China’s new fighter jet raises some serious questions and indicates they have far more intel on America’s defense than we ever could’ve imagined.
According to some recent tweets, China’s new fighter, the J-31, looks a lot like the American F-22 and F-35 fighters:
Look all I'm saying is the J-31 looks disturbingly like the F-35 flash drive I have at my desk. @CombatAir #avgeek pic.twitter.com/OCY3nIb9Su
— Aaron Mehta (@AaronMehta) October 31, 2014
https://twitter.com/F22Raptorace/status/527474465668468737
According to the Washington Free Beacon:
“China obtained secrets from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter through cyber attacks against a subcontractor for Lockheed Martin. The technology has shown up in China’s first stealth jet, the J-20, and in the J-31. Both of the jets’ design features and equipment are similar to those of the F-35.”
One senior pilot familiar with the F-35 program commented on the J-31s:
“They’re still in the glossy brochure phase of development, so they still look ten feet tall and bulletproof. I think they’ll eventually be on par with our fifth gen jets — as they should be, because industrial espionage is alive and well.”
The Chinese are in the process of a major buildup of air power. They have the two stealth fighter jets, are developing a new strategic bomber, have purchased Russian Su-35 jets, and are developing advanced air missile systems.
For U.S. industry officials, the flight of the J-31 at a recent Chinese air show implies that they plan to sell the jet on the open market.
What do you think? Is the Chinese J-31 jet a blatant copy of the American F-35 jet, and what does this mean for America as a super power?
H/T: Western Journalism