Islamabad -26-12-2025] China have just supplied 11 of its J-10 CE Fighter aircrafts to Pakistan, tallying 36 J-10 in Pakistani Air Force Over the last five years. As, the Military game of South Asia has undergone a dramatic transformation, driven largely by the rapid induction of the Chengdu J-10CE also known as Vigorous Dragon into the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). What began as a strategic response to regional rear of imbalances has evolved into a cornerstone of China & Pakistan’s frontline defense due to Rising India’s military power with the support of Russia and Americas ambition to hold strength in the Asian Region.
2022: The Arrival of the “Vigorous Dragon” at Pakistan Land of Jihad and terrorism and Chinese Stronghold Ambitions in Asian Region
The timeline of this defense partnership reached at delivery deadline in March 2022, when the first batch of six J-10CE fighters arrived in Pakistan. This acquisition was remarkably early, moving from contract signing to delivery in less than eight months due to their competing fear from Indian Air force and such faster deals are rarely seen in international arms deals.
The J-10CE, the export version of China’s frontline J-10C, was specifically acquired to counter India’s purchase of French Dassault Rafales. Equipped with the Chinese made WS-10B Taihang engine, advanced AESA radar, and capable to equip with the China made-Pak assembled PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile which was used by pak to attack on India during Op-Sindur but it failed to make its mark, the jet provided to the PAF with its first true 4.5-generation multi-role capability.
2023–2024: After Integration and A Strategic loss of Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, and further rising fear from India which is now the 3rd Largest Military power in the World, So, in a hurry PAF asked china to initiate the early delivery which is now fulfilled.
Following the initial delivery, the PAF rapidly operationalized the fleet. By early 2024, the number of J-10CEs in service reportedly grew to over 25 units before 2025, and are admitted in Pakistan’s elite squadrons such as Cobras.
The real need Pakistan for incrasing their Air force from May 2025 post OP-Sindur and strategic loss of pakistan, which was a period of heigh tensions and worldwide embarasement due to strategic loss of pakistan during Op-Sindoor. Reports from the region, are subject to intense debate, China claims that its J-10CE units were involved in high-stakes aerial maneuvers where their electronic warfare suites and long-range sensors were put to the test. These chinese claim persuaded Pak to add more apr power as the PAF’s “primary interceptor crafts” due to their existing old and aging F-16 fleet and with intense-fear from India and Afghan Taliban rising power situations.
2025: Expanding the Arsenal which is now total tally of 36 number of J-10C’s Aircraft in Pakistani Air force, which is an effort of coping with India’s superior Air Power and advance air defense system including its Rafel Jet and Highly effective S-400 Air Defense systems. as due to less airpower Pakistan was hardly used its Airpower due to less number and fear of major technical military loss.
As of late 2025, the partnership has entered a new phase to meat the following objections:
Enhanced Chinese Weapon System: The trending news of the supply of YJ-21E hypersonic missile with integration on the J-10 aircrafts has raised high which are supplied to Pakistan. Analysts suggest that Pakistan is eyeing these miniaturized hypersonic boosters to give the J-10CE a better maritime strike capability.
Domestic Maintenance: China and Pakistan have established joint aircraft maintenance facilities, ensuring that the J-10CE fleet remains operational without relying on Western suppliers spare parts, which have historically been subject to sanctions with various countries.
Total Fleet Strength: Current estimates suggest Pakistan is on track to operate a total of 36 to 60 J-10CEs, creating a formidable high-low mix alongside the lighter JF-17 Thunder Block III.
Strategic Move: To make Pakistan a out of home base by China to compete with top world powers.
The Chengdu J-10 (specifically the J-10C variant) is currently trending due to several major military and geopolitical developments in late 2025. The most recent surge in interest follows a breakthrough sighting of the aircraft carrying advanced hypersonic weapon systems.
- Breakthrough: Hypersonic Missile Integration (Dec 2025)
As of December 25, 2025, reports and imagery have circulated showing a J-10C equipped with a YJ-21E hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile.
Claims: This marks the first time a lightweight, single-engine fighter has been seen carrying a weapon previously reserved for heavy bombers like the H-6K.
Effect: Analysts suggest this miniaturization of hypersonic tech allows China to give J-10 CE an advance combat level strike capabilities on elite frontline fighters like Rafel, significantly complicating maritime defense for carrier strike groups in the Indo-Pacific.
- Combat Performance in Operation Sindoor (May 2025)
The J-10C became an internet subject of debate and doubt of its effectivity in combat debut in an intense aerial standoff between Pakistan and India during OP-Sindoor.
Claims: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) claimed its J-10CE units successfully engaged and shot down several Indian aircraft, including Dassault Rafales, using PL-15 long-range missiles, but no evidence Pakistan can provide of this damages.
Controversy: While Pakistan and Chinese social media propagate it as Rafale killers, due to lack of produced evidences this is today a denial from Indian side and is a subject to debate.
- Major Export Expansion: Indonesia & Uzbekistan
The aircraft’s perceived success in combat and low cost chinese defence equipment led its demand in international orders to countries who cant afford high end equipments:
Indonesia: In October 2025, Indonesia reportedly moved to purchase 42 J-10C jets. This is seen as a major geopolitical shift, as Indonesia is also acquiring French Rafales and American F-15s, signaling a dual air defense strategy due to their low cost but advance tech capable Chinese equipment’s.
Uzbekistan & Egypt: Recent reports indicate that Uzbekistan has placed orders to upgrade its fleet, and Egypt is undergoing on talks for this Chinese made Military Jets.
Technical Snapshot of The J-10C Vigorous Dragon:
Generation: 4.5 Generation Multi-role Fighter
Engine: Indigenous WS-10B Turbofan
Radar: Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)
Top Speed Claim: Mach 1.8
Key Weapons: PL-15 (BVR Missile), PL-10 (Short-range), YJ-91 (Anti-radiation)
Recent reports from December 2025 have placed the Chengdu J-10C at the center of a global defense debate, due to the claim of a new hypersonic capability and controversial combat capacity.
Below is the detailed breakdown of the technical comparisons and the new missile developments.
- The Game Changer: YJ-21E Hypersonic Missile
The biggest news as of December 25, 2025, is the integration of a miniaturized version of the YJ-21E (Eagle Strike 21) on the J-10C.
Miniaturization: Previously, this missile was so large in size so it required an H-6K bomber or a Type 055 destroyer to launch. The new variant is roughly 8.3 meters long and has been redesigned for the J-10C’s functionality.
Performance: The missile claimed of cruising at Mach 6 with a terminal “kill” speed of Mach 10.
Strategic Impact: This gives a lightweight fighter the ability to strike high-value naval targets (like aircraft carriers) from up to 500–1,500 km away, effectively turning a low budget but with advance tech fighter with strategic lead over its western counterparts.
- Technical Comparison: J-10C vs. Dassault Rafale
The May 2025 Standoff (Operation Sindoor) between Pakistan and India sparked an debate over which aircraft is superior. While Pakistan claims the J-10C downed multiple Rafales, But Pak or china cant show any evidence of that claimed downing, and Western and Indian analysts maintain the Rafale’s technological superiority due to the lack of evidence available with PAK or China.
| Feature | Chengdu J-10C (Vigorous Dragon) | Dassault Rafale |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Single WS-10B (Indigenous) | Twin Snecma M88-2 |
| Max Speed | Mach 1.8 – 2.2 | Mach 1.8 |
| BVR Missile | PL-15E (Range: 145–200 km) | Meteor (Range: 150–200+ km) |
| Radar | Type 1475 AESA (1200 T/R modules) | Thales RBE2 AESA (838 T/R modules) |
| EW Suite | Integrated Chinese EW / Jamming | SPECTRA (Industry-leading) |
| Cost | ~$40–50 Million (Affordable) | ~$100–120 Million (Premium) |
| Takeoff Weight | 19.3 tons | 24.5 tons (Higher payload) |
Key Takeaways from 2025 Reports:
Electronic Warfare (EW): The Rafale’s SPECTRA suite is considered as the “gold standard” for survivability, but 2025 reports suggest the J-10C’s jamming capabilities, potentially assisted by the HP9 system, were surprisingly effective to disrupt the Western-style radars.
Kinematics: The Rafale has a better thrust-to-weight ratio (1.19 vs 1.10), giving it superior energy retention in dogfights. The J-10C is faster in a straight line but can struggle to maintain energy in continuous high-G turns.
The Meteor vs. PL-15 Duel: Both missiles are world-class. Analysts note that while the PL-15 has a massive range, the Meteor’s ramjet engine provides a larger “No-Escape Zone” at the end of its flight path.
- Why Indonesia Switched to the J-10C:
In late 2025, Indonesia’s decision to buy 42 J-10C units instead of additional Rafales sent waves worldwide.
Cost Efficiency Cheap Technology: Indonesia was able to procure nearly twice the number of Chinese aircrafts at the price of French jets.
Technology Transfer: France shares their technology only to trustworthy and manufacturing allies, which also has strict end-user monitoring, China have offered more flexible technology transfer agreements.
Diversification: Jakarta is pursuing a diversified fleet, operating American F-15s, French Rafales, and Chinese J-10Cs simultaneously to avoid dependency on any single aircraft to prevent critical military damages during warlike situations.
As of December 26, 2025, the defense relationship between China and Pakistan has reached a historic peak, headlined by the “Vigorous Dragon” (J-10C) and the newly confirmed offer for stealth fighters.
Here is the breakdown of the most recent findings regarding the J-35 stealth offer and the combat performance of the PL-15 missile.
- The J-35 Stealth Fighter Offer (Dec 2025)
The 2025 Pentagon China Military Power Report, released just days ago on December 23, has confirmed that Beijing has officially offered Pakistan up to 40 Shenyang J-35 (FC-31) fifth-generation stealth fighters.
Timeline: While the foundation of this China-Pak deal was laid in early 2024, the Pentagon now confirms a formal package including the J-35A (land-based variant), KJ-500 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning), and the HQ-19 anti-ballistic missile system.
Pilot Training: Intelligence reports indicate that a selected group of Pakistani pilots has been training on J-35 simulators and prototypes in China for over six months so they should be able to fly this Chinese Aircraft.
Strategic Impact: If finalized, Pakistan would become the first international operator of a Chinese stealth jet. This is seen as a move to counter India’s numerical advantage and their future AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) program.
- PL-15 Missile Performance in Operation Sindoor
The May 6–7, 2025 aerial clashes between India and Pakistan provided the first-ever real-world combat data for the PL-15E (the export version of China’s premier long-range missile).
The Pakistani Account:
Claim: Pakistan claims the J-10C, using the PL-15E, successfully downed three Indian Rafales and one Su-30MKI, but they failed to produce any proof of this, as pilots have camera but no video evidence have come up from Pakistan or Chinese end.
The Claimed Tactic: Pakistani pilots claimed the use of a networked kill chain. They kept their J-10C radars off (stealthy) and received targeting data from Karakoram Eagle AWACS aircraft via datalink to launch missiles at a distance of nearly 200 km, but again this claim can be fictional as few reports shows that chinses AWACS was ineffective and most of them are damaged by Indian strike.
The Indian/Western Analysis:
The Live Missile Part Recovery: Indian forces recovered an almost intact PL-15E rear section in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. India argues this proves the missile failed to detonate or was defeated by electronic countermeasures (ECM).
The Meteor Factor: Analysts are debating why India’s premier Meteor missile was silent during the clash. Some reports suggest the Indian Rafales were configured for air-to-ground strikes that night and were caught off-guard by the J-10C’s extreme areal stand-off range, but again no evidence of this are shown by Pakistan.
- Comparing the Rival Missiles (2025 Data)
| Feature | PL-15E (Chinese) | Meteor (European/Indian) |
|---|---|---|
| Propulsion | Dual-Pulse Rocket (High initial speed) | Ramjet (Sustained speed throughout flight) |
| Max Range | ~145 km (Export) / 200+ km (Domestic) | 150–200+ km |
| Seeker | AESA (High jamming resistance) | Active Radar |
| 2025 Combat Status | First confirmed use (May 2025) | Not utilized in May 2025 clash |
Summary of the Doctrinal Shock
The Pentagon report notes that the May 2025 conflict caused a doctrinal shock in the region. The ability of a $50 million Chinese jet (J-10C) to potentially threaten a $120 million European jet (Rafale) at long range has shifted how air superiority is viewed in South Asia.
Geopolitical Implications
The supply of J-10s represents more than just a hardware transfer; it signals a total pivot of the Pakistani military toward Chinese technology. For Beijing, the J-10CE’s performance in Pakistan serves as a global “showroom” leading to the recent 2025 interest from other nations like Indonesia and Egypt.
For the region, the J-10CE has to restored a level of technological superiority in the skies over the subcontinent, ensuring that the Vigorous Dragon will remain the face of Pakistan’s air power for the next few decade.