China confirms first combat victory of J-10CE fighter jet
Pakistan Air Force J-10 fighter jet
Basic Provisions
The J-10 aircraft was developed by the Chengdu Institute aviation The Chinese design bureau (CADI), a subsidiary of the Chengdu Aviation Corporation, launched the new Chinese fighter jet. The West noticed the new Chinese fighter jet. Its obvious similarities to the Israeli IAI Lavi suggested that the Israelis had sold out the technical documentation for their new fighter jet to their geopolitical rival, the United States. The expected accusations poured in from Washington. In 1988, the Israeli Defense Minister was forced to deny these accusations in an interview with The Sunday Times, claiming that Israel and China had agreed to develop a fighter jet based on the IAI Lavi.
In 2006, Russian engineers at SibNIA believed the J-10 was "more or less a version" of the Lavi, incorporating "a mixture of foreign technologies and acquired design methods... but there are a number of other elements from other aircraft or technologies that are part of the configuration, which they received from various sources." In 2008, Jane's claimed that the J-10 benefited from technical information from the Israeli project, citing unidentified high-ranking Russian aeronautical engineers who allegedly reported hearing this from their Chinese counterparts.
The Chinese claim that the J-10's external similarities and design features, supposedly borrowed from the Lavi, are the result of previous development work by the aircraft manufacturer itself, for example, attributing the J-10's canard configuration, similar to the Lavi, to Chengdu's work on the cancelled J-9 project of the 1960s and 1970s; this view is supported by Song Wencong, who worked on the J-9 and became the J-10's chief designer, and PLAAF Major General Zhang Weigang.
Negotiations for Pakistan to acquire the J-10A began in 2006, when China offered a batch of 40 aircraft, but negotiations continued until 2012 with an offer of the J-10B. In September 2020, Pakistan was reported to be interested in the J-10C. In December 2021, Pakistan announced the purchase of 25 J-10CEs with an option for 11 more. On 4 March 2022, the first batch of six J-10CEs for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) landed at Minhas Air Force Base (Kamra) after flying from Chengdu, China, to Pakistan. They were officially inducted into service with the 15th Cobra Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force, based at Minhas Air Force Base, on 11 March 2022.
On January 18, 2024, Pakistan attacked Balochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front bases in Iran as part of Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar. The attacks included airstrikes. drones CAIG Wing Loong II escorted by J-10CE fighters.
PAF J-10CE fighters were deployed against the Indian Air Force (IAF) during the Indo-Pakistan conflict in May 2025. Pakistan claimed to have shot down five IAF aircraft, including three Dassault Rafales, although Pakistan was unable to provide independent confirmation or conclusive evidence to support these claims. According to French MP Marc Chavin, several sources, including US analysts and NATO intelligence, attribute the downing of one Rafale to J-10C fighters. Long-range missiles may have been used. Rocket air-to-air class PL-15E.
On May 7, analysts attributed the rise in Chengdu Aircraft Corporation's stock price to reports of the successful combat use of the J-10. This was the J-10's first combat use.
In January 2026, China confirmed the results of Pakistan's successful use of the J-10C.
Pakistan previously claimed that its J-10C fighter jets were used to repel Indian airstrikes and shoot down Indian aircraft during the same escalation.
On January 12, China's National Defense Administration of Science, Technology and Industry confirmed that the export-oriented J-10CE fighter scored its first combat victory in May last year, saying the jet shot down several enemy aircraft in aerial combat without suffering any losses.
The department called this operation the first confirmed combat result for the J-10CE fighter.
According to the statement, the collision occurred in mid-May during overseas operations involving the export version of the aircraft. The statement noted that the J-10CE "shot down several enemy aircraft in actual combat conditions without sustaining any losses," emphasizing that this event represents a significant milestone in China's foreign-supplied fighter jet programs.
A report in the Chinese press about a successful aerial combat of the J-10CE
As noted by Chinese authorities, the J-10CE is an all-weather, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft developed domestically. The agency stated that China's aviation sector has been rapidly expanding in recent years, strengthening its position in both civil aviation and military exports. It added that the J-10CE is part of a broader lineup of Chinese-made aircraft that have received orders in both domestic and international markets.
The statement said the fighter's successes abroad demonstrate that Chinese aviation technologies are "practical, reliable, and competitive." The agency asserted that the aircraft's combat experience will facilitate the wider adoption of Chinese platforms by overseas customers and reflects China's advancement in aerospace manufacturing capabilities.
China's confirmation marks the first public indication that the export model of the aircraft was used in actual combat and achieved results. Previously, information about the engagement was limited to statements from the Pakistani government and local media reports. Beijing's statement provides a clear picture of the aircraft's involvement and the outcome of the air battle.
Pakistan previously said its Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets helped repel Indian airstrikes during the escalation of the conflict in May last year.
According to Pakistan's Associated Press, officials claimed that J-10C jets played a role in the downing of Indian fighter jets, including French Rafale jets, in retaliation for what Islamabad described as a wave of Indian strikes. The publication reported that Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar briefed parliamentarians that J-10C jets were used in the operation and that China had been briefed on the events from the outset.
For the Chinese defense industry, the combat experience of its exported aircraft strengthens its position in global markets. The J-10CE is part of a broader strategy to expand China's defense exports at a time when several countries are seeking alternatives to Western-supplied combat aircraft.
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