What Fighter Jets Does China Have? J-20, J-35, J-16 and J-10C

China has the largest air force in Asia and the second-largest fleet of stealth fighters in the world. The Pentagon counts more than 3,100 aircraft in the PLA Air Force and Navy, about 2,400 of them combat aircraft, and independent analysts estimate that around 500 J-20 stealth fighters had been delivered by mid-2026. Alongside them fly hundreds of J-16 and J-10C multirole fighters, the carrier-based J-15, and the new J-35 stealth fighter for both the air force and the navy.

This guide covers each of China’s main fighter jets, how many it has and how they compare with American aircraft.

What fighter jets does China have?

Twenty years ago most Chinese fighters were copies of Soviet designs from the 1950s and 1960s. Today the front line is made up of modern jets with active radars, long-range missiles and, increasingly, stealth. China builds all of its fighters itself, at Chengdu and Shenyang, and its production rate is now higher than that of any Western country.

J-20: China’s first stealth fighter

The Chengdu J-20 first flew in 2011 and entered service in 2017, making China only the second country after the United States to field a stealth fighter. It is a large twin-engine jet with internal weapons bays, built for long range and for carrying PL-15 air-to-air missiles that can hit targets more than 200 kilometres away. Production has accelerated sharply: the Royal United Services Institute estimated about 120 a year in late 2025, and analyst Andreas Rupprecht put deliveries at around 500 by mid-2026. Later aircraft use the Chinese WS-15 engine in place of earlier Russian engines, and a two-seat version, the J-20S, is designed to control drones. Our J-20 guide explains the aircraft in detail.

J-35: the new carrier stealth fighter

The Shenyang J-35 is a medium-weight twin-engine stealth fighter, somewhat smaller than the J-20 and often compared with the American F-35. Its naval version is designed to fly from China’s new catapult-equipped carrier, the Fujian, and the land-based J-35A was shown at the Zhuhai air show in November 2024. Both appeared at the September 2025 parade. A carrier-based stealth fighter would give China something only the United States has today. The J-35 is also being offered abroad, and Pakistan has been widely reported as its first likely export customer.

J-16 and J-10C: the workhorses

Most of China’s front line is still made up of fourth-generation fighters. The J-16, developed from the Russian Su-30, is a heavy two-seat strike fighter with an active radar, and the J-16D is a dedicated electronic warfare version. The lighter single-engine J-10C has become China’s best-known export fighter: Pakistan used its J-10CEs with PL-15 missiles in the clash with India in May 2025, in which Pakistan claimed several Indian jets were shot down. China also still flies older Flanker-family jets, including 24 Su-35s bought from Russia, and a shrinking number of 1960s-era J-7s. China’s air-to-air missiles are covered in our guide to Chinese missiles.

Carrier fighters

China’s first two carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, launch their J-15 fighters from a ski jump, which limits how much fuel and weapons they can carry. The Fujian, commissioned in November 2025, uses electromagnetic catapults like the US Navy’s newest carriers, and can launch the J-15T, the J-35 and the KJ-600 early-warning aircraft. The carriers themselves are covered in a later article in this series.

How do China’s fighters compare with the US?

The United States still has the larger stealth fleet, with about 185 F-22s and several hundred F-35s in its own services, as our guide to American fighter jets shows. But the US force is spread around the world, while China’s is concentrated close to home. American officials have warned that by the late 2020s the PLA could have more modern fighters in the western Pacific than the United States can bring there. China’s combat experience, by contrast, is almost nil.

Frequently asked questions

What fighter jets does China have?

China’s main fighters are the J-20 and J-35 stealth fighters, the J-16 and J-10C multirole fighters, the carrier-based J-15 and older Flanker-family jets including the Su-35.

How many J-20s does China have?

China does not publish the number. Independent estimates put deliveries at around 500 by mid-2026, up from about 300 in 2025.

What is China’s best fighter jet?

The J-20 is China’s most capable fighter in service. The newer J-35 is designed for aircraft carriers and as a lower-cost stealth fighter for the air force.

Is the J-20 better than the F-35?

They are built for different jobs. The J-20 is larger, with longer range for air-to-air combat; the F-35 has more mature sensors and combat experience. Neither has fought the other.

How many fighter jets does China have?

The Pentagon counts more than 3,100 aircraft in the PLA Air Force and Navy, of which about 2,400 are combat aircraft.

Does China export fighter jets?

Yes. The J-10CE and the JF-17, built with Pakistan, are China’s main export fighters, and the J-35 is being offered abroad.