China has poured resources into modernising and expanding its aviation capabilities as it faces off against the United States and others around regional flashpoints like Taiwan.
Record numbers of Chinese warplanes have been sent around the self-ruled democratic island, which Beijing claims as its territory, over the past few years.
The star of Airshow China, which showcases Beijing's civil and military aerospace sector every two years in the southern city of Zhuhai, is the new J-35A stealth fighter jet.
Video from state media showed the warplane rearing up into the air, engines roaring, before flipping upside down and speeding away as spectators on the ground excitedly cheered.
Its inclusion in the airshow suggests it is nearly ready to enter operation, which would make China the only country other than the United States to have two stealth fighters in action, experts said.
The J-35A is lighter than China's existing model, the J20, and looks more similar in design to a US F-35.
A group of J20s also performed a display flight on Tuesday morning, in a diamond formation across the sky.
State news agency Xinhua quoted military expert Wang Mingzhi as saying the combination of the two models greatly enhances the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)'s "ability to conduct offensive operations in high-threat and contested environments".
For the first time, a PLA naval jet will be present at the airshow, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The J-15T's design suggests it may be intended for use on China's newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian.
Another key piece of hardware making its debut is the HQ-19 surface-to-air missile system, designed to intercept ballistic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles, according to state media.
- Drone zone -
The airshow features a dedicated drone zone for the first time, reflecting their increased prominence in warzones, including Ukraine.
The SS-UAV -- a massive mothership that can release swarms of smaller drones for intelligence gathering, as well as strikes -- will be on display in Zhuhai, according to the South China Morning Post.
In October the United States unveiled sanctions targeting China-based companies linked to the production of drones that Russia has deployed in Ukraine.
Moscow and Beijing have deepened military and defence ties since Russia's invasion of its neighbour three years ago, and the secretary of its Security Council, Sergei Shoigu, is due to visit Zhuhai.
Russia's Su-57, a stealth jet with a distinctive grey-and-white mosaic pattern, also took to the skies on Tuesday.
In another display, soldiers descended on ropes from helicopters.
This year the show's focus is squarely on the military sector, as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the PLAAF, but China's burgeoning space industry will also be showcasing developments.
A model of a homegrown reusable space cargo shuttle will debut at the show, Xinhua reported on Monday.
Named Haoloong, the shuttle is designed to be launched on a commercial rocket, and then dock with China's space station Tiangong.
"It can re-enter the atmosphere, fly and land horizontally at a designated airport, allowing for recovery and reuse," Xinhua said.
Beijing has poured huge resources into its space programme over the past decade in an effort to catch up to traditional space powers the United States and Russia.
Five things to watch at China's largest airshow
Beijing (AFP) Nov 11, 2024 -
China's burgeoning aviation industry and military might will be on display this week as the country's largest air show gets under way on Tuesday.
The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, held in the southern city of Zhuhai, will showcase military fighters, passenger jets, drones and weapons systems, some for the first time in public.
Military enthusiasts will monitor the latest advances in the capabilities of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, while foreign businesses hope to make deals with their Chinese counterparts.
Here are five things to watch for during the show:
- J-35A multirole stealth fighter -
China's newest stealth fighter will make its hotly anticipated debut at the air show.
The fighter, over a decade in the making, is primarily designed for air superiority missions but also has surface attack capabilities.
It is smaller and lighter than the J-20 already in service, indicating an emphasis on stealth.
Many have compared it to the US's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
But one noticeable difference is that the F-35 is powered by a single large turbofan engine, while the J-35A has twin engines.
The J-35A is reserved for land operations, rather than aircraft carrier use.
- J-15T carrier-based fighter -
The J-15T is an updated version of China's J-15 carrier-based fighter that adds catapult-launch capabilities.
That means it can not only operate on China's two operational aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, which have "ski jump" takeoff ramps, but also from the newer Fujian carrier, currently undergoing sea trials, which has a flat flight deck.
The J-15T took part in China's first dual-carrier drills announced last month.
It is equipped with Chinese-made WS-10 turbofans rather than Russian-made engines, suggesting China is no longer reliant on Moscow for powerful fighter engines.
- HQ-19 missile defence system -
The HQ-19 is a mobile surface-to-air missile system primarily used for regional interception of ballistic missiles.
Each launch system carries six interceptor missiles mounted on an 8x8 wheeled chassis.
Experts have compared it to the US THAAD-ER (Terminal High Altitude Defence - Extended Range) system produced by Lockheed Martin.
China's previous surface-to-air missile systems, like the HQ-9 and HQ-22, focus on anti-aircraft missions.
- SS-UAV attack reconnaissance drone -
This massive jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can launch swarms of smaller drones for reconnaissance, electronic warfare and kinetic strike missions.
Dubbed "Jiu Tian" ("High Sky" in English), the UAV has a maximum take-off weight of 16 tonnes, according to state media.
China has demonstrated interest in drone swarm capabilities in the past -- in part because they can be extremely difficult to defend against.
The country has regularly deployed UAVs in the South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and along contested border areas with India.
Its WZ-7 high-altitude drone was also spotted near the Philippines in April.
- Su-57 stealth fighter -
In a signal of close China-Russia relations, Moscow has brought its most advanced "fifth generation" fighter jet to the Zhuhai airshow for its first overseas demonstration.
The single-seat, twin-engine multirole fighter can reach Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound) and carry a range of missiles, rockets and bombs.
Russia may be hoping to drum up export interest in the fighter, which has struggled to bring in orders since it entered service in 2020.
Early visitors to the airshow in Zhuhai criticised the Su-57's construction in videos posted on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, comparing it unfavourably to China's fighters.
Multiple videos showed close-ups of gaps between the jet's bodywork panels and screws that don't sit flush.
The crude finish may be because the Su-57 on display in Zhuhai is a prototype rather than a complete production model.
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