AVIC Showcases J-35A’s Air-to-Air Missile Options Plus Pro

At Changchun Air Show 2025, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) showcased some of the air-to-air missile (AAM) and air-to-surface munition (ASM) options of the Shenyang J-35A next-generation fighter aircraft (NGFA).

One interesting detail about these AAM/ASM options is that each one had carried the “E” label at the end of their respective designations, suggesting that these munitions will be made available for foreign users once the J-35A is available for export.

The J-35A is the variant of the fighter designed for operations from land, with J-35AE presumably being the designation of the export variant.

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The munitions shown include the PL-15E long-range air-to-air missile (LRAAM), the export variant of the PL-15 that saw success in the recent conflict between Pakistan and India. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had deployed the PL-15E against the IAF’s Dassault Rafale and other fighters, claiming six air-to-air kills.

According to the PAF, its PL-15Es were able to hit their targets at ranges between 160 km and 190 km, well beyond the stated range of 145 km. While the specific kill claims were not independently verified, there is enough circumstantial evidence to indicate that the IAF lost multiple aircraft due to the PAF’s operations in the morning of May 7th.