Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Pakistan’s leap into fifth-gen air power with Chinese J-35s jolts the region’s balance. For the first time, India faces a rival with radar-evading teeth—and no counter of its own in the sky.
With a radar cross-section as small as 0.001 m², the J-35 can slip past India’s sensors. Experts warn: detection will come too late. It's not invisibility—but close enough to hurt.
China and Pakistan now share stealth muscle. If both fronts flare, India could be pinned between ghost jets that don’t announce themselves until it’s already too late.
India’s own stealth fighter, the AMCA, won’t fly combat-ready before 2035. That’s a full decade of strategic vulnerability. Meanwhile, Pakistan gets its first batch by year’s end.
India’s existing air defence can’t spot the J-35 early enough. Long-range and over-the-horizon radar systems are still catching up—leaving gaping holes in the sky.
The Rafales gave India air superiority—for now. But the J-35’s tech may outclass it in stealth and networked warfare, making even these top-tier jets feel suddenly exposed.
The J-35 hasn’t seen combat, but China claims it rivals the F-35. Islamabad’s fleet of 40 could overwhelm air bases, challenge patrols, and silence missile batteries before radar even blinks.
India is all-in on AMCA. But delays, tech hurdles, and budget bottlenecks haunt the project. Without a foreign stopgap, Delhi might be betting too late on its stealth comeback.
Ex-fighter pilots are sounding alarms. If Pakistan flies J-35s in war drills with China, it’s not just practice—it’s rehearsal. And India might be the target audience.