China’s Fujian Aircraft Carrier Launches J-35 Stealth Fighter with Electromagnetic Catapult.

China released video on Sept. 22, 2025 showing its J-35 stealth fighter taking off and landing on the new aircraft carrier Fujian using an electromagnetic catapult system (EMALS). The test marks the first public launch of a fifth-generation fighter from such a system at sea, signaling a major step in China’s naval aviation capabilities and narrowing a visible gap with the U.S. Navy.

China’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on September 22, 2025, that its navalized J-35 stealth fighter was successfully launched and recovered from the aircraft carrier Fujian using an electromagnetic catapult, a first-of-its-kind achievement at sea. The footage also showed J-15T strike aircraft and KJ-600 early warning planes in deck trials, underscoring that Fujian can now operate a full air wing of advanced aircraft. The milestone demonstrates China’s ability to deploy carrier-based stealth fighters with heavier payloads and longer ranges, a capability that rivals U.S. carrier power projection in the Pacific.
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This was the first public demonstration of a fifth-generation fighter launched by an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), a capability not yet displayed by any other country, including the U.S. Navy with its F-35C. (Picture source: Chinese MoD)

The footage most likely came from earlier trials, which were announced by Army Recognition, but still coincides with reports of Fujian crossing the Taiwan Strait earlier in September and operating in the South China Sea before returning to Yulin naval base. Fujian is China’s first domestically designed supercarrier and displaces about 80,000 tonnes. It uses conventional propulsion with turbines and diesel generators, but its three electromagnetic catapults enable it to launch heavier and more advanced aircraft than Liaoning and Shandong, which use ski-jump ramps.

State and independent reports describe an expected air wing of approximately 50 aircraft, including J-35 stealth fighters, J-15T strike aircraft, KJ-600 airborne early warning aircraft, helicopters, and electronic warfare types. Comparisons place it behind the 100,000-ton nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford, which operates over 75 aircraft with four catapults and unlimited endurance, but ahead of India’s 40,000-ton Vikrant, which lacks catapults and has no fixed-wing early warning capability. Limitations include refueling requirements and China’s shorter record of carrier aviation experience, but the September trials show that electromagnetic launch and recovery are now functional.

The J-35 is based on Shenyang’s FC-31 program and was adapted into a naval version with folding wings, reinforced gear, and a catapult-compatible launch bar, alongside a land-based J-35A for the air force. On July 8, 2025, Chinese broadcaster CCTV showed five to six J-35 airframes in Shenyang’s production facility, including one marked 040070, interpreted as evidence of batch production. In May 2025, aircraft numbered 61820 and 61821 were linked to the 1st Air Brigade of the PLAAF near Shenyang, which also operates J-20 fighters, making it the first publicly identified Chinese air unit to operate two stealth types. These indicators, combined with earlier sightings of green-primed aircraft in 2024 and 2025, support the assessment that the J-35 has entered serial production. Although precise performance figures are not confirmed, the design is described as a medium twin-engine stealth aircraft around 17 meters long, with a wingspan of 11.5 meters, a maximum takeoff weight of 25–28 tons, and internal carriage for six missiles. Engines reported include the WS-13E, WS-21, and a possible WS-19 for future thrust and supercruise capability.

Weapons integration has been highlighted by displays and reports in 2025. At the Changchun Air Show on September 20, 2025, a scale model of the J-35A was displayed with PL-10E, PL-15E, PL-12AE, and the LD-8A anti-radiation missile. Commentators noted that anti-radiation missiles target emitting radars and usually require powerful sensors or coordination with electronic warfare aircraft, suggesting the J-35A could either field a specialized variant or cooperate with other platforms in suppression of enemy air defense roles. Separate images and presentations in late July 2025 indicated a new PL-16 missile with a more compact design than the PL-15 but reportedly longer range, allowing stealth fighters to carry more missiles internally while maintaining low observability. Slides from a pilot seminar included diagrams on A-Pole and F-Pole geometry, stealth-preserving maneuvers, and radar cross-section charts, indicating doctrinal emphasis on networked long-range engagements in contested airspace.

The trials aboard Fujian are part of a wider PLAN structure combining carriers with amphibious platforms. On August 1, 2025, China officially commissioned Hubei, the fourth Type 075 landing helicopter dock, assigning it to the Southern Theater Command after it had participated in exercises with Hainan, Type 071 landing docks, and Type 726 LCACs. Type 075 ships displace 35,000–40,000 tons, measure 232 meters in length, and can operate up to 30 helicopters, in addition to carrying LCACs and hundreds of marines with armored vehicles. Their defenses include HQ-10 missiles, H/PJ-11 CIWS, radar suites, and electronic warfare systems. Type 071 landing docks contribute additional amphibious capacity with well decks for vehicles and troops, and when deployed with carriers, both classes relieve the strike group of troop transport and landing duties. Reports also highlight the Type 076 amphibious ship Sichuan, a larger variant that is claimed to feature electromagnetic catapults for drones and potentially fighters such as the J-35 and GJ-11, a development that would distribute aviation across different hulls.

Long-term plans point to the nuclear-powered Type 004 carrier under study at Dalian, with satellite imagery showing possible catapult modules, reports of a foredeck section at Xianglujiao, and confirmation of a land-based prototype reactor at NPIC Mucheng under Project Longwei. Estimates place the Type 004 at 110,000–120,000 tonnes displacement, over 330 meters in length, and 83 meters in beam, which would make it the largest warship ever built. It is projected to carry 70–100 aircraft, including J-15T, J-35, KJ-600, ASW helicopters, and UAVs, with CIWS and HQ-10 defenses, and possibly directed-energy weapons, though these remain unconfirmed. The design is expected to feature EMALS, angled deck operations, and integrated nuclear propulsion providing nearly unlimited range and high electrical output. While timelines remain uncertain, commissioning between 2030 and 2032 is suggested. Nuclear propulsion would overcome Fujian’s refueling constraints and allow sustained power projection beyond China’s coasts, while also supplying energy for sensors and launch systems.

Export and expansion dimensions add further context. Reports in 2025 suggested China had offered Pakistan 40 J-35A aircraft at a discount, although officials in Islamabad denied that any agreement existed, describing such claims as speculative. Egypt and Algeria have also been linked to possible interest, and China exhibited a model of the J-35A at the 2025 Paris Air Show as a signal to countries restricted from buying the F-35, including Saudi Arabia. An export variant labeled J-35E is in development, but its specifications are not confirmed. Analysts forecast that by 2030, the PLAN could field close to 100 J-35s across Fujian, Liaoning, and Shandong, with Liaoning and Shandong potentially adapted for ski-jump-compatible J-35 variants. This would give China a carrier-based stealth force of considerable size, though training, logistics, stealth maintenance, and operational integration remain challenges. The September trials therefore represent both a technical step forward and a marker in China’s efforts to expand naval aviation into a sustained blue-water capability.

The trials indicate that the J-35 can now be deployed with heavier fuel and ordnance loads while preserving its low observable design, which increases its range and strike capacity compared to ski-jump operations. This development also confirms that Fujian can operate a combination of stealth fighters, strike aircraft, and the KJ-600 airborne early warning platform, creating a carrier air wing with greater detection, coordination, and targeting capabilities. Strategically, this narrows a visible gap with the United States, which has not yet released footage of F-35C EMALS launches, and it signals that the PLAN can begin incorporating stealth aircraft into its doctrine, training, and logistics structures rather than treating them as a future option. For the J-35 program itself, the achievement secures its role as a core component of China’s carrier aviation strategy, accelerates its transition from prototype to operational deployment, and provides the basis for expanding to larger carriers such as the nuclear-powered Type 004, even though questions remain over long-term sustainment, pilot training, and the durability of stealth features under extended deck operations.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.