China’s J-10CE fighter jet battle tested during May
India-Pakistan clash
China has confirmed that its J-10CE fighter jet
achieved its first combat success during the brief India-Pakistan military
confrontation in May 2025, according to a report by state news agency Xinhua.
The four-day escalation saw both sides exchange
missile strikes, deploy fighter aircraft and drones, and engage in artillery
fire, leaving nearly 70 people dead across the two countries.
Pakistan declared victory after the standoff,
claiming it had shot down six Indian aircraft, including French-built Rafale
fighters. India acknowledged aircraft losses but did not disclose specific
numbers.
Citing China’s State Administration of Science,
Technology and Industry for National Defense, Xinhua reported that
export-variant J-10CE jets downed “multiple aircraft” in mid-May air combat
without sustaining any losses. The report did not identify the opposing
country.
Read More Reuters
report divulges the strategy employed by PAF to shoot down Indian jets
“In mid-May, the country’s export-oriented
J-10CE fighter jet achieved its first combat victory, shooting down multiple
aircraft in air combat without suffering any losses itself,” Xinhua said.
The agency added that the performance
demonstrated Chinese-made aviation equipment is “practical, easy to use” and
competitive with comparable foreign systems, potentially helping other
domestically produced aircraft gain access to international markets.
The J-10CE is an all-weather, single-engine,
single-seat, multirole fighter developed by China. The May confrontation
between India and Pakistan provided the first real-world test of advanced
Chinese military technology against established Western platforms.
Although China has not fought a major war in
more than 40 years, it has rapidly modernized its military under President Xi
Jinping, investing heavily in advanced weapons and technologies. That
modernization has also extended to Pakistan, which Beijing frequently describes
as its “ironclad brother.”
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said
this month that interest in Pakistani-produced aircraft has risen sharply
following the May conflict, adding that potential orders could reduce the
country’s dependence on the International Monetary Fund.
“Our aircraft have now been tested,” Asif told
Geo News. “The number of orders we are receiving is significant, and it is
possible that within six months we may not even need the IMF.”
Read More China
offers Pakistan KJ-500 AEW&C aircraft to bolster air surveillance
Pakistan markets the Chinese-co-developed
JF-17 fighter, also deployed during the conflict, as a cost-effective multirole
aircraft. The country has positioned itself as a defense supplier offering
aircraft, training and maintenance beyond Western supply chains.
JF-17s
have featured in deals with Azerbaijan and a reported $4 billion arms agreement
with the Libyan National Army. Pakistan is also exploring a potential defense
partnership with Bangladesh that could include Super Mushshak trainer aircraft
and JF-17 fighters, as relations between the two countries improve.
Source:
Pakistan Today