Designation The prototype of the J-35 had been referred to as
J-31,
F-60,
J-21,
Snowy Owl or
Falcon Hawk in various media reports. The fighter initially did not feature the J-XX nomenclatures, as such names are reserved for programs launched and financed by the military, while the FC-31 was developed independently as a privately funded venture by SAC. The original FC-31 prototype made its
maiden flight on October 31, 2012.
Origin While the
Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter was officially endorsed by the PLAAF after
Chengdu Aerospace Corporation's proposal won the PLAAF bid for the
next-generation jet fighter, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation pressed on and developed a private project aiming to secure potential export customers. In June 2012, a partially assembled F-60 was photographed in a
police-escorted road transit through a
national highway atop a
truck and trailer, with its
airframe heavily overwrapped by camouflage covering. Initially, military observers speculated the subject in transit was the
Hongdu JL-10 trainer aircraft. A few days later, pictures of a fully assembled fighter aircraft parking on an airfield emerged on the internet, with the new aircraft displaying stealth characteristics, the
registration number "31001" on the front
fuselage. Military observers gave temporary names to the aircraft, such as J-21, J-31, or F-60. Several features were also noted, such as the more conventional airframe design with
trapezoidal wings (instead of the
canard-
delta configuration of the
Chengdu J-20) and twin nose wheels, leading to the speculation that F-60 could become a carrier-borne aircraft in the future. On 31 October 2012, The first prototype made its
maiden flight, accompanied by a
J-11 serving as the
chase aircraft.
Shenyang FC-31 In November 2012, the aircraft was officially revealed at
Zhuhai Airshow 2012, with the designation Shenyang FC-31, following Chinese export fighter terminology and aircraft such as
FC-1 and
FC-20. A scale model of the FC-31 was displayed inside the exhibition hall. On 12 November 2014, the FC-31 prototype performed its first public flight demonstration at Zhuhai Airshow 2014. The prototype was fitted with two Klimov RD-93 engines. Reuben Johnson of
Aviation International News noted the prototype was not optimized in its flight performance. The author also noted that another model with modified details was displayed inside the exhibition hall. In 2015, the FC-31 model was displayed first time at a foreign military trade expo, at
Dubai Airshow. AVIC official told
Aviation Week that the company was pushing the aircraft for export while negotiating with the Chinese government and the
People's Liberation Army for further development. Some additional details were given by the FC-31's designer, including its stealth capabilities, payload, and operational range. The aircraft was intended to serve as a competitor to the
Lockheed Martin F-35 on the export market, especially for countries which cannot join the F-35 program or afford the American fighter. There were also persistent rumors of the FC-31 being developed into a
carrier-based naval fighter. In 2015, the FC-31's chief designer Sun Cong suggested that FC-31 would succeed
Shenyang J-15 in operating on China's aircraft carriers. In 2015, Jiangsu A-Star Aviation Industries Company marketed its EOTS-86
infra-red search and track as a possible addition to the FC-31. In November 2016, AVIC released a promotional video of an FC-31 prototype, displaying the refinement in construction quality from earlier prototypes. On 23 December 2016, the second prototype of the FC-31 took flight. This prototype was not featured in the Zhuhai Airshow of 2016. Still, a cockpit model with a
sidestick controller, multifunctional
touchscreen displays, and a
heads-up display was showcased in the AVIC booth. It was displayed again at Zhuhai Airshow 2018, implying China no longer deemed first prototype sensitive technologically. On 21 November 2018, the
Aviation Week reported that
People's Liberation Army (PLA) has taken interest in the Shenyang FC-31. By February 2022, AVIC continued to promote FC-31 for export.
Shenyang J-35 In June 2020, the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment, the research wing of the
Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), announced that a "new fighter" was under development and would make its maiden flight in 2021. This "new fighter" was theorized by media and military analysts as the navalized version of the Shenyang FC-31. New reports indicated that the new variant would feature a bigger radome, navalized functions, and different alignments of control surfaces to reduce the radar signature. In June 2021, a mock-up of the FC-31 (J-35) prototype was spotted parked on top of China's carrier test facility, which simulates the
flight deck of the
Type 003 aircraft carrier. Analysts believe the J-35 could serve in China's future Type 003 aircraft carrier, as well as launched with ski-jump on China's older carriers, complementing the fleet of
Shenyang J-15. In July 2021, a static FC-31 with opened weapons bay was displayed inside the
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation Expo Park. Analysts noted the similarity of the weapons bay dimension between
Chengdu J-20 and FC-31, which means the fighter could accommodate
PL-15 missiles and other armaments in similar quantities. On 29 October 2021, the modified carrier-based variant of the FC-31, tentatively named J-35, conducted its maiden flight. This new prototype, in blue-green primer paint, features a major redesign. A catapult launch bar and
folding wing mechanisms were added, intended for operating on the
Type 003 aircraft carrier with its
electromagnetic catapult system. A chin-mounted sensor turret, similar to the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) on F-35, is featured. The overall shape of the first J-35 prototype indicated a developmental lineage from the second prototype of the FC-31. A video of the prototype flying was recorded on the same day. In March 2023, the
People's Liberation Army Navy released a recruitment video, teasing about the service's future carrier aircraft, which included a rough outline of the FC-31. In August 2023, a J-35 prototype was spotted test flying with landing gear extended in China. On 8 December 2023, a mock-up of the J-35 was spotted on the deck of the
Type 003 aircraft carrier, which was recently launched and preparing for sea trials at her homeport. On 26 September 2023, the land-based variant of the J-35, tentatively named the J-31 by defense analysts, made its first flight. The land-based variant was distinguished by its smaller wing surface area, single nose wheel, and non-clipped wings, different from the earlier J-35 prototype. On 13 February 2024, a full-size mockup of the navalized J-35 fighter was spotted aboard China's
aircraft carrier Liaoning, under evaluation for potential use on the aircraft deck. The test of the J-35 on
Liaoning signified that the fighter is intended to operate not only on catapult-equipped
Type 003 but also the older
ski-jump (STOBAR) carriers. Analysts also believed the smaller size and lighter weight of the J-35 could provide operational advantages on the
Liaoning and
Shandong. A few days later on 29 February 2024, the
Liaoning embarked to the sea, carrying the J-35 mock-up for further testing. On 13 March 2024, military analysts noted the third flying prototype of the J-35 testing near Shenyang's facilities. On 5 November 2024, the
People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) officially announced that the J-35A, the
air force variant of the J-35, would attend the Zhuhai Airshow in 2024, held in the same month. The close-up photograph of the J-35A showcased by the PLAAF was painted in grey paint with the Air Force's
roundel with the number '75' engraved on the vertical stabilizers, celebrating PLAAF's 75th anniversary. On 22 September 2025, the PLAN Navy announced that the Shenyang J-35 had been certified for
CATOBAR operation. This makes J-35 the first
stealth fighter to accomplish electromagnetic catapult-assisted launch and recovery at sea. The
United States Navy's
USS Gerald R. Ford is yet to launch the
Lockheed Martin F-35C. ==Design==