Clearest public evidence of the export programme emerged when Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of a fully assembled stealth fighter.
Pakistani pilots appear to be undergoing simulator and cockpit training on China’s new J-35AE stealth fighter, even as neither Beijing nor Islamabad has confirmed that any aircraft have actually been delivered to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
If confirmed, pilot conversion training would represent one of the clearest indicators of Pakistan’s effort to fly the fifth generation aircraft progressing beyond procurement announcements and into operational preparation.
The clearest public evidence of the export programme emerged in the first week of May, when Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of a fully assembled stealth fighter rolling out of a hangar. Chinese state media and regional defence trackers later identified the aircraft as the export-oriented J-35AE. Crucially, the aircraft displayed the corporate branding of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and the identifier “001” or “AVIC 0001,” rather than the low-visibility operational insignia of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
The prominent use of corporate manufacturer branding rather than PLA insignia is being seen as an indicator of the aircraft explicitly designated for the international commercial market. This development aligns with reports and imagery circulated in closed forums, which reportedly show Pakistani pilots undergoing cockpit and simulator orientation within a J-35 mock-up interface.
It is understood that the PAF is drawing its initial cadre for the training from units currently operating the 4.5-generation Chengdu J-10C, which include the No. 15 “Cobras” squadron which was raised originally on 5 June 1956 at PAF Base Mauripur.
Currently stationed at PAF Base Minhas in Kamra under the 33rd Tactical Wing, the squadron holds a specialized position in the country’s defense apparatus, having served as the launchpad for China’s modern aviation export push when it became the first unit to formally operationalize the Chengdu J-10C on 11 March 2022, entirely phasing out its legacy French-made Mirage fleet.
Adding to the institutional weight of the unit, the current Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, who publicly announced the J-35 procurement project in January 2024, is himself a former commander of the No. 15 Squadron.
Transitioning pilots from Western platforms like the U.S made F-16, that Pakistan has, to a fifth-generation Chinese platform involves an extensive cognitive retraining cycle due to fundamental differences in avionics design and flight philosophy.
By contrast, utilizing pilots from existing J-10C squadrons allows the PAF to leverage established familiarity with Chinese glass-cockpit ergonomics, wide-angle Holographic Head-Up Display (HUD) interfaces, and mission-computer logic that directly mirrors the backend layout of China’s fifth-generation architecture.
Fifth-generation conversion programmes typically begin months before aircraft handover, since air forces generally start simulator, classroom and maintenance training well ahead of accepting delivery, as pilots, simulator instructors and maintenance personnel require lengthy familiarisation before operational flying starts.
Independent defense tracking feeds indicate that initial synthetic simulator training is likely centered near Shenyang’s manufacturing hubs in Liaoning Province. Analysts suggest this pipeline may incorporate the Hongdu JL-10 (L15) advanced jet trainer to replicate modern flight-energy management parameters, although the precise syllabus and export-specific software configuration remain unknown.
Reports have suggested that Pakistan will be acquiring up to 40 J-35AE airframes, potentially valued as part of a broader, long-term multi-domain strategic package.
This also includes acquisition of the HQ-19 high-altitude air defense system and additional KJ-500 Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) platforms. If realized, this network-centric architecture would modify localized tactical calculations.
Doctrinally, the J-35AE is expected to operate under strict emission control (EMCON), keeping its own radar emissions minimized to protect its low-observable profile while actively receiving off-board targeting data beamed from standoff platforms like the KJ-500. The platform is designed to deploy export variants of China’s premier air-interception weapons, including the PL-15E Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) missile, which is widely estimated by defense analysts to possess an operational range in excess of 140 km.
These missiles were used prominently by the PAF against India last year during Operation Sindoor.
Regional defense analysts estimate that if current industrial momentum holds, the initial tranches of these advanced aircraft could arrive in Pakistan between late 2026 and mid-2027.
However, reaching Initial Operational Capability (IOC) is expected to require an extended operational window as ground crews adapt to maintaining specialized radar-absorbent material (RAM) skin coatings in South Asia’s humid, high-heat climate.
By comparison, according to current official timelines, India’s indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fifth-generation fighter program remains under development and is not expected to enter active squadron service before the next decade.
