China’s Offer of J-35 Fighter Jets to Pakistan: What Makes These Fifth-Generation ‘Silent Killers’ So Dominant in the Skies?

A month after Pakistan and India exchanged attacks over four days in May 2025, the two nations are exploring ways to enhance their defence capabilities through diplomatic channels.

India has not officially acknowledged that Pakistan shot down any aircraft during this period. However, Indian Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, in his first response to these claims, stated, “The important thing is not that the aircraft were shot down, but why they were shot down. What mistakes were made? These issues are significant; numbers are not important.”

Since this statement, discussions have shifted towards the air capabilities and defence systems of both countries. In late May, India’s Ministry of Defence approved the domestic production of the latest fifth-generation stealth fighter jets. The Aeronautical Development Agency will undertake this project in collaboration with private companies in India.

Additionally, there is an ongoing debate in India about whether its air force should purchase the Russian Su-57 or the American F-35 and F-22 Raptors.

In this context, the Pakistani government announced on the social media platform X that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan has made significant diplomatic strides. This includes an offer from China for 40 fifth-generation J-35 stealth aircraft, KJ-500 AVICS, and HQ-19 defence systems, along with a deferred payment plan for a $3.7 billion loan.

Although there has been no official statement from China regarding this offer, Bloomberg reported a surge in stocks of Chinese defence companies following Pakistan’s expression of interest in purchasing J-35 aircraft and other defence equipment. According to Bloomberg, the stock price of AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Company, the manufacturer of the J-35 stealth fighter jets, rose by 9.3%.

Reports about Pakistan’s interest in J-35 stealth fighter jets have been prevalent since last year, and this is the first time the Pakistani government has officially acknowledged this alleged offer from China.

What is it about these fifth-generation stealth fighter jets?

To explore this, we spoke to Alex Plattsas, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former Pentagon official, as well as Air Commodore (retd) Raza Haider, who has spent two decades in the aircraft design department of the Pakistan Air Force.

What are fifth-generation fighter jets, and which countries have them?

Air Commodore Raza Haider, who serves as the Director of Emerging Technologies at the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies, stated in an interview with the BBC that there are currently only five operational fifth-generation fighter jets in the world, all of which are held by the United States, Russia, and China. The US possesses the F-22 Raptor and the F-35, while Russia has the Su-57. China, on the other hand, operates two fifth-generation aircraft: the J-20 and the J-35.

He also mentioned several modern aircraft under development, including:

• The Tempest, being developed by Britain, Italy, and Japan.
• The Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a joint project by France, Germany, and Spain.
• Turkey’s upcoming fighter jet, the KAAN.

Experts Alex Platsas and Raza Haider outline the main features of fifth-generation aircraft:

Key Features

1. Stealth capability – reduced radar visibility.
2. Avionics sensor fusion – synchronised radar, navigation, and fire-control systems.
3. Supercruise – sustained supersonic flight with low fuel usage.
4. Network-centric operations – connected to radars, AEWS aircraft, and UAVs.

What factors make an aircraft fifth generation and stealth?

Stealth technology reduces radar cross-section and thermal signature, making the aircraft difficult to detect.

Alex Plattsas explains:

• The aircraft is shaped to scatter radar waves.
• Radar-absorbing composites absorb signals.
• Engines, exhausts, cooling systems, and internal weapon bays minimise heat signature.

Air Commodore Raza Haider adds that weapons and fuel tanks are stored internally to avoid radar reflection. Radar-absorbent materials and special paint further reduce detectability, giving the aircraft a very low radar cross-section.

What will be the benefit of the arrival of the fifth-generation fighter?

Raza Haider explains:

• First lock, first shot, first kill advantage.
• Enemy aircraft are unable to detect the stealth jet first.
• Significantly higher survival chances, even against surface-to-air missiles.

Maintaining air superiority will be crucial in future conflicts.

Why was stealth technology needed?

During the 1960s, countries developed modern, integrated air defence systems, linking ground and airborne radars with command centres. These systems were so effective that they could destroy almost any incoming bomber.

Kyle Mizukami, in Survival in the Sky: The Story of Stealth Technology, explains that this threat pushed aerospace engineers to consider a new idea:

What if an aircraft could enter enemy airspace without being detected?

If radar detection distance could be reduced from 100 miles to 20 miles, an aircraft could slip through defences, strike a target, and return safely.

A key breakthrough came from Soviet scientist Pyotr Ufimtsev, who studied how electromagnetic waves scatter. His work was later used by Lockheed to design early stealth aircraft.

This led to:

• Have Blue, the first radar-evading aircraft.
• F-117, used by the US Air Force, and famously shot down once during the Yugoslav Wars in 1999.

What will air warfare be like in the future?

Raza Haider explains that modern air warfare is multi-domain, meaning aircraft work alongside many supporting systems.

A key future concept is the loyal wingman, where stealth drones fly with a manned aircraft, intercepting missiles and providing intelligence. A pilot may be supported by two to eight drones.

Missile systems are also extending their range, indicating a shift from traditional air warfare to aerospace warfare.

This article was originally published in BBC Urdu and translated by the Bolan Voice, with special thanks for its republication.