China’s 5th-Gen Stealth Fighter Ready For Pakistan; To Be Armed With PL-17 Missiles: Media

Pakistan is reportedly all set to induct the Chinese-origin FC-31 fifth-generation stealth fighter to bolster its air power, weeks after the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) engaged in a brief but intense clash with the Indian Air Force. 

A senior unidentified Pakistani official told Janes that China will soon begin supplying the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) with its Shenyang FC-31 “Gyrfalcon” multirole stealth fighter aircraft.

The aircraft “will begin arriving within months,” and confirmed that PAF pilots are currently in China training to fly the aircraft, the official stated.

The FC-31 is believed to be the export variant of the J-35A, a fifth-generation stealth aircraft unveiled by China at the Zhuhai Air Show in November 2024.

The official who spoke to Janes did not reveal when the deal for the aircraft was signed, or the specific number of aircraft that Pakistan is acquiring. 

According to the publication, another Pakistani government insider informed it in May 2025 that the purchased FC-31 would be fitted with China’s PL-17 air-to-air missile (AAM), which has a range of 400 kilometers.

Islamabad first announced its intention to acquire an unspecified number of FC-31 stealth fighter jets from China in January 2024. At the time, the then chief of the Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, stated that the “foundation for acquiring the J-31 stealth fighter aircraft has already been laid,” and it’s set to become part of the PAF’s fleet shortly.”

Later, in December 2024, another set of reports stated that Islamabad is acquiring about 40 J-35A fighters that will be delivered in about 24 months.

None of these reports and claims could be independently verified by the EurAsian Times, and the acquisition has not officially been confirmed by either the Pakistani or Chinese government.

Pakistan is the largest operator of Chinese military equipment outside the country. The PAF earlier inducted the Chinese J-10CE in 2022, an aircraft that was deployed in the conflict with India in May 2025.

The PAF claimed that it downed multiple IAF fighters, including three Rafales, using the deadly combination of J-10CE and PL-15E long-range missiles.

Sources in Pakistan have emphasised that the “success” of the J-10CE has reinforced Pakistan’s faith in Chinese aerospace technology and paved the way for more advanced acquisitions, like that of the FC-31.

Last month, some reports indicated that China was fast-tracking the delivery of the J-35A to Pakistan, following the finalisation of logistics and financing details by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during his visit to China immediately after Operation Sindoor.

Notably, the FC-31 will be the first major Chinese military platform that Pakistan will induct after the military clash with India between May 7 and 10. Though it was planned well in advance and does not have a direct link to the conflict, the timing of the potential induction is significant, as a clearer picture of Pakistani military losses is now emerging.

According to reports by Indian media, the IAF destroyed six fighter jets, two high-value surveillance aircraft, one C-130 transport aircraft, over 30 missiles, and several unmanned aerial vehicles during the four-day conflict that ended in a ceasefire in the evening of May 10. The report cited technical analysis of operational data to back its claims.

If these claims are true, the PAF might need to add some serious air power to build capability against the Indian Air Force.

The induction of the Chinese fifth-generation aircraft is believed to be a pivotal moment for the PAF due to the aircraft’s cutting-edge technology and low-observable characteristics.

More notably, the aircraft will be equipped with the PL-17, which boasts a 400-kilometer range, a significant upgrade over the PL-15E that was “allegedly” used by the PAF to down Indian fighter jets.

The FC-31, developed by China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), is a single-seat, twin-engine, medium-sized fifth-generation fighter that features advanced stealth capabilities, including a low-observable design with forward-swept intake ramps, Diverterless Supersonic Inlet (DSI) bumps, and composite materials to evade L-band and Ku-band radars.

It is powered by WS-19 engines, which provide the aircraft with a thrust of 12 tons. The aircraft features two internal weapon bays, each with a capacity for two medium-range air-to-air missiles, and external hardpoints for various bombs and missiles, including air-to-ground and air-to-surface munitions.

Designed for air superiority, close air support, air interdiction, and precision strikes, the aircraft features an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and advanced sensor fusion for enhanced situational awareness.

The induction of this aircraft could tilt the regional balance in Pakistan’s favour, which explains China’s alacrity in exporting the aircraft to Islamabad.

Capability Gap In The Making 

The acquisition is seen as a move to counter India’s air force, which currently relies on 4.5-generation fighters like the Rafale and Su-30MKI.

India is currently developing its own fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, with the prototype expected to roll out by 2028.

However, if Pakistan starts inducting the FC-31 in the next few months, a glaring capability gap would persist for years until the AMCA is ready for induction.

A ten-year development plan laid down by India, five prototypes, and extensive flight testing are on the cards. However, India’s indigenous aircraft programs are notorious for delays, creating uncertainty and suspicion.

Some experts believe that the acquisition of a Chinese fifth-generation stealth aircraft by Pakistan would pose a threat to India.

A stealth fighter can significantly alter the regional balance. Stealth fighters have a much smaller radar cross section (RCS) than non-stealth fighters. Since fighter detection and tracking are radar-based, the reduced RCS degrades the adversary’s air defense capability.

Indian Air Force veteran and military expert, Squadron Leader Vijainder K. Thakur (retd), earlier argued: “Air defense systems’ performance degrades when operating against stealth fighters because of their lower detection range. While the extent of degradation depends on the effectiveness of stealth shaping, it always occurs.”

“China is known to have developed air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles that will allow the  J-35A fighters to launch their weapons before they can be effectively tracked on IAF radars,” he added.

The situation becomes much worse for India, as its other adversary, China, already operates more than 200 J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighters and is now flying two different prototypes of sixth-generation jets, namely the J-36 and J-50.

By the time India operationalises the AMCA, China would have significantly increased its fleet of J-20s and possibly inducted a sixth-generation aircraft. Meanwhile, Pakistan would be operating about 30-40 FC-31. In addition to that, Islamabad is also reportedly participating in the Turkish KAAN fifth-generation aircraft program.

This has already divided the Indian strategic community, with one section asserting that there is a need to buy a fifth-generation aircraft, such as the Su-57, as an interim solution. Several experts have pointed out that the Russian offer could be considered, as it would entail both local production and assistance with the AMCA.

“If India wants to maintain the AMCA program in the long run, it needs an interim fighter, and the Su-57 may be the better choice,” Indian Air Force veteran, Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd) argued. “It may be worthwhile to quickly build a large inventory of 4.5-generation fighters like LCA Mk2 and Rafale and acquire long-range Air-to-surface missiles (BrahMos II) and longer-range AAMs like Astra III or Russian R-37M.”

However, some former IAF leaders remain skeptical. Former IAF chief RKS Bhadauria recently suggested that India should not import any aircraft and instead focus on the AMCA.

“Now, the government has put its faith in AMCA, and now we need to do everything as a nation to expedite AMCA,” Bhadauria said. “That cause of concern in terms of what Pakistan is going to get from China in the interim — be it J-20 or J-35 — let them get these. That will be studied. What is important is in the interim, how do you handle these threats, and there are ways and means of tackling this threat that they will have.”

For now, it is safe to say that Pakistan is once again beating India to the induction of an advanced next-generation aircraft, a trend that has been visible since the mid-1950s, when the two countries began building their air power.