Sky's no limit

J-35 naval stealth fighter jet

China's People's Liberation Army showcased all five models of its fifth-generation combat aircraft in active duty for the first time at the grand V-Day parade in Beijing on Wednesday, a move that observers said intended to demonstrate its world-class air prowess.

The models, the J-20, J-20A, J-20S and J-35A of the PLA Air Force as well as the PLA Navy's J-35, thundered past Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing in flying wedge formations toward the end of a 70-minute parade marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

J-35A multirole stealth fighter jet

It marked the first time that all five models of the cutting-edge stealth fighter jets have appeared in a single parade.

It also marked the maiden public showing of the J-20S, the world's first and only twin-seat stealth jet; the J-20A, an upgraded single-seat variant of the J-20 baseline configuration; and the J-35, the Navy's first radar-evading combat plane.

Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told China Daily that it was the first time in the history of the People's Republic of China that so much new hardware had been used in a parade.

"What we have seen is an unprecedented unveiling of China's domestically developed weaponry, such as those new aircraft. All of these previously unseen weapons have state-of-the-art designs and superior capabilities, and have tremendously enhanced the Chinese armed forces' overall strength," Wang said.

"Specifically, the appearance of the J-20 and J-35 families on a considerable scale means that the Air Force and Navy are in the middle of a systemic transformation that highlights the core role of fifth-generation types, namely these stealth jets," he said, adding that the PLA is likely to be ahead of other militaries around the globe in terms of establishing a comprehensive fifth-generation air combat system.

According to a statement published before the V-Day parade by a temporary command in charge of the event's aircraft squadrons, the new military planes "have been deployed to handle high-intensity warfare", while their appearance was meant to "reflect the PLA's strength to deter adversaries and safeguard China's airspace".