Why China is scared of the F-35 stealth fighter

China should fear the F-35: For many years, the American-made F-22 Raptor was internationally recognized as the world’s most powerful fighter. U.S. adversaries looked at the world’s first fifth-generation airframe as the greatest threat in the skies.

Moscow and Beijing have developed their own fifth-generation programs, however, and the F-22’s reputation has subsided some.

China’s J-20 Chengdu and Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 are considered near-peers to America’s own fifth-generation platforms by the majority of industry experts.

Additionally, the entry of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter into service over the last eight years has shifted focus away from the Raptor.

Months back, the Chinese-language journal Modern Defense Technology recently reported that Chinese military scientists believe the F-35 is a greater threat than the Raptor platform over the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

According to the study’s results a few months ago, while both the F-35 and Raptor pose significant threats to Chinese defenses, the Joint Strike Fighter is a more versatile and lethal airframe.

F-22 vs. F-35 Stealth Fighter

As the world’s first operational fighter jet to combine supermaneuverability, supercruise, stealth, and sensor fusion into a single airframe, the F-22 has a deservedly stellar reputation. The Raptor first entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 2005 after decades of conceptualization and development.

Perhaps the Raptor’s greatest capability is its smaller radar cross-section, which makes the airframe extremely difficult for enemy planes to detect. Additionally, the F-22 is powered by twin thrust-vectoring F119 turbofan engines that enable the jet to outmaneuver even the best near-peer platforms. The Raptor can fly at speeds reaching Mach-2.25. The F-35 flies much slower, reaching Mach-1.6.

While the Raptor’s superior attributes should not be discounted, the F-35 sports some significant advancements.

Most importantly, the F-35 features high-tech sensing and is a robust multi-role fighter platform. The jet’s AIM-9X Sidewinder missile can change course after being fired, redirecting to destroy moving targets from behind or even beneath the airframe.

Although the JSF is often recognized for being a stealth-heavy jet, the airframe can also function as a weapons powerhouse. In combat mode, the F-35 can transition into what is known as Beast Mode. The Aviation Geek Club detailed the specifics of the F-35’s fighter side: “In stealth mode, the F-35 can carry 5,700 pounds of internal ordnance.