China "Developing Carrier-Based Aircraft with Stealth Capabilities Within the Year"... Difficult to Compete with US F-35

News of China's Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Development Suggests New Carrier-Based Aircraft in Progress
"Criticism That Development Shifted to Carrier-Based Aircraft After Rejection by Chinese Air Force"

Prototype of FC-31 introduced at the 2014 Zhuhai Airshow
[Image source= China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) website]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] A Chinese state-owned aviation company announced the development of a new stealth-capable carrier-based aircraft. This move is interpreted as a response to the recent news that China’s fourth domestically built aircraft carrier will be nuclear-powered, raising the need for a fighter jet comparable to the U.S. F-35 carrier-based aircraft. The new carrier-based aircraft is expected to be developed by modifying the FC-31, a stealth fighter introduced by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

According to the Chinese state-run Global Times on the 30th, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of AVIC, announced in its 2021 business plan that it will strengthen research on surface electromagnetic defect control technology within the year to develop a stealth-capable carrier-based aircraft. The new carrier-based aircraft is reported to be developed based on the FC-31, China’s second stealth fighter produced by AVIC.

This announcement is seen as a response to the news that China’s fourth aircraft carrier is being developed as a nuclear-powered carrier, aiming to develop a carrier-based aircraft suitable for the new carrier. The Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 13th, citing sources close to the Chinese military, that “the two currently operated aircraft carriers and the soon-to-be-completed third carrier are all conventionally powered, but Chinese authorities are reviewing the use of nuclear propulsion for the fourth aircraft carrier.”

Previously, China adopted the J-20 stealth fighter as its carrier-based aircraft, but all currently operated Chinese aircraft carriers are diesel-powered and configured with ski-jump ramps instead of catapults. It is known that the J-20, which has relatively weak engine performance, finds it very difficult to take off from such carriers, leading to calls for the development of a new carrier-based aircraft.

However, the FC-31 has been criticized as a copy of the U.S. F-35, and since its engines are imported from Russia, the prevailing analysis is that it will be difficult for China to develop a new carrier-based aircraft with capabilities comparable to the F-35. SCMP also reported, “The FC-31 has not yet been officially adopted as a fighter by the Chinese Air Force, and the shift to developing it as a carrier-based aircraft is presumed to be for naval delivery.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.