BEIJING: China has made one of its boldest military announcements yet: Its new J-35 stealth fighter is reportedly so hard to detect on radar that its signature is smaller than a human palm.
The detail, revealed in a recent story from Asia Live, shows just how confident Beijing has become in showcasing its newest piece of high-tech firepower — and how eager it is to prove it can stand toe-to-toe with U.S. stealth jets like the F-35 and F-22.
Chinese media say the aircraft achieves this level of invisibility through carefully sculpted body shaping and special radar-absorbing materials developed at home. Defence experts note that China usually keeps this sort of data tightly under wraps, meaning this disclosure is probably meant to send a message abroad.
A stealth breakthrough with ripple effects
Chinese analysts are comparing the J-35’s radar signature to something as small as a little bird — extraordinary for a fighter jet that can weigh nearly 30 tons fully loaded. If the claim holds, the aircraft could slip past some of the region’s most advanced radar systems used by the U.S., Japan, India, and Taiwan, potentially getting close enough to strike before anyone even realises it’s there.
That possibility could shift military calculations across the Indo-Pacific. Early-warning planes, tankers, and coastal radar sites — all key parts of modern defence networks — might suddenly find their reaction time shrinking.
The very fact that China is talking openly about the J-35’s performance suggests it believes the jet is close to large-scale rollout and wants its rivals to take notice.
A stealth jet takes flight from China’s new supercarrier
The timing of this announcement wasn’t random. It came just as China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, completed its first training runs using catapult-assisted takeoffs and landings. Among the aircraft involved was the J-35 — the first time China has paired a genuine fifth-generation carrier fighter with an advanced electromagnetic catapult system similar to the one used by the U.S. Navy.
This pairing unlocks major new capabilities. Catapults allow jets to launch while fully fueled and armed, giving the J-35 longer reach and more flexibility during missions across the First and Second Island Chains. China is also developing air force and naval versions of the jet that share many of the same systems, mirroring the U.S. approach with the F-35 family and making production faster and cheaper.
A growing challenge for the region
The J-35’s debut is drawing close attention — and concern — from countries around the Indo-Pacific.
Taiwan could have a harder time spotting stealth aircraft early enough to react.
Japan, which operates a large fleet of F-35s, now faces a homegrown Chinese rival.
India feels pressure to speed up its own stealth fighter program.
The United States is under added urgency to deploy its next-generation NGAD fighter.
Experts warn that if China builds the J-35 in large numbers, its stealth advantage — paired with long-range missiles like the PL-15 and future PL-21 — could overwhelm regional air defences. Many countries may now accelerate investments in counter-stealth radar and passive detection systems.
The bottom line
China’s claim that the J-35 has a radar signature the size of a palm isn’t just a technical flex. It’s a strong indication that Beijing aims to challenge U.S. air supremacy, restructure how militaries function across the Indo-Pacific, and position itself as a key player in the looming stealth combat rivalry.
