Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is set to receive 36 Chengdu J-10C semi-stealth, 4.5-gen advanced multirole fighter jets from China by the end of this year.
Many aspects of the J-10C mid-sized fighter jet, including the size, aerodynamic characteristics, aviation, weapon systems, and overall combat capability are comparable to the Rafale fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
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Last year, it was first reported that high-level PAF officials held talks with their Chinese counterparts for the acquisition of J-10 fighter jets.
Earlier this year, during the “Shaheen-IX” exercise jointly held by Pakistan and China, Pakistani pilots also gained invaluable experience by using Chinese J-10C and J-11B fighter jets to simulate the Indian Rafale and Su-30 fighter jets.
More About Chengdu J-10C
The single-engine tail-less canard delta wing J-10C features fly-by-wire flight controls and an AESA fire control radar. It is made of composite materials for high strength and lower weight. Its internal armament consists of a Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 twin-barrel cannon, located underneath the port side of the intake.
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Other weaponry and equipment are mounted externally on 11 hardpoints, to which 6,000 kg of either missiles or bombs, drop-tanks containing fuel, or other equipment such as avionics pods can be attached.
Air-to-air missiles deployed by the J-10C may include short-range air-to-air missiles such as the PL-8 and PL-10, medium-range radar-guided air-to-air missiles such as the PL-12 and PL-15, unguided and precision-guided munitions such as laser-guided bombs, air-to-surface missiles such as KD-88, anti-ship missiles such as the YJ-91A, and anti-radiation missiles such as the YJ-91.
