“Sir, radar contact, 80 miles out. It’s… gone.” That’s the kind of moment rewriting air combat history. In June 2025, just off the coast of the South China Sea, U.S. surveillance assets picked up a fleeting radar trace, then lost it. No visual, no transponder, no trail. Intelligence would later confirm what many had feared: it was China’s newly deployed J-35 stealth fighter, silently slicing through contested skies, likely launched from the deck of its newest supercarrier, Fujian.
Just days later, a storm of leaked images and military chatter ignited headlines worldwide. Renderings and scale models pointed to something far more advanced, China’s sixth-generation fighter, tentatively named J-36. Tailless, AI-powered, and potentially unmanned, it embodies Beijing’s bold push to leapfrog the current generation of aerial dominance. This wasn’t Cold War posturing. It was a message: the skies are changing and fast.
At the center of this modern arms race is the U.S. Air Force’s cornerstone: the F-35 Lightning II. Battle-tested and globally networked, it’s more than a fighter, it’s a flying command center, designed for the kind of digital, data-fused combat modern warfare demands. But as China closes the gap with aircraft like the J-35, and teases what’s next with the J-36, the question grows louder: can the F-35 maintain its edge in the face of a stealth revolution?
This article takes you deep into that very question. We’ll compare the F-35 and the J-35 head-to-head, from stealth design and engine performance to avionics and mission roles. Then, we’ll venture into the realm of what’s coming: sixth-generation fighters, like America’s NGAD and Europe’s FCAS and the mystery of the J-36, China’s not-so-secret weapon in development.
Because the next dogfight won’t be won by who sees first but by who’s not seen at all.
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II: America’s Digital Warhorse
It doesn’t scream into battle, it vanishes into it. Designed to be nearly invisible to enemy radar, the F-35 Lightning II is more than a stealth jet; it’s a flying supercomputer with wings. Born from the ambitious Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, the F-35 was built to do what no other aircraft could: combine air superiority, ground strike, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare into a single, adaptable platform. With manufacturing led by Lockheed Martin, and critical systems from Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, and Pratt & Whitney, the F-35 isn’t just a plane, it’s a global program involving over a dozen allied nations and billions in cutting-edge aerospace tech.
This fifth-generation fighter comes in three variants, each tuned for a specific mission environment. The F-35A, designed for conventional runways, serves as the backbone of the U.S. Air Force. The F-35B dazzles with its short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capability, perfect for Marine expeditionary forces and the Royal Navy. Meanwhile, the F-35C brings stealth to the high seas as a carrier-based aircraft, rugged enough to handle catapult launches and arrested landings on aircraft carriers. Each version shares the same lethal DNA, only the environment changes.
What makes the F-35 truly next-gen is its stealth profile, built into every inch of its design. Smooth, radar-deflecting surfaces. Internal weapons bays that maintain a clean radar signature. Radar-absorbent materials (RAM) lining the fuselage. Even its engine inlets, the Divertless Supersonic Inlets (DSI), reduce its radar cross-section. Tailored exhaust nozzles minimize the heat signature, giving infrared seekers little to lock onto. The result: an aircraft designed to strike first and disappear before a radar tech knows it was ever there.
But stealth is only the beginning. The F-35’s true edge lies in its avionics and sensor suite, which turn the pilot into a battlefield conductor. The AN/APG-81 AESA radar provides advanced targeting capabilities in air-to-air and air-to-ground roles. The Distributed Aperture System (DAS) gives pilots 360-degree situational awareness, missile threats, aircraft, even incoming ground fire light up like markers on a video game HUD. The Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) adds precision targeting, night vision, and IR tracking, while sensor fusion brings it all together in a single, seamless picture. No need to toggle between screens, the Helmet-Mounted Display System (HMDS) projects every critical detail directly onto the pilot’s visor.
Under the hood, the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine propels the jet to Mach 1.6, offering serious speed with a combat radius of over 2,200 km on internal fuel. Its 9G maneuverability and high angle-of-attack performance make it agile in close combat, while its weapons loadout, AIM-120 AMRAAMs, AIM-9X Sidewinders, JDAMs, and Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs), gives it teeth. It can carry up to 8,160 kg of weapons, internally for stealth or externally when stealth is less critical.
Perhaps most impressively, the F-35 isn’t just a fighter, it’s a battlefield network node. With its Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) and advanced comms, it shares data in real time with other jets, ships, and ground units. In combat, it acts like a quarterback, seeing the whole field and directing traffic, from launching missiles to cueing missile defenses or feeding targeting data to allies.
In short, the F-35 is more than a fifth-generation aircraft. It’s a combat ecosystem, a force multiplier, and the U.S.’s most valuable aerial asset in contested environments. While critics have pointed to its high cost and long development timeline, there’s no denying one fact: once the F-35 is in the air, it changes the rules of the game.
Shenyang J-35 (FC-31): China’s Stealth Contender Takes Flight
It started as an underdog, a dark horse born outside China’s traditional defense funding. What began as the FC-31 Gyrfalcon, a privately funded export prototype, has now evolved into the J-35: China’s carrier-capable stealth fighter and one of the most closely watched aircraft programs in the world. Built by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, the J-35 represents not just a leap in Chinese aviation, but a direct challenge to the Western dominance long held by the F-35.
The transformation of the FC-31 into the J-35 wasn’t just cosmetic. The latest iterations, spotted during testing on China’s new Type 003 aircraft carrier, Fujian, feature upgraded airframe reinforcements, launch gear, and arresting hooks, indicating the J-35’s full transition into a carrier-borne fifth-generation multirole fighter. Though not yet operational, it is reportedly in advanced testing and moving steadily toward pre-production, with major implications for naval power projection in the Indo-Pacific.
In terms of design, the J-35 borrows heavily from the stealth playbook. It features angular surfaces, internal weapons bays, and S-duct inlets to reduce its radar cross-section (RCS), much like the F-35. However, unlike its American rival, the J-35 opts for a twin-engine configuration, originally powered by WS-13 engines, but expected to upgrade to China’s next-gen WS-19s for greater thrust and efficiency. While this twin-engine setup offers better survivability and performance, it could also generate a larger infrared (IR) signature, a stealth trade-off China may be mitigating through advanced heat management systems.
Sensor details remain classified, but sources suggest the J-35 is equipped with AESA radar, infrared search and track (IRST) systems, and an evolving sensor fusion architecture. While not yet on par with the F-35’s battlefield integration, China’s rapid advancements in avionics and AI are closing that gap faster than many predicted.
In terms of raw performance, the J-35 may have a speed advantage, reportedly capable of reaching Mach 2.0, outpacing the F-35’s Mach 1.6. Its range, at around 1,200 km (internal fuel), is more limited, suggesting a focus on regional and carrier-based operations rather than long-range power projection. Its estimated internal payload capacity, about 7,000 kg, makes it a serious contender for precision strikes and air dominance, especially when equipped with PL-series air-to-air missiles and advanced Chinese precision-guided munitions.
Designed for agility, the J-35 may even outmaneuver the F-35 in certain flight regimes. Its twin tails, wide stabilizers, and swept wings indicate a design optimized for fast response and sharp angles of attack, crucial in dogfights over contested airspace or naval zones. Reinforced landing gear and structural tweaks for catapult-assisted takeoffs and carrier landings round out its maritime readiness, making it a formidable addition to the Chinese Navy’s arsenal.
While the J-35 hasn’t seen combat, and much of its capability remains behind the curtain, one thing is clear: China is no longer just catching up, it’s actively shaping the future of stealth aviation. And if the rumored sixth-generation J-36 builds on the lessons learned here, the global balance of airpower may be entering a bold new phase.
Chengdu J-36: China’s Phantom of the Sixth Generation
It hasn’t flown publicly. It hasn’t been confirmed officially. And yet, the J-36 looms large in defense circles, a spectral presence in satellite images, leaked schematics, and military think-tank whispers. Believed to be under development by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, the same powerhouse behind the J-20 Mighty Dragon, the J-36 is widely speculated to be China’s entry into the sixth-generation fighter race. Its purpose? To leapfrog the current generation of stealth jets and redefine air dominance on China’s terms.
At the conceptual level, the J-36 is envisioned not just as a fighter, but as a future command center in the sky, a heavy stealth platform built for more than just dogfights. Leaked imagery and early mockups suggest a tailless diamond-delta wing design, optimized for all-aspect stealth. Its blended fuselage looks alien, voluminous, aerodynamic, and possibly housing side-by-side cockpits for a two-person crew. The rumored trijet propulsion system is perhaps its boldest departure from convention, potentially enabling both high thrust and extended range.
This next-gen stealth aircraft is said to push the boundaries of broadband stealth, making it harder to detect across a wider range of radar frequencies than even the F-22 or F-35. Expect infrared signature reduction, recessed exhausts, and radar-absorbing materials taken to the next level. With no vertical stabilizers, the tailless design drastically reduces radar reflection angles, making it nearly invisible in the right conditions.
If speculation holds, its propulsion system may include highly advanced engines, perhaps a triad of next-gen WS-15 variants, or even experimental Turbine-Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) engines capable of pushing speeds beyond Mach 3. The trijet design could also offer redundancy and improved high-altitude performance, key in long-range strike and interceptor missions.
Onboard, the J-36 is expected to house a revolutionary avionics suite. Think real-time AI-driven sensor fusion, enhanced electronic warfare systems, and automated target acquisition. But its most game-changing potential lies in its rumored ability to command autonomous drone swarms, functioning as a mothership for unmanned combat systems in a collaborative air combat architecture. In a future conflict, the J-36 might not just fire missiles, it could direct a coordinated strike from dozens of robotic wingmen.
Its projected internal weapons bays are believed to be massive, capable of carrying long-range missiles like the PL-17, designed to outrange even the AMRAAM series, along with heavy precision-guided munitions for deep-strike roles. Add to that an enormous internal fuel capacity, and the J-36 could have strategic endurance, enabling operations deep into contested airspace without support.
Lastly, the cockpit or perhaps cockpits will likely feature next-gen human-machine interface systems. These may include AI-assisted decision-making, virtual displays, and optionally manned capability, allowing the jet to fly with or without a pilot, depending on mission demands.
For now, the J-36 remains a ghost of the future: unconfirmed, untested in public, but entirely plausible. If even half of what’s rumored proves true, this aircraft could mark a quantum leap in Chinese airpower, pushing Beijing to the forefront of the sixth-generation arms race and challenging the U.S.’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program head-on.
F-35 vs. J-35: Stealth Duel in the Skies
In the realm of fifth-generation stealth fighters, the F-35 Lightning II and China’s Shenyang J-35 (also known as FC-31) are increasingly seen as frontline rivals in a new era of great-power air competition. Though similar in stealth aesthetics, they are born of different philosophies, strategic priorities, and industrial ecosystems, each excelling in areas shaped by their respective national goals.
When it comes to stealth, both fighters prioritize a low radar cross-section through angular design and internal weapons bays. But here, the F-35 arguably edges ahead. Its single-engine layout, Divertless Supersonic Inlet (DSI), and tailored heat-dissipation create a tighter stealth profile, especially in the infrared spectrum. In contrast, the J-35’s twin-engine configuration likely offers more power and survivability but at the cost of a slightly larger IR signature. Additionally, the J-35’s broader stabilizers and sharper wing angles, while potentially boosting agility, introduce minor compromises in radar visibility from certain angles.
In terms of performance, each aircraft brings its own strengths. The J-35 is reportedly faster, capable of hitting Mach 2.0, compared to the F-35’s Mach 1.6 top speed. However, speed isn’t everything. The F-35’s real advantage lies in range, with a combat radius of over 2,220 km on internal fuel, it can strike far beyond the J-35’s ~1,200 km range, making it more suitable for long-range or expeditionary missions. In maneuverability, both aircraft are highly capable; the J-35 may hold a slight edge in close-in agility, thanks to its twin-engine thrust and aerodynamic shaping.
Where the F-35 shines brightest is avionics and sensor fusion. Its suite of cutting-edge systems, including the AN/APG-81 AESA radar, Distributed Aperture System (DAS), Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), and the famed Helmet-Mounted Display (HMDS), sets a global benchmark. Data from all sources is fused into a single, intuitive combat picture, giving pilots unparalleled awareness. While the J-35’s sensors and fusion capabilities are rapidly advancing, much of their sophistication remains classified or speculative, and Western analysts currently regard the F-35 as holding the lead.
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Both fighters carry weapons internally to maintain stealth, but here again the F-35 boasts a slightly higher payload capacity, up to 8,160 kg, compared to the J-35’s estimated 7,000 kg. While the J-35 is likely optimized for Chinese PL-series air-to-air missiles and precision munitions, the F-35 carries a wider variety of NATO-compatible weaponry, including AIM-120 AMRAAMs, JDAMs, SDBs, and more.
Their mission roles also reflect contrasting doctrines. The F-35 is the poster child for global interoperability, designed for deployment across air forces, navies, and marine corps from over a dozen allied nations. Its three variants, CTOL (F-35A), STOVL (F-35B), and carrier-based (F-35C), make it adaptable to nearly any operational theater. The J-35, on the other hand, is being shaped as a carrier-based fighter for the Chinese Navy, with regional reach in mind, likely prioritizing air defense and maritime strike missions around the Indo-Pacific.
Production and cost are where their trajectories diverge dramatically. The F-35 has already entered mass production, with hundreds flying worldwide and economies of scale steadily bringing down unit costs. By contrast, the J-35 remains in pre-production, with exact costs and production numbers still unclear, though China’s robust military-industrial complex could scale up rapidly once deployment begins.
Finally, there’s the matter of cybersecurity. The F-35 program has faced high-profile challenges, including allegations of cyber espionage, with some analysts even suggesting that elements of the J-35 may have benefited from stolen F-35 design data. Regardless, both aircraft are at the cutting edge of digital warfare, making data protection and network integrity as critical as stealth and firepower.
The J-36: A Glimpse into the Future of Aerial Supremacy
While the skies today are dominated by fifth-generation titans like the F-35 and J-20, the race is already on for what comes next, and China’s speculative J-36 fighter stands as a bold symbol of that future. Though still shrouded in mystery, the concept hints at an ambitious leap forward, one meant to place China shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) and Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) projects.
If realized, the J-36 wouldn’t just be another stealth jet, it would be a transformative platform, embodying the key tenets of sixth-generation air warfare. Imagine a tailless, diamond-delta-winged aircraft, built for extreme stealth across multiple radar spectrums. Picture it flying optionally manned, with or without a pilot, and using advanced AI to fuse sensor data, analyze threats, and even coordinate autonomous drone swarms mid-battle. This isn’t just a fighter, it’s a flying command node, designed for “system-of-systems” warfare in a battlefield where information is as lethal as missiles.
Speculative advantages abound. The rumored trijet configuration, or perhaps even a future Turbine-Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) propulsion system, could grant the J-36 astonishing speed and endurance, potentially cruising past Mach 3 with long-range strike capabilities unmatched by current-generation fighters. Combine that with broadband stealth, adaptive materials, and electronic warfare systems, and you have a platform that could be nearly invisible to current radar and IR detection tools.
But this futuristic promise doesn’t come without its share of shadows. The technological hurdles facing the J-36 are enormous, from engine development and AI integration to drone swarm control and new human-machine interfaces. And even if the tech materializes, operationalizing it, training pilots, building doctrines, integrating it into current forces, will be a multi-decade challenge. Not to mention the staggering cost and complexity involved in developing such a platform at scale.
In truth, the J-36 today is more concept than combatant, a phantom of possibility, not yet a predator. But if even a portion of its rumored features reach the runway, it could mark a tectonic shift in aerial combat. Until then, it remains a vision of where air warfare is headed: faster, stealthier, smarter, and increasingly autonomous.
Conclusion: Dominance Now, Disruption Ahead
As it stands today, the skies are ruled by the F-35 Lightning II, a combat-tested, multi-role marvel with unmatched sensor fusion, a broad coalition of international operators, and modular adaptability across three variants. It’s not just a jet; it’s the digital quarterback of modern warfare, shaping the way the U.S. and its allies project power globally. In contrast, China’s J-35 is the new challenger rising, sharpening its teeth as a fifth-generation carrier-based fighter tailored to the Chinese Navy’s growing blue-water ambitions. With its twin-engine layout, emphasis on speed and agility, and maturing sensor systems, the J-35 signals that the technological gap is no longer wide, and is closing faster than many anticipated.
Yet, the most profound shifts may lie just beyond the horizon.
Enter the speculative J-36, China’s potential sixth-generation stealth fighter. Though cloaked in uncertainty, its rumored features, broadband stealth, AI co-pilots, drone swarm command, and revolutionary propulsion, paint a vision of air combat that is faster, smarter, and far more interconnected. While the West races ahead with projects like NGAD and FCAS, the J-36 serves as a reminder that China is not just catching up, it’s aiming to leapfrog.
The contest between the F-35 and J-35 reflects today’s balance of power. But the conceptual leap represented by the J-36 shows that the future of air dominance won’t just depend on speed or stealth, it will depend on who can best harness data, autonomy, and networks in the battlespace of tomorrow.
