Pakistan has disclosed an intention to obtain the Shenyang FC-31/J-31 fighter, potentially setting the stage for the first acquisition of the type.
During a ceremony in Pakistan, Pakistan air force chief Zaheer Sidhu suggested that preparations have been underway to obtain the Chinese fighter.
“The foundation for acquiring the J-31 stealth fighter aircraft has already been laid, which is all set to become part of the [Pakistan air force’s] fleet in the near future,” said a summary of Sidhu’s speech posted on the official Pakistan air force Facebook page.
No details about the number of jets to be obtained or the delivery schedule were provided.
While Shenyang is developing the FC-31/J-31 – tentatively designated J-35 – for use aboard future Chinese aircraft carriers, such as CNS Shandong, plans for a land-based version are murky. In the 2010s AVIC conducted tests with a J-31 demonstrator, including an appearance in the flying display of the 2014 version of Airshow China in Zhuhai.
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force has instead focused on acquiring the Chengdu J-20, which has entered service and is steadily being deployed.
Nonetheless, Beijing and Islamabad have close relations in military aircraft. The Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17 is a joint effort between the two countries. Pakistan is also the only country apart from China to operate the J-10, with the J-10C serving with the Pakistan air force’s 15 Sqn – media reports have suggested Pakistan will obtain up to 25 J-10Cs.
Sidhu’s remarks also appear to be at odds with a social media post by Turkish defence minister Yaser Guler in August 2023, which indicated that Islamabad was poised to sign up to the Turkish Aerospace Industries Kaan fighter programme.
AVIC, the parent of Shenyang, has previously mooted the possibility of working with international partners on the FC-31/J-31 programme.
At the Dubai air show in 2015, in an extremely rare media briefing, AVIC promoted the FC-31/J-31 ‘Gyrfalcon’ as a low-observable jet with “multi-spectrum, low-observability characteristics”.
AVIC said at the time that a first flight of a production example could take place in 2019, but that this would be contingent on securing a “well-funded” customer.
Work on an advanced, stealthy aircraft such as the FC-31/J-31 might prove of interest to Pakistan, which has worked to develop its aerospace sector.
