J-35A stealth fighter jet officially receives code name Yunlong

The official code name of China's J-35A stealth fighter jet is Yunlong, or Cloud Loong, according to China Central Television.

The State broadcaster revealed the name in a prime-time program on Saturday.

Developed by Aviation Industry Corp of China, the J-35A is a single-seat, twin-engine stealth multirole combat aircraft with a conventional aerodynamic configuration and advanced technologies.

Its primary mission is to seize and maintain air superiority for the People's Liberation Army Air Force, while its secondary mission is to conduct airstrikes against land and sea targets, according to its designers.

The aircraft is designed to engage hostile aircraft, including fighters and bombers, intercept enemy cruise missiles, and destroy land- and ship-based air defense systems, they said.

The J-35A is the PLA Air Force's second type of stealth fighter, following the J-20. It made its public debut in November 2024 at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, shortly after the PLA Air Force declassified the aircraft.

The J-35A's overall design is based on the J-35, a stealth naval fighter developed for deployment on PLA Navy aircraft carriers and for operations alongside J-15 carrier-based fighters.