China will deliver 25 J-10C fighter jets to Pakistan within weeks in a major boost to the country’s military capabilities to defend airspace. Senior officials in Islamabad said the jets would be delivered before the end of the month. The first batch of the combat aircraft is being tested in Chengdu, the base of its manufacturer Chengdu Aerospace Corporation.
“They will be transferred to Pakistan once Pakistan air force pilots and technicians have completed an introduction to the aircraft,” a journalist, working with a Chinese military publication, told FT.
J-10C is a 4.5-generation medium-size fighter jet and is more powerful than JF-17 and the old US-made F-16 fighter jet.
The move yields great significance to Pakistan and China in terms of boosting combat capabilities of the Pakistan military, promoting China’s aviation equipment, and responding to their security interests in the region.