Chinese media target Anduril founder over J-35 comments

Chinese state media on Friday criticized Palmer Luckey, founder of U.S. defense contractor Anduril Industries, after he publicly questioned the capabilities of China’s J-35 stealth fighter during a visit to the Singapore Airshow.

Luckey posted an image on social media showing himself using a tape measure on a J-35A model displayed at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) booth, writing that he was “not convinced China’s J-35 measures up to the real deal.” His comment quickly drew attention online and prompted a sharp response from China’s state-run Global Times.

According to the Global Times, Chinese commentators and military analysts framed Luckey’s actions as unserious and lacking technical merit. The outlet cited Chinese military affairs expert Zhang Xuefeng, who said that measuring a scale model with a tape measure provides no meaningful insight into a fighter aircraft’s real performance or design characteristics.

“This is more like a piece of performance art,” Zhang was quoted as saying, adding that accurate aircraft measurements require proper engineering tools and access to classified design data. He noted that the J-35A displayed at the airshow was a 1:2 scale model, not a full-size aircraft.

The Global Times report said Luckey made the remarks while attending the 10th Singapore Airshow, where the J-35A was presented as one of AVIC’s featured exhibits. Alongside models of China’s J-20 stealth fighter, Y-20 transport aircraft, Z-20 helicopter, and the export-oriented J-10CE, the J-35A formed part of what the outlet described as a comprehensive display of China’s combat aviation portfolio.

Chinese commentators also used the episode to reference past incidents involving the U.S.-built F-35. One widely shared comment cited the January 2022 crash of a U.S. Navy F-35C into the South China Sea, sarcastically suggesting that the American aircraft possessed “submersible capabilities.” The Global Times framed these remarks as online mockery of U.S. criticism rather than a technical comparison.

The outlet further quoted Wang Yongqing, chief expert at the J-35A’s design institute and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who previously described the aircraft as a core element of China’s stealth and counter-stealth combat system. Wang said the J-35A is designed primarily for air superiority missions, with secondary strike capabilities, and is intended to engage both air and surface targets in contested environments.

According to Wang, the J-35A is designed to operate beyond the detection range of older-generation fighters and to rely on coordinated tactics and information sharing when facing peer-level aircraft. These claims, however, have not been independently verified outside Chinese official sources.

The Global Times also questioned Luckey’s authority to assess manned combat aircraft, noting that Anduril focuses on unmanned systems, sensors, and autonomous platforms rather than fighter jet development. The outlet pointed out that Anduril’s work includes unmanned aerial systems and counter-UAS technologies, but not crewed combat aircraft.

Anduril, founded by Luckey in 2017, has become a growing supplier to the U.S. military and allied forces, including contracts related to autonomous systems and loitering munitions. The company has also been involved in arms sales to Taiwan, which has drawn criticism from Beijing. In January 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce placed Anduril on its Unreliable Entity List in response to those sales, according to Chinese government statements.

The public exchange underscores the growing sensitivity surrounding next-generation combat aircraft as China expands international exposure for its stealth fighter programs and U.S. defense figures scrutinize those efforts more openly.