PLA Navy tests next-gen fighter jet on aircraft carrier

China's next-generation carrier-borne fighter jet, identified by observers as the J-35, has begun trial operations on the CNS Liaoning, an aircraft carrier of the People's Liberation Army Navy, according to China Central Television.

In a video clip published on Friday, Zhang Naigang, a senior non-commissioned officer aboard the Liaoning, said, "The new combat aircraft landed on the carrier as my service career is nearing its end." He described the new jet as "very beautiful", adding that its first landing and takeoff test occurred on a clear day.

"It was much like the day when the J-15 performed its first takeoff from the ship," Zhang recalled, referencing the Navy's current carrier-borne fighter jet. He said he witnessed the new jet's first takeoff from the Liaoning and was "excited and proud".

Zhang heads the takeoff section under the aircraft operations support department on the Liaoning. While he did not provide further details about the new fighter or its tests, his comments serve as a reliable confirmation of the aircraft's trial deployment on the carrier.

This is not the first time the Navy has alluded to a new carrier-borne fighter jet since the J-15 entered service more than a decade ago. In February 2023, the Navy released a recruitment video featuring a young pilot assigned a challenging task, walking toward what appeared to be a stealth fighter with folding wings—an indicator of a carrier-based design.

While specifics remain under wraps, military analysts believe the aircraft is designated as the J-35, a new-generation, stealth carrier-borne combat plane. Photos circulating on Chinese weapons websites of a mid-sized stealth fighter have further fueled speculation that the J-35 is nearly ready for service.