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Seong Hyeon Choi

An angular F-35 fighter jet penetrates the bright blue sky over a dusty desert, its engines roaring as it goes through a series of high-speed, gravity-defying turns and high-G manoeuvres before disappearing over the horizon.
About an hour later, another aircraft appears, this time a Russian Su-57 with a blended-wing design and slightly deeper engine noise that also displays its aerobatics and speed, showcasing its supersonic cruising ability before returning to the runway.
These two flights on the opening day of the Dubai Air Show in the United Arab Emirates on Monday marked the first time that American and Russian fifth-generation fighter jets have appeared at the same event.
Also on show was China’s fifth-generation J-35, in a static display at the booth of state-owned defence giant China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (Catic).
Analysts said the presence at the air show of the only three countries producing and delivering stealth jets to their own air forces showed how competition for the Middle East market had heated up.

In addition to stealth, these advanced aircraft typically feature supercruise, advanced sensor fusion and super manoeuvrability. They are equipped with integrated avionics and internal weapons bays.
Fifth-generation fighters also boast enhanced situational awareness through a networking capability that means they can operate more effectively in air-to-air and air-to-ground roles compared with older aircraft.
The air show, which concludes on Friday, coincided with the Donald Trump administration’s announcement of plans to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, confirmed on Wednesday during Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s visit to the US.
Washington has previously rejected requests for F-35s from Saudi Arabia and the UAE because of US law mandating that Israel has a qualitative edge over its Arab adversaries, as well as technological security concerns.
Considered the most advanced of the jets, the F-35 has been restricted to key allies of the United States, with deliveries to 12 countries so far. In contrast, the Russian Su-57 and Chinese J-35 were only delivered to their air forces in 2020 and 2025, respectively.
According to observers, this year’s air show showed that Chinese systems were becoming increasingly competitive against their Russian counterparts, especially for countries barred from acquiring US weapons.
Timothy Heath, a senior international defence researcher at the US-based Rand Corporation, noted that the US was not the only country interested in selling the advanced aircraft in the Middle East.
“Russia is looking for clients as well, perhaps Iran, for the Su-57. The potential sales of fifth-generation aircraft to Middle Eastern countries show that there is a market for China’s J-35 as well,” he said.




“China is most competitive with Russia, since the purchase of fifth-generation aircraft is as much about politics as it is about hardware. Countries that buy from the United States, such as Israel, are less likely to buy from China or Russia.”
Heath added that Chinese hardware was becoming competitive against its Russian counterparts, with China’s technology and quality “equal or possibly superior” to Russia’s in many cases.
Liselotte Odgaard, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, said the J-35 was likely to be a “desirable option” for countries unable to afford the F-35 or that might encounter disapproval from the US.
“The J-35 is more sophisticated than Russia’s fifth-generation aircraft and sells at a competitive price. Consequently, seen from a US perspective, the Chinese offer is the biggest competitor in the Middle East market,” Odgaard said.
“However, there are caveats to the J-35, such as uncertainty regarding the Chinese aircraft’s software – for example, sensor-fusion software and network-centric integration.”
“China is a fairly new actor in the market for technologically highly advanced platforms and does not have a track record in upgrades, maintenance and so on that shows its long-term reliability.”
Gareth Jennings, aviation editor at global military intelligence company Janes, said the presence of the US and Russian stealth fighters was part of a decades-long “wider geopolitical competition for influence and market share in the Middle East”.
“While the F-35 hasn’t yet been made available to Middle East customers – notwithstanding an earlier now-lapsed approval for the UAE and reports of a potential sale to Saudi Arabia – its showcasing at the Dubai air show underscores the US commitment to the region while reinforcing its technological edge.”


The Su-57 made its international debut last year at China’s Zhuhai air show. Meanwhile, the J-35 was seen in action in official videos released in September showing sea trials for the Fujian aircraft carrier.
The Chinese stealth fighter, which like the F-35 was designed for aircraft carriers, was shown conducting catapult take-off manoeuvres from the Fujian, making it the first in the world to successfully launch from a carrier using the advanced technology.
According to Odgaard, the sale of fifth-generation fighter jets in the Middle East would constitute an “important change” in air superiority and provide an indicator of political alignment.
“In a military sense, the fifth-generation fighter jets are game changers because they offer stealth, advanced sensor fusion and networked operations that provide potentially decisive advantages over older aircraft such as F-15s,” she said.
“Geopolitically, the choice of a jet also signals countries’ political-strategic alignment.”


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Models of China’s J-35A and J-10CE fighter jets on display at this year’s Dubai Air Show, which opened on Monday. Photo: Handout

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Catic’s booth at the Dubai Air Show features scale models of two Chinese fighter jets: the J-10CE and the J-35A. Photo: Handout

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The carrier-based J-15T, J-35 (pictured) and KJ-600 aircraft have completed their inaugural electromagnetic catapult-assisted take-off and landing tests on the Fujian aircraft carrier. Photo: Xinhua

The carrier-based J-15T, J-35 and KJ-600 aircraft have completed their inaugural electromagnetic catapult-assisted take-off and landing tests on the Fujian aircraft carrier. Photo: Xinhua

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Analysts say China’s increasingly competitive J-35 is the one to watch among non-US allies as market splits on geopolitical lines


Analysts say China’s increasingly competitive J-35 is the one to watch among non-US allies as market splits on geopolitical lines.


China-US-Russia rivalry for Middle East stealth fighter sales on show in Dubai

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Analysts say China’s increasingly competitive J-35 is the one to watch among non-US allies as market splits on geopolitical lines

Analysts say China’s increasingly competitive J-35 is the one to watch among non-US allies as market splits on geopolitical lines