New Delhi: China is set to deliver its most advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter, the J-35A, to Pakistan. The aircraft is armed with the deadly PL-17 air-to-air missile. Confirmed by Pakistani defence officials, the move is raising alarms across India’s security establishment. Why? Because this missile reportedly has a striking range of 400 kilometres, potentially altering the dynamics of aerial combat in the region.
The PL-17 is not only an upgraded missile, it is a battlefield equaliser. Developed as a successor to the PL-15E, this radar-guided missile is designed to take out high-value airborne targets such as AWACS, refueling aircraft and command planes before they can even detect the incoming threat.
Dubbed CH-AA-12 Auger by NATO, this missile is thought to operate beyond 400 km range and gives its host fighter an ability to kill from afar.
Pakistan already used the PL-15 against India. Now, with the PL-17 mounted on a stealth fighter like the J-35, it will be about shock and awe.
The J-35, also known as the FC-31 or Gyrfalcon in China, is a twin-engine and single-seat multirole stealth fighter with advanced design features to evade L-band and Ku-band radars. Equipped with diverterless supersonic inlets (DSI) and stealth-optimised composite materials, this fighter is designed to slip past radar and hit hard before even being seen.
Pakistani pilots are already training in China to fly this machine. While exact details of the arms deal remain classified, leaks suggest Pakistan could acquire up to 40 J-35 fighters, with deliveries starting soon.
What Does This Mean For India?
India currently operates 4.5-generation fighters like Rafale and Su-30MKI. The indigenous fifth-generation AMCA program is still under development, with a prototype not expected before 2028. That means Pakistan could enjoy a stealth edge for years, unless India acts fast.
The PL-17’s range, allegedly over 60 km longer than even India’s Astra MkII, could allow Pakistani fighters to fire before Indian jets even enter engagement range.
Even worse, defence experts worry that J-35s connected to China’s satellite and surveillance network could get real-time battlefield updates, making them near-invisible predators in the sky.
India’s strategy has multiple layers but urgency is key. The Astra MkIII, with a proposed range of 340 km, is in development phase and may become India’s answer to the PL-17. Defence scientists are under pressure to fast-track it.
India already has the S-400 Triumf system, which stunned the world when it shot down a Pakistani AWACS 314 km away. It remains a key long-range defence pillar.
To survive in the stealth era, India must strengthen its electronic warfare capabilities and radar systems designed to detect low-RCS targets like the J-35.
Above all, India needs to accelerate the AMCA program, which could neutralise the stealth advantage once inducted.
What’s China’s Game Here; Why is it Alarming?
Strategically, this is Beijing’s move to tip the regional balance in Pakistan’s favour, just months after the latest India-Pakistan skirmish. It is no coincidence that China is speeding up jet deliveries now.
Defence analyst and retired IAF Squadron Leader Vijayendra K. Thakur told Eurasian Times, “Against stealth fighters, conventional air defence is blunt. J-35s can launch missiles before detection. That is a deadly edge.”
It is more than trade. It is about China weaponising Pakistan as a proxy to challenge India without direct confrontation. The PL-17 and J-35 combo is not only hardware but a geopolitical signal.
India now finds itself on a strategic clock. Every delay in response is a free runway for Pakistan to soar into next-gen air warfare, with China fuelling the take-off.
The arrival of J-35 jets with PL-17 missiles in Pakistan’s hangars could mark the most serious airpower escalation in the region in a decade. India will need more than diplomacy to prepare for what may soon dominate its skies.
