https://www.scmp.com/rss/519866/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi China’s push to sell its J-35 fifth generation fighter jet in the Asia-Pacific was likely to face stiff competition from US rival the F-35 as well as cheaper alternatives, military analysts said after the plane featured at this year’s Singapore Airshow. They said political and economic considerations apart from performance would weigh on potential buyers, and questioned how many countries would want to buy the Chinese plane. In Singapore this month, the booth operated by China National... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344208/can-china-find-market-its-fifth-generation-j-35-warplanes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344208/can-china-find-market-its-fifth-generation-j-35-warplanes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi China’s second fifth-generation fighter jet, the J-35, could find buyers in the Middle East as demand grows for advanced stealth aircraft in the region – though its capabilities remain unknown, according to analysts. China, the United States and Russia are the only countries making fifth-generation fighter jets, and all three showcased their aircraft at last week’s Dubai Air Show. A model of the J-35 – made by China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (Catic) and with a design... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334494/china-takes-us-and-russia-it-touts-j-35-fighter-jet-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334494/china-takes-us-and-russia-it-touts-j-35-fighter-jet-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi An angular F-35 fighter jet penetrates the bright blue sky over a dusty desert, its engines roaring as it goes through a series of high-speed, gravity-defying turns and high-G manoeuvres before disappearing over the horizon. About an hour later, another aircraft appears, this time a Russian Su-57 with a blended-wing design and slightly deeper engine noise that also displays its aerobatics and speed, showcasing its supersonic cruising ability before returning to the runway. These two flights on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333538/china-us-russia-rivalry-middle-east-stealth-fighter-sales-show-dubai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333538/china-us-russia-rivalry-middle-east-stealth-fighter-sales-show-dubai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:00:18 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China has disclosed an incident last year in which one of its J-16 aircraft locked onto and expelled two unnamed foreign stealth fighter jets of a type that has not appeared near the country’s coastal waters since. State broadcaster CCTV on Friday aired an interview with Li Chao, a pilot from the People’s Liberation Army’s Western Theatre Command, who recounted the event that happened during a coastal training exercise last year. Without naming any country, Li said the foreign forces had “clear... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327874/chinas-j-16-aircraft-expelled-2-foreign-stealth-fighter-jets-last-year-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327874/chinas-j-16-aircraft-expelled-2-foreign-stealth-fighter-jets-last-year-report?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 13:00:07 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang China’s carrier-borne J-35 fighter has a radar cross-section smaller than a human palm, pointing to a big step forward in stealth technology, according to state media. The size of the cross-section – a measure of how detectable an object is by radar – was revealed in a programme aired on state broadcaster CCTV on Saturday. “As a stealth fighter, the J-35 series’ low observability comes from its unique airframe shape and the country’s proprietary metamaterial technology,” CCTV reported. “In the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327146/chinas-j-35-fighter-jet-stealthier-us-f-35?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327146/chinas-j-35-fighter-jet-stealthier-us-f-35?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Thursday and signalled that the United States might soon lift its hold on sales of advanced fighter aircraft to Ankara. During Trump’s first term, the US removed Turkey, a Nato ally, from its flagship F-35 programme after Turkey bought an air defence system from Russia. US officials worried that Turkey’s use of Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system could be used to gather data on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326903/trump-hosts-erdogan-us-considers-lifting-ban-f-35-sales-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326903/trump-hosts-erdogan-us-considers-lifting-ban-f-35-sales-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 21:33:38 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Chinese researchers working on a new superalloy processing technique say their lab results suggest it could be used to build stronger and longer-lasting aircraft engines, according to state media. Superalloy turbine discs are a core component of aircraft engines and the new technique to cool down the metal alloy faster during manufacturing could significantly improve performance, the official Science and Technology Daily reported on Friday. It said the new technology had the potential to be used... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3318157/can-superalloy-technique-fix-chinas-aircraft-engine-woes-even-sixth-gen-fighters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3318157/can-superalloy-technique-fix-chinas-aircraft-engine-woes-even-sixth-gen-fighters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 01:00:13 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China has unveiled a metre-wave radar that can detect American fifth-generation stealth fighters, such as the F-22 and F-35, according to state media. The JY-27V radar, which is mounted on a military truck for mobility, works with very high frequency (VHF) radio waves. It can capture and locate “extremely stealthy targets” and guide an air-defence system for a precision strike, according to its developer, state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC). It unveiled the JY-27V... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3311054/china-aims-new-jy-27v-radar-stealthy-targets-such-americas-fifth-gen-fighters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3311054/china-aims-new-jy-27v-radar-stealthy-targets-such-americas-fifth-gen-fighters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 May 2025 10:02:07 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen A stratospheric airship equipped with advanced infrared detection systems could identify stealth aircraft – such as the US-made F-35 fighter jet – from nearly 2,000km (1,240 miles), according to Chinese scientists. The findings suggest a potential vulnerability in America’s fifth-generation stealth technology and mark a significant leap in China’s pursuit of anti-access/area denial capabilities. Researchers with the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP) – a key player... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3298181/chinas-stratospheric-airship-can-detect-american-f-35-fighters-1800km-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3298181/chinas-stratospheric-airship-can-detect-american-f-35-fighters-1800km-study?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2025 05:44:36 +0000 When Russia invaded Ukraine nearly three years ago, a new theatre of modern warfare emerged where unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) took on vital roles in surveillance and attacks, signalling a shift in the future of air dominance. While both China and the United States, the world’s two largest military powers, continue to prioritise traditional warplanes in the race for air superiority, both countries have also doubled down on UAVs. However, the strategic approaches of the two rivals are... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3289177/how-china-and-us-are-using-different-drone-strategies-seize-air-superiority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3289177/how-china-and-us-are-using-different-drone-strategies-seize-air-superiority?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2024 15:59:08 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen A groundbreaking radar being developed by Chinese scientists could detect and track F-22 stealth fighter jets using signals from China’s BeiDou navigation satellite system. Using a simple receiving antenna, the radar is cost-effective, can be deployed almost anywhere on Earth and does not emit signals that might reveal its location. Plus, if BeiDou is jammed, it can switch frequency bands to use GPS, Europe’s Galileo, or Russia’s GLONASS, ensuring uninterrupted operation. In a peer-reviewed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3282688/can-chinas-beidou-radar-detect-f-22-stealth-fighters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3282688/can-chinas-beidou-radar-detect-f-22-stealth-fighters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2024 15:00:08 +0000 Recently leaked documents, purported to contain technical information about the F-35 fighter jet and sensitive US weapons, appear authentic, according to a Chinese information security expert. A user claiming to be a Russian pilot, identifying himself as Ivan Ivanov with the handle Fighterbomber, stated on the Telegram encrypted messaging service they had received 250 gigabytes of US military data from an American company. On July 2, Fighterbomber posted some of the documents to their channel,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3269726/leaked-american-f-35-and-f-15-documents-appear-authentic-says-chinese-security-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3269726/leaked-american-f-35-and-f-15-documents-appear-authentic-says-chinese-security-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jul 2024 07:54:14 +0000 While the US military struggles to detect spy balloons, Chinese scientists can offer a simple, efficient and low-cost solution. According to recently declassified official information, the Chinese military conducted a field test of this unprecedented air-floating balloon detection technology in Wayao village, Neijiang, in the southwest province of Sichuan in January 2022. The radar cross-section (RCS) of the balloon used in the test was only 16 square centimetres (2.48 square inches) . In... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3267512/chinese-scientists-detect-spy-balloon-small-f-35-stealth-fighter-radar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3267512/chinese-scientists-detect-spy-balloon-small-f-35-stealth-fighter-radar?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2024 14:00:11 +0000 Singapore will buy eight more F-35 stealth fighters, eventually replacing its older F-16s and putting the Singaporean air force “in the premier league” as regional threats grow, the city state’s defence minister said this week. Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) would buy F-35As – a larger, longer-range variant of the Lockheed Martin Corp jets – to complement the 12 F-35Bs it has already ordered. The first F-35Bs will be delivered to Singapore in 2026, Ng... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3253830/singapore-elevates-air-force-premier-league-adding-more-f-35-stealth-fighters-regional-threats-grow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3253830/singapore-elevates-air-force-premier-league-adding-more-f-35-stealth-fighters-regional-threats-grow?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Mar 2024 09:10:58 +0000 A Dutch appeal court on Monday ordered the government to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used in violations of international law during Israel’s Gaza offensive. “It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law,” the court said. It said the state had to comply with the order within seven days, and dismissed a request by government lawyers to suspend the order... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3251773/dutch-court-orders-halt-export-f-35-jet-parts-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3251773/dutch-court-orders-halt-export-f-35-jet-parts-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Feb 2024 11:50:33 +0000 Debris from a stealth jet that went missing after the pilot ejected has been found, the US military said on Monday, after a day in which failure to track the US$80 million aircraft drew amazement and ridicule in equal measure. The debris field from the F-35 was found in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston (JBC), officials said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Members of the community should avoid the area as the recovery team... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3235007/us-finds-debris-f-35-fighter-jet-day-after-it-went-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3235007/us-finds-debris-f-35-fighter-jet-day-after-it-went-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Sep 2023 03:19:22 +0000 A stealth-capable US fighter jet vanished on Sunday – not from prying eyes but rather from the American military, prompting an unusual call to the public to help locate the missing multimillion-dollar plane. After what authorities labelled a “mishap”, a pilot flying an F-35 in the southern state of South Carolina on Sunday afternoon ejected from the craft. The pilot survived, but the military was left with an expensive problem: it couldn’t find the jet, leading Joint Base Charleston to ask for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3234930/us-military-asks-help-finding-lost-f-35-fighter-jet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3234930/us-military-asks-help-finding-lost-f-35-fighter-jet?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2023 07:53:02 +0000 A comparison of US jets by Chinese military scientists has shown the F-35 to be a greater threat in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait than the older F-22, which is still generally regarded as the world’s most powerful stealth aircraft. The study, published in the Chinese language journal Modern Defence Technology, analysed the threat levels of various US military aircraft in different stages of a penetrating counter air operation at a range of distances from China’s coastline. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3217545/f-35-tops-chinas-threat-list-beating-older-f-22-military-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3217545/f-35-tops-chinas-threat-list-beating-older-f-22-military-study?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Apr 2023 08:00:18 +0000 Chinese most advanced stealth fighter J-20 is playing a leading role in intercepting planes over the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait, according to state media reports. Military observers believe the fifth generation warplanes are the best equipped to confront foreign stealth fighters such as the F-35s of the United States or Japan. On Monday state broadcaster CCTV aired a video of a J-20 squadron, saying it had done an “excellent job on regular patrols and controlling the East China Sea Air... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3207293/china-outlines-j-20-stealth-fighters-role-intercepting-foreign-warplanes-releasing-footage-may-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3207293/china-outlines-j-20-stealth-fighters-role-intercepting-foreign-warplanes-releasing-footage-may-show?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jan 2023 12:44:31 +0000 The Pentagon’s temporary ban on a rare alloy used in the F-35 fighter jet was a “self-defeating” attempt to decouple from China and had nothing to do with safety concerns, according to a Chinese social media account affiliated with party mouthpiece People’s Daily. Two days after the US Department of Defence walked back its pause on the cobalt and samarium alloy from China, an article on the account said the Pentagon had worked “consistently” with Congress to decouple US defence companies from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3195555/us-self-defeating-ban-f-35-alloy-china-attempt-decouple?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3195555/us-self-defeating-ban-f-35-alloy-china-attempt-decouple?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Oct 2022 10:00:16 +0000 The Pentagon’s acquisitions chief has issued a national security waiver on a ban on a Chinese alloy used in one component in Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets. The magnet, a part of a Honeywell-made component in the aircraft’s engine, was made with a rare cobalt and samarium alloy that came from China. Under both US law and Pentagon regulations, the use of special metals and alloys from China is prohibited. After the discovery, the Pentagon announced on September 7 that it had temporarily... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3195345/us-issues-national-security-waiver-f-35-jets-use-banned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3195345/us-issues-national-security-waiver-f-35-jets-use-banned?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Oct 2022 10:30:14 +0000 Every one of the more than 825 F-35 fighter jets delivered so far contain a component made with a Chinese alloy that’s prohibited by both US law and Pentagon regulations, according to the programme office that oversees the aircraft. The component – a magnet used in an aircraft-powering device supplied by Honeywell International Inc. – has been used in the plane since 2003, the Pentagon’s F-35 programme office said. On Wednesday, the Pentagon suspended deliveries of new F-35s to make sure the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3192051/pentagon-says-banned-china-made-alloy-all-f-35-jets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3192051/pentagon-says-banned-china-made-alloy-all-f-35-jets?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Sep 2022 03:59:40 +0000 The Pentagon’s decision to halt deliveries of American F-35 fighters after finding Chinese-made alloy in magnets used in the aircraft has been blamed on “irrational and cold war sentiment”. “The pausing of [Lockheed Martin Corp’s] F-35 is not related to security issues [on the jets], but it is the worst scenario caused by clashes between the two superpowers,” said Macau-based defence observer Antony Wong Tong, who added that the cost of the F-35 could increase because of the new... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3191835/military-analysts-blame-us-cold-war-sentiment-halted-delivery-f?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3191835/military-analysts-blame-us-cold-war-sentiment-halted-delivery-f?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Sep 2022 11:08:50 +0000 The Pentagon has halted deliveries of Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-35 after finding an alloy used in magnets for pumps on the fighter aircraft was made in China. The F-35 programme office “temporarily paused the acceptance of new F-35 aircraft to ensure the F-35 programme’s compliance” with defence regulations “pertaining to speciality metals”, Defence Department spokesman Russell Goemaere said in an email. He said the pause will not interfere with operations of F-35s already delivered to the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3191729/us-military-halts-f-35-jet-deliveries-over-use?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3191729/us-military-halts-f-35-jet-deliveries-over-use?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Sep 2022 16:56:37 +0000 South Korea reported the first successful test flight of its home-grown fighter jet, joining a small group of countries to demonstrate such technology as part of a bid to reduce its dependence on the US. The KF-21, also known as the Boramae, completed a 30-minute flight on Tuesday from an airport in the southern city of Sacheon, South Korea’s Defence Acquisition programme Administration said. The aircraft, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, will require additional tests before planned mass... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3185846/south-koreas-cheaper-answer-f-35-jet-makes-first-test-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3185846/south-koreas-cheaper-answer-f-35-jet-makes-first-test-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jul 2022 16:00:23 +0000 Advanced Chinese and American fighter jets have had several encounters in the East China Sea, a source close to Beijing’s military told the Post, saying it reflected the high level of tensions between the two nations. This came as a top US Air Force general said American Lockheed Martin F-35s had had at least one encounter with China’s J-20 stealth fighters recently in the East China Sea and that the US side was “impressed”. US Pacific Air Forces commander Kenneth Wilsbach did not mention the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3170866/us-f-35-and-chinese-j-20-fighter-jets-had-close-encounter-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3170866/us-f-35-and-chinese-j-20-fighter-jets-had-close-encounter-over?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Mar 2022 23:00:12 +0000 The US Navy said on Thursday it had recovered a stealth fighter jet that sank in the South China Sea after crashing off an aircraft carrier while trying to land. A major recovery operation was launched to find the plane – one of the most advanced in the US military – after it was lost in an area of rising tensions between the United States and China. Seven sailors were injured in the January 24 “landing mishap” on the USS Carl Vinson, but the pilot ejected to safety and was rescued by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3169166/us-recovers-f-35-stealth-jet-lost-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3169166/us-recovers-f-35-stealth-jet-lost-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:07:27 +0000 Five American sailors have been charged with violating military law over leaked video showing an F-35 fighter jet crashing on an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea last month, the US Navy said on Thursday. An ensign, three chief petty officers and a senior chief petty officer were charged under Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the US Navy said in a statement to KGTV-TV in San Diego. Their names were not released. Article 92 involves disobeying a lawful order or regulation... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3167542/us-navy-charges-sailors-over-leak-video-aircraft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3167542/us-navy-charges-sailors-over-leak-video-aircraft?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Feb 2022 07:17:26 +0000 More frequent military exercises carried out as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to counter China in the Indo-Pacific are partly to blame for the crash of a F-35C jet in the South China Sea, according to a Chinese observer. Chen Xiangmiao, an assistant research fellow with the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said the United States had ramped up its military activities in the South China Sea in the past year to make “potential enemies clearly aware that the costs and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3165509/more-us-missions-south-china-sea-factor-f-35c-fighter-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3165509/more-us-missions-south-china-sea-factor-f-35c-fighter-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Feb 2022 21:00:25 +0000