Beyond visual range (BVR) will play a crucial role.
F-35 vs J-35A: India and Pakistan are engaged in a race for fifth-generation fighter jets. While India has been offered the F-35 Lightning II by U.S. President Donald Trump, Pakistan announced last year the acquisition of the J-35A fifth-generation fighter jet from China. This means both countries have taken steps towards acquiring fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
Therefore, questions are being raised about how the atmosphere of war in South Asia would change if both countries acquired stealth fighter jets. Let us try to find out which fighter jet will emerge victorious in case of a face-off and what will the battle of fifth generation aircraft be like?
In case of a war between India and Pakistan, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will deploy a squadron of F-35As from Srinagar to destroy Pakistani Air Force bases. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Air Force will deploy J-35As from against the IAF to establish air superiority and launch a counterattack.
The biggest feature of the F-35 stealth fighter jet is its ability to detect enemy aircraft and pinpoint their exact location. It is equipped with DAS technology, which gives it an edge in early identification. Orbiting AWACS like India’s Netra or Falcon system, combined with ground-based radar, will relay data to the F-35, helping it track Pakistan’s J-35As despite their low RCS whereas Pakistan’s J-35 fighter jet will receive support from Chinese KJ-500 AWACS or Pakistan’s ZDK-03, relying on data links with their AESA radars and ground stations to detect India’s F-35.
F-35 has excellent electronic warfare capabilities—the ability to jam enemy sensors—therefore, the Pakistani Air Force will be able to identify India’s F-35 fighter jets quite late. This will give India the capability to strike first.
According to a IDRW report, technology beyond visual range, known as BVR, will play a crucial role. Both fighter jets are impressive. Experts believe that the F-35’s AIM-120D (range ~180 km) and sensor fusion may outperform the J-35A’s PL-15. Additionally, Indian Air Force pilots will start acquiring data via satellites and will have a great opportunity to benefit from the data received from ground-based networks.
If the Pakistani J-35A launches a barrage of missiles, the Indian Air Force could retaliate with AIM-120D missiles. However, the effectiveness of these missiles depends on the J-35A’s radar and China’s missile-guided technology. The F-35’s stealth and countermeasures (such as towed decoys) can neutralize many threats faced by the aircraft, while the J-35A’s twin-engine design will prove effective if the fighter jet is hit by a missile.
The IDRW report states that if the aerial combat comes within visual range (WVR), the agility and thrust vectoring capability of the Pakistani J-35A could challenge the manoeuvrability of the Indian F-35, which prioritizes stealth in aerial manoeuvers. This means that the Chinese fighter jet excels in dogfighting while the American F-35 excels in remaining undetected.
The helmet-mounted display of the Indian F-35 and the AIM-9X Sidewinder provide unmatched capability to strike off-boresight targets, but the Pakistani J-35A also possesses similar capabilities, levelling the playing field. In such a scenario, the training of the pilots becomes crucial. The outcome of the war will depend on the quality of training received by the pilots of both countries.
Being the world’s most advanced air defense system, India’s grounded air defense system S-400 will play a significant role. Apart from that, IAF’s Rafale fighter jets and Su-30MKIs could tilt the balance in India’s favour.
The number of the fighter jets will play a vital role. It is believed that India will create at least two squadrons of F-35s, while Pakistan has decided to form one squadron of J-35As. In this scenario, India will always enjoy the advantage.
