China will deliver 25 J-10C fighter jets to Pakistan within weeks as part of a deal that will bolster Islamabad’s military capabilities against India. Beijing’s first export of the advanced jets marks a big step-up in its decades-old arms relationship with Islamabad and entails providing its ally with some of the latest equipment that China’s own armed forces are using. China will also broaden its support to Pakistan’s navy.
The first batch of the combat aircraft is being tested in Chengdu, the base of its manufacturer Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (CAC), according to a journalist at a Chinese military publication. “They will be transferred to Pakistan once Pakistan air force pilots and technicians have completed an introduction to the aircraft,” he said. Senior officials in Islamabad said the jets would be delivered before the end of February.
In early February, Chinese and foreign military watchers posted photos and a video showing several J-10C aircraft flying the colours of the Pakistan air force on social media. A rear view of the aircraft seems to confirm that it’s powered by a Chinese-made WS-10B Taihang engine, rather than a Russian AL-31F as used in the J-10A and J-10B versions of the jet. That would imply that Pakistan is buying the latest J-10C version, or more likely an export derivative, which would not require approval from Moscow for the transfer of engines and related parts. Previous reports have suggested this export-configured aircraft might be designated J-10CE, a name used by the manufacturer, or perhaps even FC-20.
During a press briefing on 29 December 2021, Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed announced that the PAF was due to induct what he described as “JS-10” fighters. He also mentioned 25 of the jets would take part in the Republic Day parade on 23 March. This number might be the scope of the initial order, although other reports put that at 36.
China and Pakistan have collaborated on the JF-17 Thunder fighter which has been produced by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex with assistance from CAC in successively more capable iterations, up to the latest Block III version that features a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a helmet-mounted display, as well as the beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile capability also found in earlier versions.
While production and deliveries of the JF-17 continue, Pakistani pilots have also gained exposure to the J-10 in the course of several joint Sino-Pakistani exercises, the Shaheen series.
Compared to the JF-17, however, the J-10C is considerably more advanced in terms of aerodynamics and avionics and is a significantly bigger jet with a larger payload. It is also more capable across almost the entire performance envelope.
Notable features of the J-10C in Chinese service include an infrared search and track and laser rangefinder dome in front of the cockpit and a glass cockpit with a wide-angle holographic head-up display. The characteristic fixed diverterless supersonic intake introduced on the J-10B is retained, while the radome accommodates a new AESA radar. The radar is used in conjunction with the same active-radar-guided PL-15 air-to-air missiles as already acquired for the PAF’s latest JF-17 Block III jets. These potent missiles feature a dual-pulse motor that gives them an impressive range, prompting the U.S., among others, to start the development of new air-to-air weapons designed to outrange them.
Overall, the J-10C represents an upgrade over the JF-17 as well as being a far more modern proposition compared to some of the PAF’s other fighter equipment, which includes ancient Mirage IIIs and Mirage 5s, some of which date from the 1960s.
The PAF’s other major fighter jet is the F-16, acquired from the United States in several batches beginning in the 1980s, although deliveries were interrupted by an arms embargo in response to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program. Since then, advanced F-16C/D Block 52 jets have been delivered, but meanwhile, Pakistan, and the PAF, have established increasingly close military ties with China.
At the same time, Pakistan’s worsening relationship with the United States means that further F-16 sales have become less likely. Even though the U.S. State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan of eight F-16C/D Block 52 jets in 2016, there has been considerable political opposition to selling these jets to Pakistan from members of Congress over the years for various reasons. Most significant are the allegations that Pakistan’s state security apparatus has been complicit in various terrorist activities and has perhaps even supported them outright.
As for the F-16s that have already been delivered to the PAF, these continue to come under heavy U.S. export controls, which are thought to include American inspections of the jets at Washington’s request. There are reports that the export agreement also limits the functionality of certain key systems on the jets, meaning the PAF is unable to service major components independently. There have also been rumors of tracking devices or additional systems that would allow American authorities to remotely disable the aircraft or certain systems, if necessary. Regardless, without contractor support, the F-16s would quickly fall into an inoperable state.
With that in mind, acquisition of the J-10 makes considerable political sense, even if it exposes the PAF to the additional costs and infrastructure burden of adding another new fighter type to the inventory.
It’s conceivable that the close military and political ties between Beijing and Islamabad could even see the PAF J-10s made capable of delivering airborne nuclear weapons. This is a role currently fulfilled by the service’s veteran Mirages, carrying the Ra’ad air-launched cruise missile, but these aircraft are long overdue replacements. The J-10 could potentially provide an alternative nuclear delivery platform.
According to Brahma Chellaney, a professor of strategic studies at the Centre for Policy Research, a New Delhi think-tank, there is a clear strategic nexus between China and Pakistan designed to contain India, to pin India down and keep it preoccupied. The J-10C aircraft will help Pakistan close the air-power gap with India following New Delhi’s acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.
India’s Rafale offers certain advantages over the J-10, including highly advanced avionics, electronic warfare systems, and a potentially wider range of weapons, among them ramjet-powered Meteor BVR missiles, as well as superior all-round performance. Nevertheless, the Chinese fighter signals that the PAF is at least keeping pace with wider air combat developments by acquiring a similar ‘4.5 generation’ fighter. Furthermore, its combination of advanced sensors, including AESA, plus PL-15 missiles, would likely give it an edge over most of the IAF’s other fighter types in many situations.
Once delivered to the PAF, the single-engine J-10 medium-weight fighter will help modernize that service and further deepen the military relationship between Pakistan and China. Furthermore, it’s a major milestone as the first export sale of the J-10. So far, the J-10 fighter has failed to make an impression on an increasingly crowded marketplace for multi-role fighters. With the PAF buying the jet, this could well encourage further export customers to come forward.
