Aircraft
PRC Push for Defense Exports Could Backfire
AVIC’s display at the Aviation Expo China show included this scale model of the company’s J-31/Project 310. It’s designed to be marketed as China’s stealthy export competitor to Lockheed’s F-35.
AVIC’s display at the Aviation Expo China show included this scale model of the company’s J-31/Project 310. It’s designed to be marketed as China’s stealthy export competitor to Lockheed’s F-35.

The past two years have seen a number of developments with the military aircraft programs of the People’s Republic of China’s aerospace industry. The twofold focus of these efforts has been to expand the export portfolio for PRC-made weapon systems, while at the same time pushing the development of indigenous programs that would reduce Chinese dependence on foreign (mostly Russian) critical technologies and subsystems–although this could be a rocky road if it ends up competing directly with Russian industry in export markets.