Following Pakistan’s successful deployment of the Chinese J-10C fighter jet, Chinese state television has aired a documentary showcasing the origins and achievements of its advanced fighter aircraft. The documentary explicitly states that during the recent Pakistan-India tensions, Pakistan utilized this aircraft to shoot down Indian fighter jets.
The documentary, broadcast on Chinese state-run CCTV, coincides with the Pakistan Air Force’s use of J-10C aircraft in a dogfight with the Indian Air Force on May 7, which resulted in the destruction of three Indian Rafale jets along with other fighter planes. A Chinese TV military report on Saturday asserted that the J-10CE, the export version of the J-10C, “recently shot down foreign aircraft in a real battle, and this is the first combat success of this aircraft.”
On May 7, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar informed lawmakers that three French Rafale fighter jets and other Indian fighters had been shot down by J-10C aircraft. While a French official confirmed the loss of an Indian-operated Rafale in the engagement, New Delhi refrained from corroborating the report. In a direct reference to the engagement in Kashmir, the military program on CCTV highlighted that the J-10CE had shot down several foreign jets without suffering any losses in combat.
J-10C: Origins of a 4.5 Generation Fighter Jet
According to the Chinese documentary, the development of the J-10 commenced in the 1980s, driven by China’s realization that its existing aircraft technology lagged a generation behind American and Soviet counterparts. The design for a new fighter jet was conceived in 1982 by Song Wencong, the chief designer of the 611 Institute, now known as the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. The documentary claims that Chinese aviation experts overcame “extremely difficult challenges” to achieve these technological advancements without relying on pre-existing models or blueprints.
The first model of the J-10 was completed in 1997, a feat that Chinese experts described as “a miracle in the history of air defense.” The J-10C is a single-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft equipped with advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, a low radar cross-section, sophisticated avionics, and long-range PL-15 missiles. The aircraft was formally inducted into China’s air force in 2003, with its most advanced version subsequently exported to Pakistan.
Chinese paper Global Times quoted military affairs expert Zhang Xuefeng as stating that “through the development of the J-10, China has mastered advanced aerodynamic configuration technologies for fighter jets, achieved breakthroughs in-flight control systems and propelled the development of advanced turbofan engines.”
Prominence in World Exhibitions
The J-10C aircraft is currently on display at the ongoing Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in Malaysia, where its advanced technology and combat capabilities are receiving international acclaim. China remains Pakistan’s largest arms supplier, accounting for 81% of Pakistan’s defense imports from 2020 to 2024. Beyond the J-10C, Pakistan also procures the PL-15 missile and JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft from China.
