J-35 or F-35: who will win and when?
It is very difficult to say where these two planes could meet, because there are more than one such place. It is in the area of Taiwan, and somewhere near the Korean Peninsula, and over the disputed islands of the Senkaku/Diaoyu archipelago, which are also not far from Taiwan - that is the ideal place to meet with the infliction of serious bodily harm...
It and the F-35 may not only be American. South Korea has some, Japan has some, and Taiwan wouldn't mind stocking up if they sell them.
In general, the situation in the region is quite something, and the outcome could be anything. Such a fight for peace and freedom will begin that only chips will fly. And anyway, since the US is painting China as its main enemy, you can sleep peacefully, it's just a matter of time. It will begin.
The Zhuhang Air Show in November this year shook up the expert community quite well; there were many interesting things there, but one of them was the J-35A, a new fifth-generation stealth fighter from the Chinese Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.
The aircraft may not have created the same sensation as the Su-57, but it also attracted a lot of attention, primarily due to its external similarity to the F-35. Many of the experts who discussed the aircraft agreed that the aircraft represent the pinnacle of both countries' technology in terms of both stealth and modern air warfare concepts. Many agreed that the aircraft have much in common externally, but are still machines of different directions, both tactical and strategic, shaped by the differing military needs of the two countries.
Comparing the aircraft is very difficult, if only because the F-35 has been studied inside and out, while its colleague the J-35 is, as they say, a thing in itself. So in our case, the analysis will be a bit one-sided, mainly based on what we managed to scrape together in specialized Chinese media, and they don’t really cover their secrets. Well, conjectures and guesses are not the best thing there can be.
However, it is possible to draw certain conclusions about the technical capabilities of the aircraft based on the available data and images. It is possible to project all this onto the tasks that will be set before the crews of these aircraft by the Air Force Command of the two countries, and here we will get a certain understanding of the capabilities.
A Brief History of the J-35A
The J-35A is based on the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation's FC-31 technology demonstrator. This aircraft was originally conceived as a potential export variant without the interest and support of the People's Liberation Army of China, like our MiG-35, with about the same feasibility: the world does not like to buy equipment that countries do not produce for themselves. However, along the way, the FC-31 underwent significant changes to meet the strict requirements of modern air combat, and this saved it.
By the mid-to-late 2010s, the design, which had been worked on quite a bit, finally attracted attention. Not from the PLAAF, but from the PLA Navy, which led to its redesign as a carrier-based fifth-generation fighter, tentatively named the J-35. This is certainly a huge undertaking, since the carrier-based aircraft is, after all, quite different from its land-based counterpart.
The first prototype of the naval aircraft, which took to the air in October 2021, had an enlarged folding wing, reinforced chassis, and a reinforced power set of the structure designed for a catapult launch. Naturally, it was necessary to modify the "filling" of the aircraft, pushing the aircraft start-up system to different corners for landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier.
Today, the J-35A is often compared to the American F-35, noting the common design features characteristic of fifth-generation fighters: double-sided air intakes and similar wing and tail configurations, cockpit canopy design, and so on.
While these similarities have sparked a great deal of speculation and speculation about potential industrial espionage and technology theft, with unspecified Chinese hackers and very real intelligence officers being blamed, no clear evidence has emerged.
And if you look at the F-35 and compare its similarities with other modern prototypes, such as the KF-21 and AMCA, then the whole world can be accused of industrial espionage. aviation. But it makes sense to dwell on the fact that all these design features can be determined rather by the search for optimal aerodynamic and operational solutions than by direct copying. Moreover, for direct copying it is necessary to obtain at one's disposal the object of copying or a full package of engineering and technical documentation. To what extent this is actually realistic is really a question for either Chinese intelligence or American counterintelligence. Someone really screwed up then.
Much has been said about the place of the J-35A in the PLAAF: whether it will be a stand-alone aircraft for naval aviation, without a focus on land use, or whether it will also be a land aircraft, as a universal complement to the heavier J-20, expanding China's fleet of fifth-generation fighters.
Here we must take into account that we are a little (actually quite a lot) ignorant of how the use of this aircraft configuration meets the various operational requirements of the Chinese armed forces - from achieving air superiority to conducting precision strike operations. With the F-35, everything is clear, it is in its role as a universal aircraft, the main advantages of which are the optimal combination of stealth and a large number of advanced sensor systems, which overall gives the F-35 a great potential of functional capabilities.
There is simply too much we don’t know about the J-35A to make even rough analytical calculations, but it is possible to draw certain analogies with the USA, where the F-22 was assigned the role of an air superiority aircraft (practically a “pure” fighter Defense, like our Su-27), and the F-35 took on the role of a universal aircraft capable of working on any target after the threat from the enemy air force was reduced. The Chinese Air Force has a similar layout: the heavy J-20 takes on the role of the first echelon of meeting the enemy at the farthest approaches, and the smaller and lighter J-35 will play the role of a universal aircraft capable of working on any target.
What can be said about the designs of the J-35A and F-35 fighters?
Low visibility and features of the glider
Well, the fact that the J-35A and F-35 are designed with low observability and stealth technology in mind is evident from their streamlined fuselages with lots of sharp angles. Well, minimizing the radar signature (RCS) and increasing the efficiency of operations by keeping the aircraft undetected during flights for as long as possible is a tribute to today's fashion in terms of low observability.
The J-35A and F-35 share similar aerodynamic components, such as slats and vertical stabilizers arranged in a distinctive V-shape. However, the slight differences in the design of the two aircraft are the best evidence that the designers followed different paths when creating them.
The J-35A's stabilizers are slightly wider and angled, potentially providing better aerodynamic performance to meet the Chinese military's specific operational requirements. That is, experts estimate that the J-35A will have an advantage over the F-35 in terms of maneuverability.
The F-35 has stabilizers at a much sharper angle, that is, optimized for increased stealth. There are no secrets or omissions here either, it has long been known that American engineers sacrificed almost all flight characteristics for stealth, but this is justified, since the very strategy of using stealth aircraft of the American Air Force is based on the idea of a stealthy approach to the enemy at attack distance. And here, the F-35, “sharpened” for such tactics, will have an advantage in certain moments.
Wings: The wing design of the J-35A and F-35 perfectly illustrates the different tactical priorities in the use of aircraft.
The J-35A has slightly more angular wings, which improves maneuverability, a critical factor in air combat and rapid tactical reorganization. This design choice indirectly confirms the J-35A's intended role in providing superiority in rapid response to various combat situations.
The F-35 has smoother, more streamlined wings, which again fits in with its overall stealth strategy. These wings are designed to minimize radar reflections, and high-speed stability is clearly secondary, which the F-35 doesn't really need, since supersonic flight is not its strong point.
Engine in two dimensions
The engine as such, that is, the power unit, is the weak point of Chinese aircraft. Whatever they say on the Chinese side, but the WS-21 is not a competitor to the Pratt & Whitney F135. Yes, in numbers the engines are approximately equal, but the fact that the American with a touch of British will be a more reliable engineering solution compared to the next modification of the same Klimovsky RD-93, does not need to be explained. Despite the cost of a flight hour, which, as expected, is much higher for the American aircraft than for the Chinese one.
But engines are not just a stream of hot gases that makes an airplane fly at all, they are also a design element in the system that ensures the airplane's stealth. And today, this is no less important than the speed and maneuver that the engine provides.
The J-35A has a more enclosed engine design with fewer visible edges and standard nozzle shapes today, which, on the one hand, is aimed at minimizing radar reflections, and on the other hand, is optimized for operational flexibility in various combat applications.
The F-35's exhaust system is much more complex, with solutions again aimed at maximizing stealth. This is a comprehensive approach to reducing the aircraft's radar signature, which is consistent with the aircraft's strategic role in achieving air superiority, but at the expense of its combat performance in scenarios such as close-quarters combat with other aircraft.
Speed, range and everything else
The numbers… the numbers say that the J-35A has a top speed of Mach 2,0, which is faster than the F-35’s top speed of Mach 1,6. With its higher speed, the J-35A has an advantage in dynamic combat scenarios, especially when intercepting high-speed targets, which is essential for air superiority.
But maximum speed is not the speed at which aircraft fly constantly. Any combat aircraft flies the majority of kilometers at cruising speed. This is more beneficial both in terms of the load on the airframe and in terms of fuel consumption.
Speaking of fuel. If you look at the numbers, the American plane flies further than the Chinese one. Sort of. But in reality, the F-35A's range without external tanks and refueling is not great - 1080 km. The J-35A flies even more - 1250 km. But we are looking at the region in which, if anything, these planes will have to test each other "by tooth" - and there are no such super-distances! Japan, South Korea, Taiwan - they are all right next to China, that is, within the radius of flight on internal fuel reserves.
Accordingly, if you don’t take three huge conformal tanks with you, which reduce all this stealth to nothing, then you can hang yourself with weapons and fly to carry out tasks easily, literally and naturally.
In addition, both aircraft can refuel in flight, which significantly increases their range and flight duration without external tanks. However, tanks are also an option if you need to "hang" longer in some area, after which you can get rid of the external tanks and continue flying in camouflage mode.
That is, if we are talking about a specific theater of military operations in the South China Sea, then range is not a factor there that can provide an advantage to one of the parties. And for Chinese aircraft, which will generally operate from their network of airfields in the coastal part of the country, range is not important to them at all.
As for the speed characteristics, here is a nuance: everyone already knows that at supersonic speeds, the F-35's low-visibility components in the form of coatings and angles do not work, or work, but not 100%. That is, quickly and unnoticed approach is not about the F-35. That is, it will sneak up at subsonic speed to the attack distance, but what will happen if it is noticed, and how the American will start to flee from faster Chinese aircraft - I myself would be happy to watch such a show.
Tactics and stealth
Stealth in these conditions... Frankly speaking, it is very difficult to model the conditions under which it can be implemented, because radars are being added to the air defense network of the coastal strip of China (and it not only exists there, it is very saturated with early warning stations and air defense systems) fleet and AWACS aircraft. Plus, we shouldn't forget about the crowd of military satellites that China has been putting into orbit over the past few years. There will also be someone from above to keep an eye on the situation.
According to the most approximate data, the PLA air defense uses about 600 radars to monitor the air situation. It is clear that somewhere (for example, in mountainous areas) there are fewer stations, and on the coast there are expectedly more. And already at 500 km from the line, these radars create such a field through which it is unlikely to slip. That is, an individual aircraft still has a chance to slip through, but if we are talking about the use of groups of combat aircraft - there is no chance.
How to implement stealth in such conditions? Yes, that's the question. Studying the actions of the American Air Force in Iraq, and the Israeli F-35I against Palestine, I was once again convinced that stealth is very good in places where few can notice a stealth aircraft. When you need to destroy a town where terrorists with small arms are sitting, there are no problems. If there is a country whose air defense is not equipped with the latest technology (although yes, the classic of the genre is a meter-long radar of the Yugoslav army, then a radar of an air defense system at point-blank range - and the "invisible" has landed) - stealth is implemented very effectively.
If we take any low-observable aircraft and stick it into the radio hell that exists where the Russian army and the European team under the Ukrainian flag met, yes, there will be some effect from low visibility, but here, rather, the question will be: will they detect quickly, and not very quickly. For those who have not yet heard the negotiations of our pilots and guidance stations, I recommend: they see everything and everyone.
Yes, a squadron of bombers can hide in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, and quite easily. It will be difficult to detect, but the closer the planes approach the radar-covered zone, the less chance there is of surprise. But this is more likely to apply to the Americans, who will be coming from their bases in the Pacific Ocean. But we are not talking about the B-2 or B-21, we are talking about the F-35, which will fly, say, from an airfield near Gwangju, and right at takeoff it will be seen by Chinese radars, which are located near Rongcheng, some 400 km away.
Plus, we shouldn't forget about the possibility of moving floating airfields forward, and the Chinese have almost three of them, and from them to meet the enemy on approach. And fully armed. And with AWACS aircraft as flying radars.
All this fuss with stealth is, of course, useful. And indeed, in certain conditions it can give a chance against a regular aircraft. But it is very doubtful that it will work everywhere, especially in the conditions of modern reconnaissance. What can we say if Tu-95s take off in Engels, and more than a thousand kilometers away, in Kyiv, half an hour later they start running along the walls? Of course, the Tu-95 is an example of stealth in reverse, but something tells me that tracking the takeoff of a B-2 in a similar way will be a little more problematic, but possible.
And here, as a conclusion, it is worth saying that stealth is good when there is an opportunity to implement it.
Avionics, eyes and ears
The J-35A is equipped with a suite of advanced domestically developed and manufactured avionics, including an active phased array radar, infrared search and tracking systems, and an electronic warfare suite. How effective this is is impossible to say due to a complete lack of information.
The F-35 is equipped with an AN/APG-81 active phased array radar, an AN/AAQ-37 distributed array system, and an AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare system. These systems are not the newest, but they are time-tested and known for their strengths and weaknesses. Here, I think, it will be much easier for the Chinese in terms of countering American aircraft from the electronics side. When you know what equipment to work on in terms of the same interference, when you know at least approximately the frequencies, it is easier to work.
weaponry
Everything is clear here: each side will cram everything into the weapons bays as much as possible. Specifically, inside the hull, in the name of the same stealth.
The J-35A has 6 external hardpoints and 6 internal weapons bays and can carry up to 8 kilograms of payload, while the F-000 has 35 internal hardpoints and 4 external, the total combat load weight is almost comparable to the Chinese aircraft: 6 kg.
If we talk about stealth being the top priority, the Chinese aircraft has a definite advantage of 2 missiles. And this may be more than enough to gain a big advantage. Two missiles may not seem like much, but when converted to a squadron, this gives 24 missiles. And that's a serious number, no matter how you look at it.
But even if stealth is not very important, when there is a full-scale battle, the Chinese plane still takes more weapons, than the American one. And in a normal fight there are never enough weapons, so the only way the Americans can get ahead is with more effective missiles.
AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-132 ASRAAM, AIM-9X Sidewinder – none of them need an introduction, they are very serious weapons. But who said that PL-16, PL-15 and PL-10 are worse? Who checked, and most importantly – it is still unknown what the results of such a check may be.
Who will win?
The J-35A focuses on speed and maneuverability with stealth elements (Russian school), while the F-35 focuses on stealth and global compatibility with any combat systems. However, the Chinese aircraft will most likely also be able to engage in a network-centric combat model.
These aircraft demonstrate advanced technologies for their countries, aimed at maximizing the aircraft's effectiveness in aerial combat; the only question is whose approach will be more advanced and effective.
On the American plane's side are its cult-like stealth, a modern set of tracking and detection sensors, and weapons developed by companies that have long enjoyed respect in the world. On the downside are its not-so-great speed characteristics and maneuverability, sacrificed for stealth. In addition, the F-35 with any letter after the numbers (especially B) is very expensive to operate and demanding to maintain.
The Chinese plane is a real "dark horse". There is no precise data on how effective its avionics and weapons are. True, the F-35 has not been particularly noted in air battles, even against flying bubbles; all that this universal fighter has to its credit is the universal destruction of houses in the Gaza Strip.
The F-35's stealth is a very good thing, but not in the field of 300-400 Chinese radars. The speed and maneuverability of the J-35 are simply wonderful in close combat, but close combat may not take place if the J-35's sensors cannot detect the F-35 with its missiles in time. The crazy progress of Chinese aviation inspires respect, but the Americans built decent and even very good aircraft when Chinese pilots were wearing out all sorts of old stuff.
But there is another advantage on the side of the Chinese aircraft. Much can be said about the long-standing design school of American aviation, taking into account a whole series of excellent aircraft created in the USA (F-14, F-15, F-16, F-18), but what is the American aviation industry? What does it work for? That's right, for the dollar. Business and nothing personal. And the desire for profit gives birth to, let's say, aircraft that, from the pilots' point of view, are far from perfect. Like the F-22.
China has a completely different setup and approach. The planes are built by state-owned companies, since even the developer of the J-35A, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), has a structural division, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), which is controlled by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council of the PRC.
It's not that the businessmen from Lockheed and Boeing don't care, I'm sure that there is a certain pride there too, not only about the profits from government orders for aircraft for the Air Force and Marine Corps, but Chinese enterprises build as if for themselves. You could say, the costs of construction, because the cornerstone is not profit, but defense capability according to the will and instructions of the Communist Party of China. And this is the course that the Chinese aviation industry is taking, and it is doing so by leaps and bounds.
Just think about it: 50 years ago, the Chinese were producing the MiG-21 under license and were happy to be allowed to produce such an aircraft. Today, China has 15 times more fifth-generation fighters than Russia, and 5 times more AWACS aircraft.
It is difficult to say who will be stronger in such a confrontation, the Chinese plane or the American one, but personally I would bet on the Chinese one. And not only because the communist plane will be confronted by the capitalist one, the Chinese planes really do have a certain pace of development, and if everything goes as it is, in a couple of decades the PLAAF will be such a force in the air that everyone without exception will reckon with, both in quantity and quality.
But there is no such confidence in the American line of development. Although, of course, the Chinese should improve their engines...
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