Evidence suggests China is training Pakistan's J-35AE pilots

Clearest public evidence of the export programme emerged when Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of a fully assembled stealth fighter.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

Pakistani pilots appear to be undergoing simulator and cockpit training on China’s new J-35AE stealth fighter, even as neither Beijing nor Islamabad has confirmed that any aircraft have actually been delivered to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

If confirmed, pilot conversion training would represent one of the clearest indicators of Pakistan's effort to fly the fifth generation aircraft progressing beyond procurement announcements and into operational preparation.

The clearest public evidence of the export programme emerged in the first week of May, when Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of a fully assembled stealth fighter rolling out of a hangar. Chinese state media and regional defence trackers later identified the aircraft as the export-oriented J-35AE.

Crucially, the aircraft displayed the corporate branding of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and the identifier “01” or “AVIC 0001,” rather than the low-visibility operational insignia of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).

The prominent use of corporate manufacturer branding rather than PLA insignia is being seen as an indicator of the aircraft explicitly designated for the international commercial market. This development aligns with reports and imagery circulated in closed forums, which reportedly show Pakistani pilots undergoing cockpit and simulator orientation within a J-35 mock-up interface.