J-35A stealth fighter code name revealed as Yunlong

China's state broadcaster, CCTV, has officially revealed that the code name for the new generation J-35A stealth fighter is ‘Yunlong’. The name is inspired by the ‘I Ching’, specifically the phrase ‘clouds follow the dragon’, symbolizing the aircraft's high maneuverability and stealth capabilities.

The J-35A, which made its public debut at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow, serves as the second stealth fighter in the People's Liberation Army's arsenal. While the J-35A focuses on air superiority, the naval carrier-based version of the aircraft has been designated ‘Blue Shark’, following the navy's ‘shark’ naming tradition.

CCTV also detailed the ‘Dragon Family’ lineage of Chinese Air Force fighters, which began with the J-10 ‘Menglong’. This lineage includes the J-11 ‘Yinglong’, the J-16 ‘Qianlong’, and the J-20 ‘Wilong’. Other military aircraft naming conventions were noted, such as the ‘Eagle’ series for trainers, the ‘Peng’ series for transport aircraft like the Y-20 ‘Kunpeng’, and the ‘God’ series for bombers.