Despite a $40 billion investment, the J-35 relies on an older WS-19 Engine, underscoring China’s engine-development challenges.
Early this year, state-run CCTV in China aired several programs promoting the Fujian, the third aircraft carrier commissioned in November of last year, but faced backlash. The Fujian is equipped with an electromagnetic catapult that accelerates fighter jets weighing up to 50 tons to over 200 km/h in seconds for takeoff. Additionally, it successfully deployed the J-35 stealth fighter, developed to counter the U.S. F-35, on the carrier for takeoff and landing. CCTV captured this scene in video.
However, the video backfired. Chinese military commentators raised concerns about the performance of the turbofan engine, considered the “heart” of the J-35. Originally dubbed a “knockoff F-35” for copying the F-35, the J-35 could have posed no threat to the U.S. if it didn’t demonstrate proper stealth capabilities. Just as the F-35 devastated Venezuela’s air defences, the J-20 was detected by Japanese and Korean air defence radar networks.
Recent developments suggest that even the engine, the “heart” of the fighter, remains unresolved, setting aside stealth capabilities and sensor integration. Haisxianfeng, a renowned military commentator in naval affairs, stated on the Tencent portal in early January, “According to domestic experts’ estimates, the J-35 fighter can operate for only seven minutes at a distance of 900 km from the carrier.” This indicates significant shortcomings in range and loitering time.
Engine performance is crucial for carrier-based aircraft. Even with catapult assistance, a powerful thrust is required to take off from a short carrier deck of less than 100 meters. Military commentators had expected to see the new WS-21 engine, under development since 2017 for the J-35, but the carrier instead featured the older WS-19 engine.
In 2009, China established the Aviation Engine Corporation of China (AECC) to oversee aircraft engine development and invested over 40 billion dollars from 2010 to 2020. However, fighter engines remain a major weakness in the country’s defense industry. The issue has even led to domestic references to it as a “heart disease.”
The U.S. is widening the technological gap by developing the Adaptive Cycle Engine (ACE) for sixth-generation fighters. This intelligent engine adjusts power and fuel efficiency based on conditions. Prototypes have already been developed and tested.
For more details, join Chosun Membership and check the full article. Choi Yoo-sik, a journalist who served as a Beijing correspondent for five years, provides an in-depth analysis of China—a neighbor that is both close and distant, seemingly familiar yet difficult to understand—through his series *Choi Yoo-sik’s OnChina+*.
The J-35’s operational role is limited by its seven-minute endurance when carrying only four air-to-air missiles, suggesting constraints on sustained operations away from the carrier.
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