China just showed off its answer to America’s F-35 stealth fighter the new J-35A [Video]

China just debuted its newest fifth-generation stealth aircraft, which appears to be its answer to the American F-35.

The J-35A took flight at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition on Tuesday in Zhuhai. The developer has said the new jet will operate like a “point guard” for Chinese airpower, similar language for the “quarterback” F-35 made by US defense firm Lockheed Martin.

The J-35A, beyond sharing a similar name with the American aircraft, also has a similar design, the twin engines instead of a single turbofan engine aside. A similar appearance doesn’t mean they perform the same though.

The air show was the first official look at the land-based J-35A, a fighter jet that has been in the works, in one form or another, for well over a decade. It’s based on an earlier design prototype that first flew in 2012. That design has been heavily reworked since.