A New Closer Look at China’s FC-31 Stealth Fighter Amid Rumoured New Export Agreement

Images released on August 29 have provided what may be the first ever look at a serially produced FC-31 fifth generation fighter of the ground based variant. The FC-31 is currently reported to be on order for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, with a second variant designed for conventional ground based operations having been developed for export. The FC-31 is a medium weight fifth generation fighter, and while being significantly larger and having more thrust than the American F-35, it is still much smaller and lighter than China’s top air superiority fighter the J-20. The ground based variant of the fighter can be distinguished from carrier based variants by its landing gear, which lacks comparable reinforcement and has only a single front wheel. The ground based variant also integrates what appears to be an infrared search and tracking system underneath its nose. 

The likely clients for the FC-31 have been widely speculated, with the fighter potentially being the most attractive fifth generation fighter on markets today. The aircraft’s avionics and stealth capabilities are considered on par with those of the F-35, and more advanced than those of the Russian Su-57, while the fighter boasts a much longer range and far superior flight performance to the F-35. Most significantly, China does not place strict restrictions on how the fighter can be used, where the F-35 is notoriously strictly controlled in the fleets of its clients outside the Western world. In January 2024 the head of the Pakistan Air Force Air, Chief Marshal Zaheer Sidhu, was confirmed to have announced that the country was preparing to place an order for FC-31s. With Pakistan having begun receiving J-10C fighters in 2022, and expected to acquire up to 60 of the aircraft to replace its ageing Cold War era F-16s, the FC-31 provides the country with a further revolutionary enhancement to its aerial warfare capabilities and with distinct superiority over any fighter fielded by neighbouring India.

Leading speculated clients for the FC-31 currently include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria and Thailand. The appearance of what appears to be a serially produced FC-31, which closely follows the release of new footage just four days prior showing an aircraft from the program conducting complex manoeuvres, coincides with rumoured talks by Chinese and Egyptian officials on a possible Egyptian acquisition of the aircraft. Egypt previously sought to acquire a high performing air superiority fighter in the form of the Russian Su-35, which it ordered in late 2018 before cancelling the deal due to threats from Washington to impose economic sanctions. This may have proven counterproductive for the United States, as while the Su-35 suffers from several serious performance limitations compared to modern fifth generation fighters, the FC-31 has the potential to provide Egypt with the most capable fighter anywhere in Africa or the Middle East.