It has not been a good couple of weeks for the F-35 Lightning II program. Foreign suitors in the past lined up to buy the fifth-generation stealth fighter for their air forces, but now countries such as Portugal are getting cold feet. False rumors of a so-called kill switch that would allow the U.S. to disable the airplane to show American disdain for European partners have worried the Lightning II’s NATO customers.
The F-35 also has tons of competition from Russia and China. Let’s take a look at the airplanes that could challenge the Joint Strike Fighter.
Russia Has Two Stealth Fighters
Russia flies the Su-57 Felon and Su-75 Checkmate fifth-generation fighters, and they seek foreign buyers for both models. The Su-57 has flown well at air shows. India is considering the Felon and the F-35, while Algeria is in fact going to buy the Su-57, giving Russia its first customer.
The Su-75 is less mature in its life cycle, but it could someday be a hit overseas.
Russia is careful not to fly the Su-57 into danger over Ukraine. They would hate to have their prize fighter jets shot down by Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces. The Russian air force’s Su-57s are likely taking an operational pause right now, as Kyiv and Moscow ponder a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the Su-75 may be all bark and no bite. The plane is better known for related Russian marketing efforts that include giving away a bottle of Su-75 cologne to potential customers at air expos. But it should be stealthy and maneuverable, and it could challenge the F-35 on the export market someday.
Russia Is Looking to Fly 6th Generation Model
Moreover, the Russians are working on a sixth-generation jet. The MiG-41, also called the PAK DP, could fly faster than Mach 4, according to Russian state media. The ultra-stealth warbird could carry and shoot down hypersonic missiles, then fly to near-space and destroy satellites with its lasers.
To be sure, these are “claims” and not sure-fire capabilities, but you have to hand it to Russian engineers and designers for being ambitious.
China Is in the Game and Looking to Crush the Competition
China is not to be outdone in fighter-plane development. There are two Chinese stealth fighters, and the J-35A is one model that could give the F-35 fits. However, I should clarify that while the J-35A and the J-20 claim to be fully stealthy, they are better described as having stealth attributes.
The J-35A has advanced avionics and more capable engines. It could take off from aircraft carriers someday, giving the Chinese an answer to the F-35C, the naval variant of the Lightning II. The J-35A is an air superiority dogfighter that can also perform anti-ship and ground-strike missions.
Internal weapons bays boost its radar-evasion ability. The Chinese now have something that could sneak over Taiwan and bomb it into submission, but also take off from carriers and challenge the U.S. Navy.
China’s J-20 is powerful and fast. It can carry 28,000 pounds of ordnance. It has a bigger weapons payload than the F-35, and at Mach 1.8 it is also a shade speedier than the Joint Strike Fighter.
More than 200 J-20 fighters have been built, and Chinese pilots are becoming more confident by the day that they could best the F-35 in aerial combat.
Chinese 6th Generation Fighters Come on the Scene
China may also have not one but two sixth-generation warplanes under development—one from defense contractor Chengdu, and one from Shenyang. We are not sure either of these prototypes will progress toward serial production, but they are clear Chinese efforts to surpass the F-35 with next-generation fighters.
Chengdu’s model is shaped like an arrowhead, with three jet intakes and a broad fuselage. Shenyang’s airplane has a diamond-shaped tailless design.
These aircraft will be much stealthier than the J-35A and J-20. But the prototypes might only be technology and design demonstrators, not fully functioning aircraft ready for production lines.
As you can see, the F-35 has plenty of competitors from Russia and China. The good thing is that the software on the F-35 is updatable—the jet is something of a flying computer. Feedback from pilots also can be used to adjust the F-35’s flight characteristics.
The combat record of the Lightning II has been great so far. Israel’s model, the F-35I Adir, accomplished a stellar mission over Iran last year, when it took out Iranian air defenses and radar installations without receiving a scratch.
Which of the Major Powers Has the Better Pilots?
This competition comes down to the quality of individual pilots. The Russians have endured tough conditions over Ukraine. Russian pilots often hang back and fire glide bombs from outside the range of Ukrainian air defenses. Chinese aviators have no combat experience, and the Americans do.
Pilots from the three sides will operate in multi-threat environments, and in such circumstances, the stealthiest bird will win. The level of stealth on the F-35 is better than the J-35A or the J-20, and in any future conflict, it should be able to sneak past Chinese defenses much like the F-35I did over Iran.
This aerial competition among the United States and Russia and China goes on, and we will continue to track the development of all these fighters in the future.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
