Back when Hushkit was still funny, they had a go that Rafale is so stealth that on radar it looks like a set of suspended fuel tanks and weapons with no aircraft attached.Exaggerated for effect but you're right, it's the size of a garage rather than a barn.
I.e. with oversized weapons, both will be visible - but the Flanker's defensive suit is built (and can be further improved) for situation where it is visible.
J-35 is, of course, a bit of an enigma here, but at least American VLO aircraft are rather underequipped.
It's of course hard to tell from pictures, especially since J-16 changed with time, but.That’s an exaggeration. J-15T has taken the same RCS reduction measures as J-16. While not a stealth fighter by any measure, the RCS is no longer the size of a barn.
In all likelihood, J-15T is far ahead of J-16 in this aspect. J-16, at least initially, may not have had all that much - key external indicators of RCS treatment (cleansed airframe, paints in key hotspots/all over, treated canopy) aren't visible.




