Recently, China's FC-31 "Falcon Eagle"** fighter jet was unveiled at the Saudi World Defense Exhibition, which attracted widespread attention. This is the world's second fifth-generation stealth fighter sold to the outside world, and its emergence has broken the US monopoly on stealth fighter exports.
The FC-31 "Falcon Eagle" fighter is developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China and is a single-seat twin-engine fighter aircraft, which is mainly positioned for foreign trade exports. It has high survivability and excellent electronic countermeasure performance, which has been improved and upgraded several times, and its 3Version 0 represents a significant breakthrough in stealth performance, being coated with the latest anti-radar stealth paint and allowing the installation of the same electronics as the J-20, including a helmet display system.
In addition to the FC-31, China also exhibited a variety of other advanced military equipment, such as the L-15 "Falcon" high-education aircraft, the J-7E fighter-bomber, and the JF-17 "Thunder" fighter. These exhibits show the strength of China's aviation industry.
The appearance of FC-31 has attracted the attention of several Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. These countries have long been loyal customers of American** equipment, but they are always looking for alternatives due to US restrictions on the export of fifth-generation aircraft. The appearance of the FC-31 provides them with a new option, and the fact that China's export of equipment does not have political conditions attached makes the FC-31 extremely attractive in the international market.
The Pakistan Air Force has officially announced plans to purchase FC-31 fighter jets, which are expected to purchase at least 60-70 aircraft. In addition, the J-10CE and the "Thunder" Block3 fighter will also become an important match. This decision of the Pakistan Air Force indicates that after 2030, the existing F-16 Block 20, J-7 and other models of fighter jets will be phased out, and the future challenges will be met with a new fleet.
In general, the appearance of the FC-31 "Falcon" fighter in the international market not only demonstrates the strength of China's aviation industry, but also provides many countries around the world with another fifth-generation aircraft option in addition to the American F-35, thus changing the pattern of the international military trade market to a certain extent.