed for air superiority and surface strike missions. The J-35 comes in two variants, a land-based variant for the Chinese Army, and a carrier-based variant optimized for catapult-assisted takeoff (CATOBAR) for the Navy.
The stealth fighter was unveiled during the Zhuhai Air Show in November this year, and is reportedly a more advanced and “production-ready” iteration of the earlier FC-31 model. Experts say that compared to the the FC-31 or J-31, the J-35 is powered by more powerful WS-19 engines, features a more sophisticated radar system, and improved sensor fusion.
The aircraft boasts other advanced features, including improved aerodynamics and stealth capabilities, and a wider range of weapons. Notably, China’s 5th-gen combat plane bears striking similarities with the US-made F-35 Lightning II.
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