China Tests Next-Gen Stealth Jet for Newest Aircraft Carrier

China is advancing its military capabilities by testing the J-35, a new stealth fighter jet, on its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian. The Fujian, unlike China's previous carriers, features an electromagnetic catapult system. The jet is expected to bolster China's naval power significantly.

China is testing a new stealth fighter jet, dubbed the J-35, intended for deployment on its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which utilizes an advanced electromagnetic catapult system. Official media sources reported the trials on Sunday.

Earlier this year, this new warplane underwent tests on the Liaoning, the first aircraft carrier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, according to state-run Global Times and CCTV. The J-35 is poised to become China's latest carrier-borne stealth fighter jet, enhancing its naval aviation prowess.

With two aircraft carriers currently in operation—Liaoning, a Soviet-era refit, and Shandong, an indigenous creation commissioned in 2019—China's third carrier, Fujian, stands out with a displacement of 80,000 tons and is the first to feature a fully domestic design and an EMALS similar to the U.S. Navy's USS Gerald R. Ford. This innovation aims to elevate the capabilities of the J-35, which is still under development but is seen as a counterpart to Lockheed Martin's F-35.

(With inputs from agencies.)