2024-07-28 21:06:11
Islamabad: The Chinese J-31 fighter plane has been in the news recently. Pictures of this fighter plane, which is flying only in testing so far, are also being shared a lot on social media. China is presenting it as the world’s best fighter plane, which is equipped with stealth technology. China has reportedly offered J-31 stealth fighter planes to the Pakistan Air Force. It is believed that if this plane becomes a part of the Pakistan Air Force, then it can increase India’s tension. This is the reason why many experts have appealed to the Indian Air Force to buy F-35 fighter planes from America.
How powerful is the J-31 fighter jet?
According to the Eurasian Times report, no technical details are available about the J-31, but it would not be hard to guess that it will be equipped with an AESA radar, various types of AAMs (air-to-air missiles), ALCMs (air-launched cruise missiles) and possibly the much-discussed hypersonic anti-shipping missile. It will, in all likelihood, have about nine hot points, four under each wing and one under the fuselage. The J-31 aircraft will be capable of air strikes at a range of at least 750 km with maximum payload. Although this aircraft is currently undergoing testing, there is no known timeline for it to become part of the Pakistani Air Force.
The Chinese J-31 will remain a paper tiger until 2035
It takes a long time for any fighter aircraft to achieve initial operational clearance. In such a situation, it is believed that the Chinese J-31 aircraft will remain a paper tiger for many years to come. It is important to note here that in the case of the American F-35, it took the US Air Force 20 years to go from stabilizing qualitative requirements to initial operational clearance. Even if China manages to reduce the time frame to 10 years, the J-31 is unlikely to be employed in an operational role with the PLAAF before 2035. But then the question arises whether China will be in a position to equip Pakistan with J-31 fighter aircraft simultaneously.
Why America will not sell F-35 to India
Acquiring the American F-35 is a tough job for India. The US has not yet offered the F-35 to India. India uses Russian weapons in many ways. In such a situation, the US will never try to sell the F-35 to India. Especially after buying the S-400 missile system from Russia. The US had earlier also excluded Turkey from the F-35 development program and imposed sanctions on its defense industries due to its purchase of the S-400 missile system from Russia.
F-35 operational problems
The F-35 has some very serious operational issues that need to be resolved. In 2023, the US Air Force lost six F-35s due to accidents. The problem with the development of the F-35 has been its overly ambitious nature. To date, there are 14 variants of the F-35, creating a lot of confusion in maintenance. The US Government Accountability Office said in its report that “widespread” differences in variants are complicating maintenance and maintainability, making it a huge problem to maintain.
F-35 not successful for India
The F-35’s maintenance schedule has been hit by several hurdles with various equipment malfunctioning at irregular intervals. The Indian Air Force needs a robust platform that can operate in the nearly 50-degree temperature of Rajasthan and the extremely humid conditions of northeast and eastern India. The F-35 is unlikely to meet that requirement. To date, nearly 1,000 F-35s have been built, but operators have described the platform as underdeveloped. According to a government report, the program has 845 open deficiencies, including six Class 1 deficiencies. As such, the Indian Air Force does not need such a platform.