Source: militarywatchmagazine.com
Chinese state media has commented on reports that J-35 fifth generation fighters are being tested for integration into the air wings of the aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong, which has long been speculated after the new fighters were integrated into the air wing of the supercarrier Fujian in 2025. A CCTV News report on May 23 covering the Liaoning’s ongoing training mentioned that the question whether the J-35 will be adapted to the Liaoning’s ski-jump launch system has drawn significant attention, adding that the carrier group’s training could send a signal that both the J-35 and the new J-15T fighter can both perfectly adapt to this take off mode. The J-35 is one of just four fighters of its generation in production worldwide, and one of two in production in China alongside the longer ranged J-20, with its capabilities providing a significant improvement to the capabilities of carrier air wings.
Experts cited by CCTV assessed that the J-35 would be fully capable of conducting ski-jump takeoffs from the Liaoning, which could result in a transition to a mixed fighter air wing of both J-15 and J-35 fighters. Footage released on Chinese social media has purportedly shown the testing of J-35 fifth generation fighters on the deck of the aircraft carrier Liaoning, which is currently leading a carrier task force for far seas training operations. The integration of the new fighter would follow the confirmed integration of enhanced J-15B ‘4+ generation’ fighters and J-15D electronic warfare aircraft onto the Liaoning and its sister ship the Shandong, which was confirmed in late 2024, and represented a very major upgrade over the baseline J-15 fourth generation fighters previously fielded.
The integration of J-35 fighters into the air wings of the Liaoning and Shandong would provide the Navy with three carriers capable of accommodating fifth generation fighters, with this number expected to grow as two further supercarriers are currently under construction. The J-35, J-15B/T and J-15D have highly complementary capabilities, with respective primary strengths including stealth capabilities, a very long range, larger radar and high weapons carrying capacity, and in the J-15D’s case the ability to provide electronic warfare support to increase survivability of the wider air wing. While China and the United States are the only countries to have developed carrier based fifth generation fighters, China appears poised to lead by over a decade in bringing sixth generation fighters into its carrier air wings, with the country confirmed to have begun flight testing of such fighters, including one which appears optimal for carrier operations, in December 2024.
