Earlier this month, Pakistan revealed plans to acquire the Shenyang FC-31/J-31 fighter. Pakistan Air Force Chief Zaheer Sidhu in a ceremony revealed that the acquisition of the Shenyang FC-31/J-31 fighter is in progress, with preparations already underway.
“The foundation for acquiring the J-31 stealth fighter aircraft has already been laid, which is all set to become part of the [Pakistan Air Force’s] fleet in the near future,” the PAF chief revealed.
However, Sidhu didn’t share details about the number of jets Pakistan would be acquiring and their delivery schedule.
Shenyang is actively developing the FC-31/J-31, potentially designated J-35, primarily for deployment on upcoming Chinese aircraft carriers like CNS Shandong. However, plans for a land-based version remain unclear.
It is pertinent to mention that back in the 2010s, AVIC conducted tests with a J-31 demonstrator, even featuring it in the flying display at the 2014 Airshow China in Zhuhai.
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force has prioritized the Chengdu J-20, which is now in service and gradually being deployed. Despite this, the close military ties between China and Pakistan are evident, particularly through the joint Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17 project.
Pakistan holds the unique position of being the only country, besides China, to operate the J-10. Specifically, the J-10C is actively deployed in the Pakistan Air Force’s 15 Squadron.
According to recent media reports, Pakistan plans to acquire up to 25 J-10Cs.
The PAF’s chief statements seem contradictory to a social media post by Turkish Defense Minister Yaser Guler in August last year. As per Guler’s social media post, Pakistan was close to joining the Turkish Aerospace Industries Kaan fighter program.
AVIC, the parent company of Shenyang, had in the past considered the possibility of working with international partners on the FC-31/J-31 program. It should be recalled that during the 2015 Dubai Air Show, AVIC, in an extremely rare media briefing, AVIC promoted the FC-31/J-31 ‘Gyrfalcon’ as a low-observable jet with “multi-spectrum, low-observability characteristics”.
In 2015, AVIC said the first flight of a production FC-31/J-31 could happen in 2019. However, it depends on finding a well-funded customer. Pakistan, working on its aerospace sector, might find interest in such an advanced, stealthy aircraft.
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