Here Are 9 Photos Of China's J-31

J-31Reuters

Business Insider: 9 photos of the J-31, China's copycat version of the F-35 stealth fighter — here's how it stacks up

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.

But recently, there's been little reporting and discussion about the J-31.

"Part of that, to my knowledge, is that the [PLA] Air Force still hasn't bought any of them," Matthew P. Funaiole, a fellow with the China Power Project at CSIS, told Business Insider.

"It was supposed to be introduced in 2018 [or] 2019 ... but there hasn't been much chatter on it," Funaiole added.

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WNU Editor: The Chinese may have the blueprints and specs of the F-35, but it takes more than just that to make an exact copy of the F-35. You need the manufacturing infrastructure to build it, the software and avionics to complete it, and  .... finally .... the engine to power it. And that does not include the army of professionals behind the pilots who are trained and educated on how to use the F-35.