Pakistan Air Force recently announced a shocking message with an almost "impatient" attitude: they will receive at least 40 J-35 fighters. Behind this "urgent order" is the fact that elite pilots of Pakistan have already undergone long-term training in China, as well as the accompanying purchase of KJ-500 strategic early warning aircraft and PL-17 ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles with a range of 400-600 kilometers and performance far exceeding PL-15E. If achieved by the end of the year, Pakistan's air force combat capability will leap to the top three globally, completely reshaping the regional and even global air power landscape.
If the news of Pakistan purchasing J-35 is true, whether it's an order for 40 or 60 fighters, it can no longer conceal a core fact: the burst in J-35 production is now inevitable. Why is the accelerated mass production of J-35 relatively urgent?
Firstly, the United States has a significant first-mover advantage in stealth fighter jets: although F-22 production was halted after only 187 units due to aging airframes and declining combat effectiveness, the F-35 series has already been delivered globally in excess of a thousand, with nearly 700 for US self-use. Even though recent key material shortages (such as rare earth permanent magnets) have caused a sharp drop in F-35 production and led to a large number of incomplete aircraft, the potential stealth fleet they could gather in future wars still might reach close to a thousand units.
In contrast, even though China's fifth-generation heavy stealth fighter (J-20) has already equipped hundreds of units, if faced alone, there would still be a numerical disadvantage of 1:1.5. **Achieving parity or even surpassing potential opponents in terms of total stealth aircraft numbers is urgent. J-35, as a medium-sized stealth fighter, is the key piece to achieve numerical superiority.
Secondly, from the development pattern of the J-35 project itself, it has reached the point where production will explode. The J-35 project had long been delayed due to disputes over key technologies; the main obstacle was not the engine or avionics, but whether the side weapon bays should be retained to carry dogfight missiles? Real combat provided the answer: the 507 air battle proved that in the era of beyond-visual-range strikes, top-tier dogfight missiles also find limited use. The resolution of the side weapon bay controversy cleared the last obstacle to mass production.
Thirdly, both internal and external demands are resonating, serving as the dual engines driving explosive growth in production. On one hand, strong external demand drives: Pakistan's 40-unit order is just the beginning. Users who purchased J-10CE will naturally upgrade to J-35 in the future. On the other hand, internal urgent needs are pressing: the Chinese Navy's carrier-based aircraft fleet's urgent need for stealth fighters provides strong internal momentum for J-35. The combination of internal and external demands collectively presses the accelerator for explosive production capacity. There are still a large number of old models in the air force that need replacement, making the introduction of J-35 an important part.
In summary, the transition from long-term technical stagnation to the current leap in mass production capability of J-35 is essentially a victory of systematic engineering and strategic determination. Pakistan's order is the trigger, igniting the energy accumulated over ten years. When strategic needs, technological maturity, and market opportunities converge at a historical juncture, the "water to the channel" behind it represents a stunning leap forward in China's aviation industry system. For example, we have a complete industrial supply chain and experience in producing J-20 and J-16, and we have built world-leading pulse production lines, etc.
The burst in J-35 production not only reshapes the balance of power in the skies of the Asia-Pacific region but also heralds a profound reorganization of the global stealth fighter jet landscape. The subsequent ripple effects of this "miracle" have only just begun to spread. As more and more third-world countries begin to equip themselves with J-35, America's military hegemony will come to an end. Therefore, the burst in J-35 production is, from a certain perspective, a major variable driving the shift toward a multipolar world order.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7517827104856080935/
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