Key Points and Summary – Iran’s air force, a collection of aging F-14s and other relics, is desperately in need of modernization.
-A potential solution has emerged from China: the Shenyang J-35 stealth fighter.
Israel’s F-35I Adir Fighter. Image credit: Creative Commons
-This F-35 look-alike would provide a massive, generational leap in capability for Tehran.
-In a potential conflict, the J-35 would face off against Israel’s combat-proven F-35I Adir.
-While the jets themselves may be evenly matched on paper, the F-35I would ultimately triumph due to the superior training, combat experience, and confidence of Israeli pilots compared to their Iranian counterparts.
J-35 Headed to Iran?
Iran is not known for its fighter jets. During the recent 12-day war with Israel, Iran’s Air Force was not much of a factor. The Iranians still fly decades-old F-14 “Persian” Tomcats and F-4 Phantom IIs, in addition to various ancient Soviet-era MiGs.
Tehran’s fighter force could use a boost, which is why Iran might look to China to breathe some life into its outdated fleet.
Massive Upgrade for Tehran
One jet that China could send to Iran is the Shenyang J-35 stealth fighter. This would deliver a huge upgrade to Iran’s existing fleet.
The J-35 is the second fifth-generation warbird China has produced, after the J-20 Mighty Dragon. The J-35 is a twin-engine, single-seat air-superiority jet.
The J-35 can also serve as a multirole fighter in a pinch, and its radar-evading characteristics make it a formidable airplane.
The J-35 Is an F-35 Copy
China has a habit of copying the United States, and the J-35 bears an amazing resemblance to the American F-35.
And interestingly enough, the Israeli F-35I would be the main adversary for the J-35 in the Middle East, should Iran purchase the latter in numbers.
Let’s first take a closer look at China’s stealth fighter.
Versatile and Stealthy Warbird
The J-35 is designed for dog fights, air policing, and hunter-killer missions. It could be used on Day One of warfare to suppress enemy air defenses as a deep penetrator and pave the way for attacks from bombers.
J-35 Fighter. Image Credit: Chinese State Media.
The J-35 would be helpful in ground strikes against Taiwan, for example, where it could sneak past enemy radar installations and jam surface-to-air missiles with electronic-warfare measures.
The J-35 has a naval model for carrier operations, making it a versatile and valuable airplane for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s military.
Given the F-35’s three variants, the J-35’s multiple versions seem like an attempt by the Chinese to duplicate American defense acquisition strategies.
Speedy and Agile Maneuvers Make the J-35 a Tough Customer
The J-35 is meant to challenge U.S. and allied supremacy in the Indo-Pacific. Its twin-engine design gives Chinese pilots – and those from Iran, if Tehran were to purchase it – more confidence that the airplane could survive a battle even if it lost an engine.
Two WS-19 engines also offer greater power, thrust, and acceleration – important traits for a fighter. China has bragged that the J-35 can reach Mach 1.8 speed.
J-35 Could Be the Most Modernized Jet in the Chinese Fleet
The J-35 is also intended to be sold at a lower price than the Chinese J-20, making it a viable option for the Iranian Air Force, which needs stealth and modern performance.
The J-35 comes with an advanced avionics suite, including an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for excellent early detection and tracking, an electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) for passive targeting, and an infrared search and track (IRST) system for discovering enemy aircraft first to home in on the kill.
Matching Up Against the F-35I
The Israelis would counter with their F-35I Adir. The F-35I already has an exemplary combat record after the 12-day war with Iran. The aircraft was able to penetrate deep into Iranian air space, take out enemy air defenses, and bomb nuclear infrastructure.
The Israelis have taken a base-model F-35A and made it an evolution better. The “flying computer” is now a “flying supercomputer.”
This warbird is highly stealthy and led the attack during Operation Rising Lion against Iran in June.
The F-35I Is Tough
The F-35I can destroy incoming cruise missiles and drones – jamming some and knocking out others with missiles. The F-35I uses Sidewinder missiles and AMRAAMs to great effect for air superiority missions.
For surface strikes, it relies on JDAM precision-guided munitions. The F-35I can also drop spice weapons (1,000- and 2,000-pound PGM bombs), as well as Delilah stand-off cruise missiles.
The F-35I and J-35 would be evenly matched. The Chinese have made an airplane very similar to the F-35 Lightning II. Victory would come down to the skill of individual pilots.
Israeli aviators have ample combat experience – they have gone against dangerous air defenses and escaped without a scratch. Iranian aviators have yet to learn tactics with stealth fighters. Israeli aviators have more confidence and are better trained.
The J-35 is slightly faster than the F-35I, but the Adir is stealthier. F-35Is also recover from missions quicker and can be sent back to the sky for another sortie faster than J-35s.
Iran would be well-served with the J-35 if they could afford the airplane in numbers. The aircraft would be a generational improvement for the Iranian Air Force, but there would be a learning curve for Iranian pilots.
The edge in any confrontation between these aircraft would have to go to Israel’s F-35I. The Israelis have what is probably the best fighter jet in the world.
It is combat-tested and has suffered no losses. A J-35 would have to be flown expertly to down an F-35I, and the Iranians have flown the same old fighters for decades now. The F-35I would triumph.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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