The arms race does not go on quietly: the eastern side of the planet is equipped with tools until now only the preserve of some western superpower that can be counted on the finger of one hand. China is also perfecting an invisible aircraft: the Chinese Stealth J31 takes up a lot of the technology of the American F-35 jet.
It is a twin-engine jet that has the same configuration as other 5th generation fighters such as the Sukhoi T-50. The trapezoidal wings and the two-piece dome.
More agile and smaller than the Chengdu J-20, the other 'cousin' jet of the F-35, the J31 is the result of the collaboration between China and Russia: it is an aircraft difficult to detect for radar and infrared systems, with a flight range of 1.200km and a maximum speed of 2.200km per hour.
The J31 is 17 meters long, has a wingspan of 11 meters and weighs 17 tonnes. It can be armed in stealth mode with 4 radar-guided missiles.
The Pakistan Air Force has planned to purchase between 30 and 40 J31s.
