Following a report discussed in the October issue concerning the People's Liberation Army Navy's alleged dissatisfaction with the J-15 fighter and its intention to develop and introduce a new type for its future carrier fleet, several reports in western press were posted soon thereafter. A report published in Aviation Week noted "the Shenyang J-31 stealth fighter is once again on the menu for the Chinese military". Despite Shenyang's so far failed attempts to enter the extremely limited export market for fifth-generation fighters, this might change if the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) are interested in developing the FC-31. Even though the first prototype FC-31, side number 31001, was first flown about six and half years ago, very little information has emerged from the programme since then. Dubbed as a lower-end complement to the larger, more-costly J-20, the FC-31 was never designated as the J-31 for service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force; but was always more realistically expected as a likely candidate aircraft for the People's Liberation Army Navy's future carrier-borne fighter; one to supplement and later replace J-15 fighters currently used by embarked air wings on board the aircraft carrier Liaoning.
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