Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is set to receive the first batch of Chengdu J-10C semi-stealth 4.5-gen advanced multirole fighter jets from China by the end of next month.
Last month, Interior Minister, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, had revealed that 25 J-10C fighter jets of PAF would also perform a fly-over on the Pakistan Day Parade on 23 March 2022.
The claim by the Minister suggests that the first batch will consist of 25 J-10C fighter jets. In July last year, it was reported that Pakistan would get a total of 36 J-10C fighter jets from China. This means the remaining jets will be delivered in the second batch.
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).
This is why the Interior Minister had asserted that the J-10C fighter jets of PAF would counter the Rafale fighter jets of India.
During the “Shaheen-IX” exercise jointly held by Pakistan and China last year, Pakistani pilots had also gained invaluable experience by using Chinese J-10C and J-11B fighter jets to simulate the Indian Rafale and Su-30 fighter jets.
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.
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.