Beijing, Pakistan plans to buy FC-31 stealth fighter jets, a single-seat, dual-engine, medium fighter comparable only to the US’ F-35, developed by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), according to a report in the Chinese media.
The induction of the stealth fighter jets into the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fleet would not only significantly, boost the capabilities of the PAF, but also open up the international market for the Chinese aircraft, CCP mouthpiece Global Times reported.
“The FC-31 has strong comprehensive air combat capabilities, including its stealth advantages that allows it to spot opponents first and launch surprise attacks,” Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times.
“The aircraft has outstanding situational awareness and can carry a wide selection of munitions, including air-to-air missiles besides the precision bombs as well as air-to-ground and air-to-surface missiles,” Wei said.
The Pakistan Air force for long time using weapons and equipments brought from China, including J-10C medium fighter jets, JF-17 light fighter jets, HQ-9BE long-range surface-to-air missile systems, HQ-16FE mid-to-long-range surface-to-air missile systems and the YLC-8E anti-stealth 3D surveillance radar systems.
Experts said that the FC-31 would allow the Pakistan Air force to advance a generational gap over its rivals with fast delivery. Wei said that Pakistan’s main rival was unlikely to get the stealth fighter jets anytime soon.
The purchase proposal would also benefit China, Wei said, saying that if Pakistan finalised the deal, other countries, particularly those from the Middle East, could also follow, and more potential customers would get to know how competitive the Chinese aircraft was.
