A global push towards fifth-generation stealth fighter jets is visible as great powers are producing them. Particularly, China has metamorphosed J-35, its stealthy fighter, into a global export product. This was seen when it was presented globally at the 2026 Singapore Airshow. Moreover, Pakistan is expecting a tranche of 40 J-35 from China, meaning that the PAF will become the first foreign operator of the platform after inducting it into its fleet. This follows a historical precedent of the PAF, which maintains its technologically superior fleet to offset the quantitative advantage of the IAF.As a cost-competitive alternative to the Western fifth-generation platforms, the Shenyang J-35 Gyrfalcon is particularly attractive for the countries that cannot afford Western fifth-generation fighter jets, are confined by political limitations on US arms procurements, and data sovereignty issues. Also, the combat-proven capability of the J-10, as seen against the Rafale during the Pakistan-India May 2025 war, speaks volumes about Chinese technological prowess and advancement, proving that it is at par with Western technology. In the same vein, J-35’s capability will further turn the perception of Western technology’s superiority into a misnomer. Pakistan’s acquisition of the J-35 will also effectively counterbalance the much-created hype and optics around the Indian acquisition of the 114 Rafale fighters, which is not a doctrinal solution. Rather, the Rafale induction is a reflection of Indian insecurity and a flailing attempt at restoring New Delhi’s damaged air power image.The J-35 has been designed as a central coordinator in air defence systems. The aircraft’s capability to carry a wide array of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and precision-guided munitions in its internal weapons bay, small radar cross-section owing to its design including canted tails and chiselled nose, use of the country’s proprietary new metamaterial technology, and radar-absorbent coating make it a stealth multirole fighter aircraft. It also features an advanced AESA radar, an advanced sensor fusion and electronic warfare capabilities, and twin WS-19 engines, which allow it to reach the maximum speed of Mach 2.0. There are bright chances that Pakistan gets the PL-17 ultra-long-range air-to-air missile boasting a range of 400 kilometres and beyond. This will give a significant advantage to Pakistan in BVR combat. Technologically sophisticated Chinese avionics make the J-35 a true force multiplier and a game-changer.During an induction ceremony for new equipment in early January 2024, the announcement for Pakistan’s intention to acquire the J-35 was made by Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu. The presence of the Chief of the Army Staff Syed Asim Munir at the occasion also illustrated his essential role in the acquisition plan of J-35. At the event, it was suggested that the foundation for acquiring the stealth fighter has already been laid, with preparations underway to obtain the fighter. A lot of water has passed since then and progress has been made. Following the completion of formalities, PAF is interacting with the Chinese counterparts for the induction of the aircraft. Pakistan’s planned acquisition and subsequent induction of the J-35 is a significant platform-centric modernisation in recent years to upgrade its air capabilities.These developments are certainly a blow to Pakistan’s eastern neighbour, especially after its crushing defeat at the hands of the Pakistan Armed Forces, particularly for the IAF, which lost seven of its aircraft, four Rafales among them. It has been reported recently that in addition to the Rafale-centric clearance of 40 billion USD for its defence procurements, New Delhi is also spending extra money to buy offensive munitions, which include guided bombs, air-to-surface missiles, air-launched ballistic missiles, drones, and surveillance systems. Nonetheless, our stealth-enabled air force would be better positioned to potently counter the adversary whilst supporting the two services, the Army and Navy. This is because of its proactive airspace denial to the enemy, forward inception, and sustained multi-domain confrontation.In the wake of Pakistan’s announcement of the acquisition of the J-35, Indian actions express that it has become rattled. New Delhi has also begun scrambling to accelerate the development of its indigenous stealth fighter under the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. Though India is expediting the programme, not being a pessimist, it has a bleak future. This stems from the known dismal track record of the Tejas. New Delhi has also started to further deepen its cooperation with the US for the American GE F414 engine as the AMCA is dependent upon it, whilst also exploring external stealth procurement options (SU-57 or F-35). The latter comes with intricate and complex acquisition process with its own set of challenges. Particularly, the operationalisation of the externally procured stealthy jets would take the IAF five to seven years. Moreover, these Indian measures are an acknowledgement of shifting regional airpower balance as South Asia is entering a new phase marked by stealth-centric platforms.To conclude, the introduction of the J-35 into the South Asian security calculus would translate into compressed decision-making timelines, reduced warning indicators, and increased ambiguity. It is likely to convert the IAF into the Achilles’ heel of the Indian military, further tipping the balance in Pakistan’s favour in terms of aerial superiority and wide array of operations over large ranges.

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