Last September, China’s new J-35 stealth fighter was successfully launched for the first time from its aircraft carrier Fujian. This marked a major milestone for their naval aviation program and a technological advancement that Beijing had long sought. It is also a clear signal: China wants to challenge the F-35s and American dominance at sea.
I understand what it means to cross such a threshold. I spent my career flying F-18s from aircraft carriers and at TOPGUN. I was the only Marine to ever fly the F-22 Raptor. I am also the first Marine qualified to fly the F-35B and had the honor of commanding the Marine Corps’ first operational squadron of F-35s. I’ve seen up close what it takes to move a fifth-generation fighter from the design room to the flightline and how much harder it is than it looks on paper. I’ve seen firsthand what this airplane can do, and more importantly, what it takes to make it work.
The J-35 is a remarkable step forward for China’s aviation fleet. Their fifth-generation stealth fighter is designed to meet the tough demands of aircraft carriers: catapult launches, arrested landings, corrosion, salt spray and constant exposure to the harsh maritime environment. The sea is no joke and can be deadly. To meet these hardships, a jet’s airframe has been heavily strengthened, its landing gear strengthened, and its systems adapted for naval operations. On paper it’s impressive.
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But as my experiences have taught me, paper and reality are two different things. While the launch and recovery tests are a real achievement, they are only the first step. No matter how promising a new aircraft may be, it will face years of testing, setbacks and refinement. It takes time to learn how to operate on the road.
Dave Berke is a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot, TOPGUN instructor and now a leadership instructor at Echelon Front. He is pictured here in an F-35B that he flew while serving in the military. (Courtesy of the author)
The J-35 may be able to fly from an aircraft carrier, but that doesn’t mean it will thrive there. Continuous transportation operations push machines and people to their limits. China has struggled to achieve engine reliability, stealth and parts availability, and these aspects are exponentially more difficult at sea. The challenges are not only technical, but also operational, logistical and human. The salt, the heat, the constant movement and the changeable weather are all part of daily life on board an aircraft carrier. Anyone who has worked in a cockpit knows how unforgiving that environment is.
Advanced technology enhances our capabilities, but it means nothing if you can’t lead. And that is the real advantage of the US military. Not the plane, not our technology; they are our leaders.
When I flew the F-35 for the first time, it was clear that this aircraft would change the way we fight. But as I led the pilots of the first F-35 squadron, I realized it wasn’t the technology that would make the difference. It was our American military, the men and women who flew and repaired these machines, who did that. Advanced technology enhances our capabilities, but it means nothing if you can’t lead.
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And that is the real advantage of the US military. Not the plane, not our technology; they are our leaders. There are thousands of people serving aboard the ships, dedicated to maintaining our advanced equipment and working together to ensure we can fight in any climate, in any place, at any time. Their training, discipline and mentality are a force multiplier, a uniquely American advantage that cannot be measured on paper.
China can build aircraft and aircraft carriers that bear a striking resemblance to ours, but they cannot replicate the leadership culture that defines U.S. military aviation. The mentality, initiative, adaptability and ownership of our people who operate these systems make them unbeatable.
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Our opponents will not stop. The J-35 will continue to improve. It becomes smarter, stealthier and more capable. But the deciding factor will never be the plane. It will always be the person in the cockpit and the team supporting them.
It is important to remember that this is the point where we should never lose our edge. And we must never forget that our most important investment is in the skills and capabilities of the U.S. military. Maverick was on to something when he proclaimed in Top Gun, “It’s not the plane; it’s the pilot.” He was right. Stealth fighters don’t win wars; people do that. And they do this by leading themselves, their team and their machines in the toughest conditions on the planet.
