China's stealth fighter J-35 is a mirage for Pakistan

It is increasingly unlikely that Pakistan will be able to fly China's J-35 stealth fighter in this decade.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

In fact, analysts note that even an early-2030s window is uncertain.

Despite repeated speculation since early 2024 by Pakistani military officials, which gained more traction after Operation Sindoor, the aircraft remains limited to prototypes, test flights and carrier trials in China, and no publicly confirmed contract exists with Islamabad.

At best, analysts say, the J-35 may enter Chinese frontline service later this decade—some estimates point to the late 2020s—with an export variant conceivable only afterwards.

That pushes any potential delivery to Pakistan into the 2030s, if it happens at all.

The chatter of Pakistan acquiring the aircraft began in January 2024 when Pakistan's air chief, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar, said the "foundation had been laid" for acquiring the FC-31, also known as the J-35.

By December of that year, local reports went further, suggesting deliveries could begin within months. In June 2025, international defence outlets quoted unnamed Pakistani officials claiming China had offered up to 40 jets.