Amid soaring tensions in the Middle East, as Israel threatens to open multiple fronts against neighbouring countries Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt, China has offered its latest J-35 fifth generation fighter jets to several countries to prevent an all-out war in the region, reports said.
Since its launch, China has been promoting the latest version of its carrier-based stealth fighter jet at the Middle East’s biggest military expo as competition heats up for aircraft sales in the region.
An official of the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) said duirng the expo in Abu Dhabi that the J-35 fighter aircraft was “similar to the F-35” and was attracting attention among customers in the Middle East.
In the final days of his first term in 2021, US President Donald Trump signed off on a deal to allow the UAE to buy 50 F-35s in return for establishing diplomatic ties with Israel, while several other regional nations are now considering the option of J-35, which is considered equal and better in terms of avionics to the US F-35.
Charles Hollosi, senior aviation analyst at global military intelligence company Janes, said China’s display of the J-10CE and J-35 models showed the Chinese aerospace industry’s “continued effort to market its advanced combat aircraft in the region despite strong recent sales of Western platforms.”
“Some countries may see the acquisition of Chinese platforms as a hedge against dependence on a single country for this type of aircraft by diversifying their fighter fleets,” Hollosi said.
“Acquisition of Chinese fighters would reduce dependence on Western suppliers for geopolitical reasons, which could make them attractive to prospective buyers.
However, Chinese platforms are generally less capable than established Western types and may have issues with sustainment through their service lives.”
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Timothy Heath, a senior international defence researcher at US-based think tank Rand Corporation, said, “The Middle East region is full of acute rivalries.”
Arming Sunni Muslim countries could anger Iran while arming Iran could antagonise countries led by Saudi Arabia. Arming Muslim countries could antagonise Israel as well,” he said.
However, China sees selling its latest jets as a deterrent that could potentially limit the ongoing conflict spillover in the region especially a brewing conflict between Israel and Iran that could jeopardise the stability of the entire region.
“China’s weaponry has improved greatly over the years and is becoming attractive, especially since China’s main competitor, Russia, has largely stopped selling advanced weaponry that is needed in the war against Ukraine,” Heath said.
“For their own reasons, the US and China may have limited opportunities for sales of fighter jets. Russia isn’t selling many fighter jets due to its war.
This leaves an opportunity for countries like South Korea, which have made good-quality aircraft available at a reasonable price,” he said.
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