New Delhi: Fifteen years after it was revealed that Chinese hackers had successfully hacked and stolen America’s top defense designs, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has unveiled its newest fighter jet. stealth fighter, the J-35A, earlier this week.

What immediately catches the eye are the striking similarities between the Chinese plane and the American F-35 fighter.

The PLA Air Force equipment department announced that the J-35A will be part of the air show.

The J-35A is a medium-sized, multirole stealth fighter aircraft. According to Chinese media reports, there are two versions of the jet: one designed for the air force and another for deployment on aircraft carriers.

Although there has been no official announcement from the PLAAF on fielding the fighter jet, according to Chinese official tabloid World Timethe “announcement of the J-35A by the PLAAF can be interpreted as confirmation of its entry into service”.

In China, the fighter jet is considered complementary to the J-20 stealth fighter jets, already operational in China, in the same way as the American F-22 and F-35.

The Global Times cited an expert as saying that the J-35A has multiple advantages in terms of “first detection, first strike”, in addition to “ensuring operational advantages”, and compared to the previous generation of fighters operated by the China.

Read also: Rifles slung, upside down, on ponies. Indian troops carry out their first patrol in Depsang since 2020

J-35A vs. F-35

The J-35A is compared to the F-35 Lightning II, developed by the American Lockheed Martin, due to the uncanny similarities in design.

The F-35 family includes three variants: F-35A (conventional takeoff and landing), F-35B (short takeoff/vertical landing), and F-35C (aircraft carrier).

The fifth-generation multirole F-35 is capable of maintaining air dominance and is equipped with ultra-low observable stealth, advanced sensors, information fusion and network connectivity. It is a single-engine, single-seat, long-range supersonic fighter.

However, unlike the F-35, the J-35A is a twin-engine jet fighter.

Another difference is that although the F-35 was designed for the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) version, the Chinese fighter does not have this capability. In fact, the Chinese plane appears to be “sleaker and sleeker than the F-35.”

The DSI inputs, canopy and basic configuration are similar, depending on The war zone.

Highlighting other key differences between the two planes, he said that while some claim China copied the American design or stole data to aid the plane’s development, that did not mean the The plane had been “copied”. The portal adds that China could not have “copied” the F-35 because it was “one of the most complex machines in the world.”

Theft of F-35 design data

The United States has faced the theft of sensitive design data by hackers targeting programs such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Theft by cyber intrusion was reported in 2009.

Defense acquisition chief Frank Kendall told a 2013 Senate hearing that he was “reasonably” sure that the F-35’s classified information was secure, but that he was “not completely secure” of unclassified information. He also said that “design and production advantage had been confiscated to competing powers.”

His remarks came after the Pentagon said in its annual report on China that Beijing was using cyberespionage to further its military modernization agenda.

It was also the first time, thanks to the report, that “cyber intrusions into U.S. government computer systems appeared to be directly attributable to the Chinese government and military.”

In 2014, a Los Angeles grand jury indicted a Chinese national named Su Bin, who was staying in Canada, for his involvement in a case. cyber espionage programallegedly carried out by People’s Liberation Army (PLA) hackers.

Bin was a businessman who owned Lode Tech, specializing in aviation and aerospace products. Bin established close contacts within the global defense industry community, seeking information on “protected technology and, ultimately, unfettered access to company records.”

Between 2008 and 2014, Bin helped two PLA hackers steal more than 630,000 files related to the C-17 cargo plane as well as data related to the F-22 and F-35 fighter jets. It also allegedly helped hackers target specific companies, individuals and technologies, and also helped them translate the data obtained.

(Edited by Mannat Chugh)

Read also: As IDF unveils robotic combat task force, Israeli manufacturer says open to working with India