VIPs flock to Zhuhai airshow as J-31 stealth fighter takes to the skies
J-31 flypast in Zhuhai makes China just the second nation after the US to have two stealth fighter designs in field testing at the same time
China's newest fighter jet made its debut yesterday at the biannual international air show in Zhuhai , underscoring its rising military strength in Asia.
The J-31 fifth-generation stealth fighter made a solo fly-past at Airshow China on what was also the official 65th anniversary of the founding of China's air force.
The flypast makes China only the second nation after the United States to have two stealth fighter designs in field testing at the same time.
Chinese media reported last year that the J-31, developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, would be redesigned with ground attack capabilities. Photos of test runs have circulated on Chinese military blogs in recent weeks.
Watch: China's Zhuhai airshow takes off, J-31 fighter makes debut
The jet's makers aim to market it overseas, particularly to developing countries, but Hong Kong-based military expert Andrei Chang said the aircraft's future was uncertain because it did not have the full backing of the PLA Air Force.