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In a
rare disclosure, the state-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China
(Avic) unveiled the capabilities of the J-31 aircraft at an
aviation show, even though the jet is still being tested, the
newspaper said.
Avic officials have made no secret of the fact that they are
seeking foreign buyers for the aircraft, hoping to compete with
Lockheed Martin's F-35.
Countries that cannot buy weaponry from the United States have
increasingly sought them from China, particularly because
Chinese arms are often cheaper.
Avic said the fifth-generation fighter jet, which has a 1,200 km
(750-mile) combat range and a top speed of 2,205 kph (1,370
mph), is designed to be in service for up to 30 years, the China
Daily reported.
It has a maximum payload capacity of 8 metric tons, the
newspaper said.
An Avic executive said last year the jet could "take down"
foreign rivals in the sky. The twin-engine J-31 took its maiden
flight in 2012.
Defense analysts have often compared the jet to the U.S.-made
F-35, and U.S. officials have speculated that China may have
used cyber espionage to acquire classified knowledge about the
aircraft's development.
Stealth aircraft are vital to China developing the ability to
carry out both offensive and defensive operations, the Pentagon
has said in a report about developments in China's military.
The J-31 is China's second domestically produced stealth fighter
jet.
President Xi Jinping has pushed to toughen the 2.3
million-strong armed forces as the country takes a more
assertive stance in the region, particularly in the South China
and East China seas.
(Reporting By Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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