China's stealth J-31 fighter jet mimics US F-35; it isn’t truly a rival: Analysts

China's fifth-generation, Shenyang J-31 multi-role, twin-engine stealth fighter aircraft,  manufactured for People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) can't match up to America's Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, said experts that weighed in on two aircrafts’ defense capabilities on Monday. Manufactured by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, an affiliate of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), China’s twin-engine stealth fighter’s design was first revealed at Airshow China 2014 in Zhuhai while still in early sts of development. 

It has since taken Beijing years to develop vanced, fifth-generation fighter that it believes may supersede US F-35. Experts, although observe a striking similarity between airframe of FC-31 and that of F-35. FC-31 or J-31 looks “mimic” US F 35, a result of Chinese cyber-espion, y say. A declassified report on 2014 US-China Ecomic and Security Review, cited a 2010 Defense Science Board report which stated that Chinese cyber-espion led to ft of US weapons specs, including F-35.

[China's J-31. Credit: Twitter/@VidDX9]

While is “designed” to look like stealth fighter aircraft in class of American Lockheed Martin, re is certainty in kwing just how well Shenyang design team developed low rar cross-section, effectively positioning Russian-me jet Klimov RD-93 engines inside aircraft, and how effectively team has been able to suppress heat signature from those engines. Those engines, in fact, are simply variant of of one power famous Mikoyan or “MiG-29." 

Sources told CNN that re have been rumours that Mikoyan bureau in Moscow may have assisted Shenyang team in development of China’s fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft. 

An FC-31's flight routine in China h found that aircraft "bleeds" too much energy and at times would lose altitude “entering into a turn”. While flying straight pilot would have to eng afterburners or jet sink to a lower altitude. se defects are contrary to rumours that Russian team may have assisted China with assembly of twin-engine stealth fighter. An official at Mikoyan bureau h also told network, “as far as I kw y [ Chinese] completed this design mselves.”

[F-35 Fighter Jets. Credit: Twitter/@Heggliliver/ US Air Force]

[Credit:US Air Force]

Separately, Defense analyst Reuben F. Johnson in a report ted, that fighter jet simply can't compete with F-35, even when it is upgred with new avionics.

recent test flight circulating on Sina Weibo depicted key upgres, such as airspeed measurement device earlier ticed on protos on se of stealth fighter— was w missing. FC-31's cockpit appears similar to J-20 and justs to  jet's wind resistance much more effectively as maritime variant takes off from carriers. jets’  avionics, sensors, weapons, engine propulsion and maneuverability, all match with F-35, in fact, J-31 and F-35 use same DSI inlet (n-boundary layer-separated lane supersonic inlet). Despite that aircraft is a “copy” of F-35’s exterior design, it isn’t truly a rival to F-35.

F-35 is a 'flying computer'

America’s Lockheed Martin fighter F-35 is a “flying computer” engineered with vanced, high-resolution, long-range sensors that detect and targets enemy before aircraft itself is even seen or detected. fighter jet F-35 has an vanced “sensor fusion,” and weapons range and it detects, tracks, and destroys enemy aircraft at much farr standoff ranges.

“In war games, whichever aircraft is able to see, detect and destroy or first with longer-range, high-fidelity sensors, and longer-range, precision-guided weapons is likely to prevail,” defense analyst Kris Osborn stated in a report with National Interest.

US’ F-35 has software-enabled weapons and aircraft has an upper edge in terms of F-35B-like vertical take-off-and-landing, and China’s J-31 fails to parallel or replicate powerful computing, sensing, and weapons capabilities of an F-35 jet. Although, it does have a stealthy exterior.