China’s J-35 program has stepped out of the shadows in two connected ways during the first half of 2025. State television footage released on July 8 shows multiple J-35 airframes inside Shenyang’s production halls, and that imagery sits on top of a string of carrier sea trials this spring in which J-35 prototypes were reported flying in carrier-compatibility tests. Taken together these signals mark a discrete shift from isolated prototypes to low rate production and early operational integration with the new Type 003 Fujian carrier.

The raw evidence. On July 8 CCTV’s program from Shenyang included shots of several green-primed J-35s in assembly and final-fit areas, one airframe visibly fitted with a tailhook and others showing carrier-specific features. Observers treating the sequence as more than PR concluded that Shenyang has moved beyond prototype runs into a production cadence sufficient to supply both naval and land variants.

Context from the Fujian trials. The Type 003 Fujian completed another intensive sea-trial cycle in May 2025 during which state reporting and open-source imagery indicated J-35s were embarked and conducting flight tests tied to catapult compatibility and deck handling. That activity suggests the program is not only producing airframes but also actively working carrier qualification issues such as launch-bar interfaces, landing loads on reinforced undercarriage and tailhook arrestment. The Fujian’s move to electromagnetic catapults increases the technical scope of those problems, since catapult launch dynamics interact with aircraft structural margins and launch control software.

Heritage and design baseline. The J-35 line traces to the FC-31 demonstrator and has been presented in both a land-based J-35A configuration and a navalized carrier variant. Public shows and earlier reporting established the basic geometry, twin-engine layout and the intention for internal bays plus external hardpoints when required. What remains opaque is the full avionics suite, engine maturity and survivability tradeoffs that come from reconciling operational-range, payload and signature control for a carrier airframe. The program cannot yet be treated as a fully transparent program of record.

Technical implications for carrier operations. From a systems integration perspective the J-35 introduces several challenges and advantages:

  • Launch and recovery integration. Catapult launches reduce takeoff weight penalties versus ski-jump operations but impose repetitive dynamic loads on nose gear and airframe. Early reports and imagery confirm the J-35 has been adapted with a catapult launch bar and reinforced landing gear, but qualification requires thousands of cycles and robust deck-handling procedures.
  • Airwing architecture. The J-35 is likely to operate alongside J-15T and KJ-600 AEW assets. That combination points to a doctrinal move toward a mixed stealth and non-stealth airwing where stealth fighters extend reach and survivability while legacy types supply heavier payloads and sensor reach. Effective integration depends on secure datalinks, cooperative engagement capabilities and AEW coverage to exploit the J-35’s sensor set. Public sources confirm tests with carrier-borne J-35 sorties during spring sea trials.
  • Sustainment and logistics. Carrier-based stealth aircraft require more rigorous corrosion control, deck handling protocols and access to specialized spares and coatings. Transitioning from factory run to fleet sustainment will stress Shenyang and PLAN logistics chains, particularly engine commonality and maintenance intervals which are not publicly well documented for J-35 variants.

What we do and do not know about capability. Open reporting and imagery permit a limited technical readout. Analysts have identified production-standard cues such as production serials and external features in 2024 and 2025 imagery, and the airframe geometry suggests internal carriage and reduced frontal signature. However, concrete performance parameters such as thrust class, range with combat load, radar cross section metrics and electronic warfare resilience remain unverified in public sources. In short, the J-35 is moving toward operational status but remains a partly closed technical envelope.

Doctrinal and geopolitical effects. Operationalizing a carrier-capable fifth-generation design has three immediate consequences. First, it raises the baseline for PLAN carrier strike reach since a stealthy multirole jet changes adversary targeting assumptions. Second, manufacturing scale and an airframe that can be exported would alter regional airpower diffusion if China offers the airframe to partners. Third, the spike in complexity from operating high-end stealth on a catapult carrier will accelerate training demands across pilot pipelines, deck crews and cross-domain command nodes. These are strategic effects rather than pure technical ones, but they follow directly from transitioning the J-35 from prototype to production and testing aboard Fujian.

Risks, failure modes and mitigation. The J-35 program faces familiar risks. Engine maturity is a gating item. If the WS-series powerplants do not reach sustained reliability and thrust targets the platform’s range and payload will be limited. EMALS integration and arresting gear certification are program-level risks for Fujian and for any carrier air group built around the J-35. Finally, stealth coatings and specialty parts create supply-chain vulnerabilities. Mitigations would include dual-engined commonality with other PLA platforms, staged carrier certification that starts with reduced-weight flights and investment in depot-level repair facilities at home ports. Public reporting highlights the early steps but not the full mitigation plan.

Operational timeline assessment. Based on the May 2025 Fujian trials that included J-35 flights and the July 8 CCTV factory imagery, the program appears to be in a low rate initial production plus qualification window in mid‑2025. That window typically precedes broader fleet induction by two to five years depending on test tempo and logistic ramp. If China sustains production ramps and naval aircrew pipelines expand, the J-35 could reach limited carrier service in the latter half of the decade. Continued surveillance of official PLAN releases and follow-on trial footage will be the clearest indicators of progression.

Bottom line. The combination of carrier-compatibility trials aboard Fujian and CCTV’s July 8 factory footage transforms the J-35 from a sporadic prototype story into an industrial and operational project heading toward fleet integration. Major unknowns remain in propulsion, sensors and sustainment. For analysts and planners the prudent posture is to treat the J-35 as an emerging capability that will incrementally change PLAN airwing mix and doctrine rather than as an instant game changer. Operational utility will be decided in years of trials, pilot training and logistics work that follow the factory floor photos now in the public domain.