Egypt; Air Force shows interest in the Chinese J-35 stealth fighter

During the recent China-Egypt joint air drills, Eagles of Civilization 2025, held between April and May at Wadi Abu Rish Air Base, non-official sources reported that the Commander of the Egyptian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mahmoud Fuad Abdel Gawad, expressed a strong interest in China’s J-35 stealth fighter. While this information has not been officially confirmed by either Egyptian or Chinese authorities, it has sparked considerable speculation about a potential shift in Cairo’s military procurement strategy.

This reported interest would have emerged during the general’s visit to the bilateral exercise, in which both countries deployed advanced aerial platforms. China brought in its J-10C fighters, the KJ-500 early warning aircraft, YU-20 tankers, and Y-20 strategic airlifters. Egypt fielded its Russian-built MiG-29M/M2 fighters. Although no official statement corroborates the general’s remarks, the setting provided a credible environment for technical exchanges and capability evaluations.

The J-35, developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, is a fifth-generation fighter derived from the FC-31 demonstrator, designed for both air superiority and strike missions. It features a low-observable twin-engine airframe, diverterless supersonic inlets (DSI), and internal weapons bays. Two main variants exist: the naval J-35, designed for Chinese aircraft carriers with folding wings and a reinforced nose gear for catapult launches, and the J-35A, a lighter land-based version optimized for the Chinese Air Force. The aircraft is equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, an electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) under the nose, infrared search and track (IRST), and a heads-up display integrated with a digital control interface. The cockpit includes a 20-inch multifunction touchscreen and a helmet-mounted sighting system.