1 photo

Fighter aircraft

China

Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC)

J-35

Twin-engine stealth fighter developed by Shenyang Aircraft, fielded in a land-based export-oriented form and a carrier-capable variant for Chinese Navy aircraft carriers. Positioned as a lower-cost complement to the heavier J-20, broadly comparable in role to the F-35.

In service since 2024 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

2,200

km/h

3,500

km range

16,000

m ceiling

8,000

kg payload

0.98

T/W

Several performance figures for China-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

Pricing: Newly fielded; no reliable public unit-cost figure

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Chinese state channel

State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.

Channel: State export agency

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2024. Status: active · ~20 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 2,200 km/h

Stronger than 57% of fighters
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.: 1.8 Mach

Stronger than 31% of fighters
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 3,500 km

Stronger than 65% of fighters
Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.: 1,250 km

Stronger than 67% of fighters
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 16,000 m

Stronger than 43% of fighters
Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.: 0.98

Stronger than 43% of fighters

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.: 8

Stronger than 31% of fighters
Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.: 8,000 kg

Stronger than 63% of fighters

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.: internal EW self-protection suite, chaff, flares
Signature reduction Radar cross-section shaping, RAM coatings, IR suppression. Actual RCS values are classified.: Low observable airframe shaping with internal weapons bays

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 17.3 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.: 11.5 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 4.8 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 17,000 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 28,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 1

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: 2x Shenyang WS-19 afterburning turbofans
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.: 2
Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).: 100 kN

Stronger than 55% of fighters
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Turbofan

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.: domestic AESA radar
Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: distributed aperture IRST

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 20

Bottom 8% of fighters
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 23% of fighters

Specifications compiled from public Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the top speed of the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35? +

The Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 has a maximum speed of 2,200 km/h.

What is the range of the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35? +

The Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 has a maximum range of 3,500 km.

What is the weapons payload of the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35? +

The Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 can carry up to 8,000 kg of weapons payload.

How much does the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 weigh? +

The Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 has a combat weight of 28,000 kg.

How many crew does the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 require? +

The Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 requires a crew of 1.

What engine does the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 use? +

The Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 is powered by the 2x Shenyang WS-19 afterburning turbofans.

What is the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 used for? +

The Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 is a fighter aircraft typically used for air superiority, multirole combat, deep strike.

How many countries operate the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35? +

The Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 is operated by 1 countries.

How much does the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35 cost? +

Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-35: Newly fielded; no reliable public unit-cost figure. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.