The Chinese-built J-10C fighter continues to turn heads, particularly in northern Africa where Egypt and Algeria are considering buying them. Pakistan already has 36 operational J-10CEs in its air force and they were credited with several kills over Indian air force jets, including one of the IAF’s highly regarded Rafales. Pakistan took some J-10CEs to Qatar for war games recently, and the delta wing fighter racked up some impressive numbers in mock combat. Specifically, it won all nine dogfights with Qatar’s Eurofighters in the competition. The exercises took place in January but the results only recently became known.
The Chinese have been flying the J-10 since 2006 and the aircraft is mostly indigenously made, including the engine. The aircraft has an internal twin barrel cannon and carries a wide range of missiles on wing hardpoints. It’s also considered moderately stealthy. It has also performed well against Russian and Chinese fighters. In addition to the interest in Africa at least one European country, Serbia, is considering buying J-10s. Venezuela was also in the market, but that has likely changed since the American operation to arrest Nicolás Maduro and the consequent political changes there.
Similar to the Gripen E?
It’s a melting pot…some say originated with a never-consummated deal between the Chinese and the Israelis to further develop the Israeli Lavi fighter, which has some F-16 design elements. But it looks like a Eurofighter from many angles, actually. There have been a few canard-equipped fighters since the Great Swede Viggen. The US has never embraced this feature; it generally hurts stealth characteristics, but apparently the J-10C has a pretty small radar signature, which allows it to engage quicker than its opponent. The probable butt-kicking of the Indian AF by the Paks’ J-10’s is notable
To win a dogfight, you first have to get to a merge…
In 1980, as a young engineer at Germany’s Dornier, I worked on the “TKF90”, which eventually became the Typhoon/Eurofighter decades later. This article compares an aircraft designed four decades ago to a relatively new one from a Communist regime which has either stolen or been given outright (thanks to the Clinton, Obama and Biden regimes) some of America’s better (but dated) technology. This particular comparison was also between Pakistani pilots with real combat experienced compared to relative inexperienced pilots. In essence, an apples to oranges comparison and thus meaningless.
It’s still in production…
Wow! What a narrative Kent! Chinese commies can only copy to get ahead, wanting to convert and control the world via communism with their “copies”. Thanks in large part…according to you… to the blue 3 US Musketeers. Are you a relative of McCarthy? The same narrative was used to “justify” the Vietnam War. Yeah, Vietnam really rules the world today don’t they?
Who and what did the Chinese copy for their vast bullet train transportation network? Who and what did they copy to design, build, and sell a reliable $12k electric car with incredible range, with millions of satisfied customers all over the world…except for the US…where BYD is prohibited to sell? Who and what did they copy for their superior , maneuverable, hypersonic, missals? who and what did they copy to build a domestic electrical energy system that generates electricity at 1/6th cost of US electrical energy…and generates so much that they export electricity? Who and what did they copy to generate the largest middle income people group on the planet accomplishing that in under 40 years. Certainly not the US on any above questions.
Why is it…you and so many Americans… have to have an enemy to blame for our failures as a declining empire? And another caveat regarding the J-10C’s of Pakistan in their air battle against India’s US purchased F-16’s, F-15’s plus French Rafael’s. There were only a handful…some estimating only 3 J10C’s….shooting down several of over 100 attacking Indian aircraft with the latest Chinese aircraft launched air to air missals. Next, your gonna try to make the case the J-10 is a Rutan copy since many of Burt’s airplanes are canard based designs.
Might want to also watch former fighter pilot C.W. “Mover” Lemoine’s perspective on this Chinese propaganda.
One wonders how much purloined US technology is in this aircraft, both in the design, the software and engine.
The naive British Labour government (lots of communist believers back then) gave the Soviets several examples of the Neme engine (as a gesture of friendship!) and it was promptly reverse engineered and surfaced in the Mig 15 with Russian pilots in the Korean war to devastating effect on B29 bombing campaigns.
I’m sure the US is keen to ‘borrow’ one of these fighters.
Hell, try buying something not made in China.
China did not emerge by accident. Some of it was bought, copied, borrowed, reverse engineered, or stolen. That has happened in aviation before. But calling China just a copy shop is getting old.
They now have the factories, engineers, missiles, radars, data links, and production scale to build serious weapons.
China is no longer something to laugh at. They got game.