J-31: CHINESE REPLICA OF AMERICA'S F-35

J-31-on-Beijing-Aviation-Expo

China plans to use the J-31 stealth fighter for its air force and navy, according to a recent report from Aviation Week.

The J-31, which is China's second stealth fighter after the J-20, is "being developed for domestic military service under government contract," Aviation Week reported, citing an official source.

China's People's Liberation Army Navy will likely replace its troubled J-15 carrier-based fighter with the J-31, but it's unclear how the People's Liberation Army Air Force will use it, Aviation Week reported.

After China's J-31 stealth fighter made its first full-scale public appearance in 2014, observers noted its striking resemblance to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

And many weren't surprised: China was thought to have stolen unclassified F-35 design information five years earlier.

Here's how the J-31 stacks up against the F-35.

• The J-31 has a maximum takeoff weight of 56,000 pounds and a maximum range of 775 miles, making it lighter than the 70,000-pound F-35, and with roughly half the range.
• The J-31 has the reported edge in speed, as it can max out at Mach 1.8 while the F-35's can only reach Mach 1.6.

• The J-31 is a twin-engine aircraft, and the F-35 is a single engine aircraft.
• The J-31 might also one day be able to carry 12 air-to-air missiles, double the F-35's armament.
• But unlike the J-31, the F-35 has a sensor suite giving the pilot greater awareness of the battlefield and is basically a flying data hub that shares target tracking information.