Pakistan looks poised to become the first international customer for the AVIC/Shenyang J-35 fighter, as it also gives details about Azerbaijan’s acquisition of the Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17.
In a series of tweets on 6 June, Pakistani leader Shehbaz Sharif says the country has received an offer for 40 J-35 fighters, as well as an unspecified number of Shaanxi KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft.
The tweets were part of a series recounting Sharif’s achievements in recent diplomacy with China. In addition to the offer of aircraft, Pakistan was able to defer $3.7 billion in debt and will get high technology training for Pakistanis with the support of IT company Huawei.
He gave no details about delivery timelines for the aircraft, or the value of the offer.
Islamabad has previously expressed interest in the type. In early 2024, Pakistan air force chief Zaheer Sidhu suggested that preparations have been underway to obtain the J-31.
The J-35A is based on the J-31/FC-31 lineage. It ranks among China’s most advanced fighters and is set to serve in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
In remarks to propaganda outlet China Daily, AVIC aircraft designer Wang Yongqing has said that the twin-engined type is designed to deal with “high-level” threats, particularly stealth aircraft.
وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف {@CMShehbaz } کی زیرِ صدارت پاکستان نے کئی عظیم سفارتی کامیابیاں حاصل کیں، جن میں چین کی جانب سے 40 ففتھ جنریشن J-35 اسٹیلتھ طیارے، KJ-500 اواکس، HQ-19 ڈیفنس سسٹم کی پیشکش اور 3.7 بلین ڈالر قرض کی مؤخر ادائیگی شامل ہے، ہواوے کے تعاون سے 100,000 پاکستانیوں… pic.twitter.com/xEvJ0LSQRT
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) June 6, 2025
Sharif’s tweets come soon after Pakistan’s regional rival, India, announced that it will allow private sector players to bid for the development of its own stealth jet, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft.
Airpower on the subcontinent has assumed a high profile in the last month following a brief conflict between the two countries in early May, in which Pakistani Chengdu J-10Cs reportedly performed well against the Indian air force. The Pakistan air force claims that its No 15 Sqn, which operates the J-10C, downed three Dassault Aviation Rafales and three other jets: a Dassault Mirage 2000, an RAC MiG-29, and a Sukhoi Su-30.
Sharif’s tweets also confirm that Baku has signed a $4.6 billion deal for 40 JF-17s.
In September 2024 Azerbaijan president Ilyam Aliyev issued a statement stating that the JF-17 had been “integrated” into the country’s air force but offered few details about the order.
