New Chinese J-31 stealth fighter spotted in Zhuhai ahead of air show
Photos of what appears to be China’s latest stealth fighter have revived speculation that the jet will be publicly unveiled for the first time at an air show in Zhuhai next month.
Photos of what appears to be China’s latest stealth fighter landing in the southern city of Zhuhai have revived speculation that the jet will be publicly unveiled for the first time at an air show there next month.
Watch: China's Zhuhai airshow takes off, J-31 fighter makes debut
“The overall line-up certainly looks plausible, as the mix of helicopters and fighters is similar to how the Russians outfit their example of this carrier,” Roger Cliff, a senior fellow with the Asia Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, told .
“The striking thing about this carrier and aircraft line-up is that every single item is based on a foreign system. The Liaoning is a Russian-built ship fitted out with Chinese systems. The helicopters are based on Eurocopter designs. And the J-15 fighters are based on the Russian Su-33 design.”
Andrei Chang, editor-in-chief of the Canada-based , told the in 2012 that as well as borrowing features from Russian aircraft, the J-31 provided further evidence that Shenyang jets were proving increasingly adept at cloning US planes.
Chang said the J-31 appears to have borrowed features from the US Air Force’s twin-engine F-22 and the US Navy’s single-engine F-35C.