China's latest stealth fighter jet 'J-31B' ready for military service, CCTV video suggests

The video shows a computer-generated prototype of the new jet, including a side weapons bay carrying two missiles.

The plane, captioned in the video “Gyrfalcon,” has the name “J-31B” painted on its fuselage.

Beijing-based military analyst Fu Qianshao said the labels showed the fighter, developed by SAC for more than a decade, was ready for use.

“The transformation of the FC-31 into the J-31 indicates that it has met the formal requirements of military service and received an official designation,” Fu said.

The medium-sized stealth fighter was previously designated FC-31 for the export market. It was primarily referred to as the J-31 or D-35 by national media and commentators, but never had an official name.

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Designed as a fifth-generation stealth fighter for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and potentially for export markets, the warplane has undergone extensive development and testing since its maiden flight in 2012.

It was unveiled to the public at the 2014 Zhuhai Airshow and is positioned as the Chinese equivalent of Lockheed Martin’s fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II.

Its entry into service would make China the second country to have two types of stealth aircraft, after the United States with its F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

In 2013, during the early years of the FC-31’s development, chief designer Sun Cong told state media that he hoped a variant of the jet would follow the J-15 on PLA Navy aircraft carriers. The fourth-generation J-15, also developed by SAC, is China’s only carrier-based fighter jet in active service.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported in 2015 that the J-31 could complement the J-20 fighter jets in aerial combat and could also partner the J-15 as a carrier-based aircraft.

However, analysts cannot be certain that the model shown in the SAC video is intended to be put on a ship.

Fu, who is a retired PLA Air Force equipment analyst, said the “B” code indicated there could be multiple variants of the J-31, but it was unclear whether it was carrier-based.

“It is still difficult to say whether (the B variant) will be carrier-based, land-based or intended for export,” he said.

Shi Hong, a military analyst, said the J-31B appeared to be intended for use by the PLA Air Force rather than the Navy. That’s because the nose landing gear shown in the video was a single-wheeled design, which was generally more suited to land-based aircraft than those on carriers, he said.

The PLA Navy’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, Fujian, is the first to be equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system. The ship’s first official sea trial in May sparked widespread speculation about when the PLA might reveal fighter jets capable of such takeoffs.

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The J-31B seen in the video was also the first variant to be equipped with side-mounted weapons bays, Shi said, noting that this could “significantly enhance its combat capabilities.”

Each weapons bay was capable of carrying two missiles, he said, adding that this distinguished the J-31B from the U.S. F-22 Raptor and China’s J-20, which also incorporate side weapons bays but can only carry one missile on each side.

“This would increase its weapon payload… and the close-quarters combat firing capabilities would be strong,” Shi explained in a video posted to his Weibo social media account.

China displayed a model The FC-31 was showcased at the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. A Chinese official at the show, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the FC-31 was not yet in service with the PLA Air Force, but would be operational soon.

Pakistan’s air force chief said in January that his country was on the right track to acquire the fifth-generation fighter FC-31 Gyrfalcon.