China rolls out first stealth fighter built for export, widening options for African countries beyond U.S. F-35 and Russian Su-57 jets
A new chapter in the global competition for military influence over Africa has opened with China’s unveiling of its first export-configured stealth fighter, a development that threatens to upend a market long divided between American and Russian jets and hands African governments a third option in the race for fifth-generation air power.
State media footage of the J-35AE, China’s export variant of its carrier-based stealth fighter, has set off speculation that Beijing may already have secured its first foreign buyer. According to Military Watch Magazine, export markings visible on the aircraft suggest a deal could be closer than officials have publicly acknowledged — a possibility that would represent Beijing’s most significant breakthrough yet in the global stealth fighter market.
The J-35AE enters a contest already heating up across North Africa. Algeria became the continent’s first known operator of a fifth-generation fighter after taking delivery of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 in late 2025, reportedly following an order placed alongside Su-35 fighters as far back as 2018. Egypt, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the most closely watched procurement stories on the continent, pursuing a deliberately multi-aligned defence strategy that has seen Cairo acquire French Rafale jets, Russian MiG-29s and, reportedly, Chinese J-10CE 4.5-generation fighters in 2025. A 2025 US Department of Defense report identified Egypt among countries tracking China’s J-35 programme with interest — a signal that Cairo has not yet closed the door on further Chinese acquisitions despite American pressure that previously pushed it back from a planned Su-35 purchase.
Morocco, by contrast, appears to be moving firmly into the American camp. Industry analysts now regard Rabat as the African country most likely to secure the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, with reports pointing to a potential deal for 32 aircraft valued at around $17 billion including maintenance and logistical support. Morocco is simultaneously upgrading its F-16 Viper Block 72 fleet and Gulfstream G550 surveillance aircraft fitted with Israeli systems, building a procurement portfolio that reflects its deepening strategic alignment with Washington.
Beyond the prestige competition in North Africa, a parallel wave of military modernisation is reshaping air power across the rest of the continent, driven less by great power rivalry than by the immediate pressures of terrorism and armed insurgency. Kenya and Nigeria have both received A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft from the United States for counterterrorism operations, while Tunisia acquired Black Hawk helicopters and surveillance platforms. In the Sahel, Mali turned to Russia for combat helicopters, L-39 trainer aircraft and air defence systems following the expulsion of French forces, as Burkina Faso and Niger expanded purchases of drones and armoured vehicles to counter mounting insurgent threats.
Nigeria illustrates how African states are increasingly drawing from multiple suppliers at once. Abuja has acquired Chinese Wing Loong II, CH-3 and CH-4 drones alongside Russian Mi-35 attack helicopters, Chinese VT-4 battle tanks and three JF-17 fighter jets jointly produced by China and Pakistan — a procurement mix that reflects both budget pragmatism and a deliberate effort to avoid dependence on any single partner. Ethiopia has deployed Chinese and Turkish drones during internal conflicts, while Kenya has expanded surveillance and border security systems targeting Al-Shabaab militants.
Russia’s footprint on the continent predates the current rivalry by decades. Uganda acquired Su-30MK2 jets as far back as 2011, and Angola began receiving Su-30K fighters in 2017. China, despite rapid advances in defence technology and an expanding presence through drone exports, military training and arms financing, still lacks the overseas infrastructure and entrenched political relationships that give both Washington and Moscow leverage over procurement decisions.
That gap may narrow. The J-35AE’s unveiling is Beijing’s clearest signal yet that it intends to compete at the top end of the global arms market — and Africa, with its accelerating demand for advanced air power and its governments’ growing appetite for alternatives to Western and Russian suppliers, is precisely the terrain on which that ambition will be tested.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah