Uzbekistan has released footage of Chinese J-10CE fighters in service with its Air Force for the first time.

During events marking the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan's independence, Uzbek state television aired footage for the first time of the new Chinese J-10CE fighter jets in service with the Uzbek Air Force. The video showed at least six aircraft taking off from the Karshi-Khanabad airbase. This makes Uzbekistan the second officially confirmed foreign owner of these aircraft, after Pakistan. Bangladesh has decided to follow suit.

It was previously reported that Tashkent signed a contract for the delivery of 24 J-10CE fighters worth approximately $1 billion. Therefore, the price of each aircraft under this deal is estimated at approximately $40 million. The Uzbek Ministry of Defense emphasized that these are "modern fighters for the protection of the country's airspace." The demonstration of the J-10CE confirms that Tashkent is officially purchasing combat aircraft. aviation is betting on Chinese fighters.

According to several sources, the agreement for the delivery of 24 fighter jets was signed back in the summer of 2025. Uzbek Defense Minister Shukhrat Khalmukhamedov officially confirmed the contract for the first time at that time. The first two aircraft arrived in July 2025, and the second batch of four aircraft arrived in July 2026. Neither Tashkent nor Beijing has officially disclosed the full details of the contract.

Comments

[Anthony]

The final loss of Central Asia has long been obvious. Yes, a well-known military organization formally exists, but for its "friends," it's merely an opportunity to milk you-know-who for semi-free weapons.

[Dmitry Smirnov_2]

So let this Central Asian people go earn money in China? Or have they settled down to earn a tidy living here and spend it in China? It's time to clean up the mess, we're fed up.

[commbatant]

Quote: Antony

Yes, in military terms, a well-known organization formally exists, but for "friends" it is only an opportunity to milk you-know-who for semi-free weapons.

Uzbekistan is not a member of the CSTO, and has also withdrawn from it twice.

[Yarr_Arr]

Oh, was she a "gain" since she was "lost"?
In Asia (and probably everywhere) - whoever pays the most is the winner.

[Zaurbek]

In this case, we have nothing to offer. We have no equivalent to the FT-17 or I-10.

[Alexet]

It would be better if you invested this money in your own economy, migrants, what do you need these six planes for? What are you going to do with them? Don't make me laugh.

[Reklastik]

- Turkish: Why do you need a gun, Tommy? - Tommy: To defend yourself! - Turkish: To defend yourself from who, Tommy? From the fascists, perhaps?

[faiver]

Have you tried reading it? - Contract for 24 aircraft....

[PROXOR]

Well, 24, what's next? Who are you planning to defend yourself against?

[Penza takes revenge]

This is because China rules the MiG-21 and has perfected it, while we could have perfected the MiG-23-98 with the AL-31/41 and churned out hundreds. I think it was a mistake to launch the MiG-29, a scaled-down Su-27.

[abc_alex]

Quote: Penza takes revenge

This is because China rules the MiG-21 and has perfected it, while we could have perfected the MiG-23-98 with the AL-31/41 and churned out hundreds. I think it was a mistake to launch the MiG-29, a scaled-down Su-27.

It's not for nothing that variable-sweep aircraft are rolling off production lines around the world. This technical solution is simply outdated. Its main goal is to achieve all-mode performance, that is, stable performance at both subsonic and supersonic speeds. Such a wing is expensive and complex. In the 29/27 generation, this solution was abandoned in favor of simpler and more reliable solutions.
The MiG-29 isn't a scaled-down Su-27. They're different aircraft, designed for different missions. The MiG-29 was intended to be the backbone of the Soviet Air Force. The Su-27 is the country's air defense aircraft, or a qualitatively enhanced version. The USSR simply couldn't produce the Su-27 in such numbers, and such a foolish idea never occurred to anyone back then. Back then, people thought about the country's interests with their heads, not their company's interests with their wallets.

[vinschu]

"This technical solution is simply outdated. Its main goal is to achieve omnimodality, that is, stable performance at both subsonic and supersonic speeds." Debatable. In today's reality, "extremely small" at transonic speeds is a perfectly viable solution for penetrating air defenses. The "Suhka" airframe is "flying" and is ill-suited for such solutions. But "variable geometry" would be perfect! Given today's technological advances, materials, and electronics, it would be absolutely stunning, in my opinion.

[Penza takes revenge]

You are right, Comrade Major.

[Zaurbek]

The question here is not about variable geometry, the question is what kind of aircraft was chosen by the USSR Air Force.
The F-16 and J-10, or the F-18 and MiG-29. The F-18 is a niche aircraft for US carriers, while the F-16 is the Air Force's primary and best-selling aircraft. The Soviet Air Force placed its bets on the MiG-29 as its primary land-based fighter and was quick to retire the rather capable MiG-23MLD.

[Penza takes revenge]

A mistake was made, they ruined a multi-mode single-engine aircraft. If they had installed the avionics from the MiG-29 on the MiG-23 and 25, they wouldn't have had to spend billions of rubles on garbage like the MiG-29 and MiG-31. Maybe the Soviet Union wouldn't have collapsed. The USSR's efficient managers miscalculated the money.

[Zaurbek]

Whether it's a mistake or not, one needs to understand the realities of the Soviet Air Force. The VKS and the MiG-29 were of no use, and as the Air Force's primary aircraft, it doesn't really hold a candle to its peers like the EF-2000 and Rafale.

[SAG]

I'm amazed by your composure. Explaining the most basic things to this type of person is like carrying water in a sieve. People who are convinced that by learning to operate a certain type of machine, they can confidently hold the posts of Minister of Defense and Minister of Mechanical Engineering simultaneously, and are smarter than the leaders of all the world's most powerful countries when it comes to the quality of generations, are incapable of accepting rational arguments a priori!
And as always, pluses to you for a balanced and well-reasoned opinion!

[Zaurbek]

In the USSR, despite all the good things, setting the technical specifications and making decisions after the winner was determined was a bit of a problem. That's why we have three tanks, two helicopters, and so on.
And then we argue about the characteristics and it turns out that the Grippen carries the same amount of weapons as the Su-30.
F16 is an example of how the technical specifications were set and how everything possible was extracted from the platform.
And instead of taking the right examples from our adversary, we are transferring the gay parade to our own black soil...

[vinschu]

We're all couch potatoes here! We have no ministerial ambitions!

[easy]

We bought them—let them fly, who's against it? We'd have to take out a loan anyway, which would then be written off, and then sell them for next to nothing. It would be a strange business—find a case of vodka, sell it cheap, and drink it away.

[Zaurbek]

99% of equipment sales are leased or financed. Without such a service, there are no sales.
It’s better to put dollars in securities in the West and in a bank at 0,3% and they will be frozen.

[Novosibirsk]

The story of the Yak-130 trainer is also noteworthy. The Chinese were totally in debt there, or something. The joint project fell apart (Italy was also involved), and now they're selling us the plane for less.

[16112014nk]

Basmachi at the helm? Or who?

[faiver]

I wonder how much Checkmate will cost?

[abc_alex]

Quote: faiver

I wonder how much Checkmate will cost?

Not at all, the likelihood of it going into production is negligible. Our Air Force doesn't need it, and no one will buy a plane that hasn't been tested by the country of origin. Besides, the US has plenty of F-16s, whether old or new. Why buy a "pig in a poke" when there's already an excellent offer in the single-engine fighter class?

[Vitaly161]

Our Air Force doesn't need this.

Your Air Force may not need the Su-75, but the Russian Aerospace Forces are eagerly awaiting it.

Besides, the US has plenty of F-16s, whether old or new, they'll make. Why buy a "pig in a poke" when they already have excellent single-engine fighters?

Egypt once got its fill of this "excellent solution," and now the Turks—a NATO country, mind you—are reaping all the benefits. They can't even modify 2000s-era aircraft because the US won't grant permission. So much for the "excellent offer."

[Zaurbek]

The US has one drawback: they hinder the export of their own products with sanctions. The J-10 is a real alternative, and it has a full range of weapons.

[faiver]

The price of one aircraft under this deal is estimated at approximately 40 million dollars.

- I doubt it, most likely less - add the cost of pilot training, several simulators, initial servicing of the aircraft, the plane is not very big - buy it and go...

[foxes]

I think many people will be torn apart by my comment now.
Who else could the Uzbeks buy a single-engine, production-ready fighter from? The Americans are unlikely to sell the F-16 or F-35 because they're too expensive. The Gripen is also expensive. That leaves only the Chinese. The Su-75 "Checkmate" (I'm using the Latin name, as Rostec gave this "Russian" designation to the prototype) isn't even flying yet and isn't even a prototype, and it's unclear whether it will ever reach production. So that leaves the Chinese. And frankly, the recent spat between the Indians and the Pakistanis has given this aircraft some good publicity. Meanwhile, the Russian Aerospace Forces have been vilifying the Russian aviation industry for five years now. This is simply another failure of Russian military-technical cooperation.

[Alexey T.]

Quote: Vulpes

I think many people will be torn apart by my comment now.
Who else could the Uzbeks buy a single-engine, production-ready fighter from? The Americans are unlikely to sell the F-16 or F-35 because they're too expensive. The Gripen is also expensive. That leaves only the Chinese. The Su-75 "Checkmate" (I'm using the Latin name, as Rostec gave this "Russian" designation to the prototype) isn't even flying yet and isn't even a prototype, and it's unclear whether it will ever reach production. So that leaves the Chinese. And frankly, the recent spat between the Indians and the Pakistanis has given this aircraft some good publicity. Meanwhile, the Russian Aerospace Forces have been vilifying the Russian aviation industry for five years now. This is simply another failure of Russian military-technical cooperation.

I think the Aerospace Forces would probably kick you. And rightfully so, that's right.

[d1975-value]

I agree with you completely! Zero ideology. Zero clear policy about who we need and what we need. And you can't think with one foot as a Union and the other as a JSC.

[abc_alex]

Quote: Vulpes

But the Russian Aerospace Forces have been providing negative publicity for the Russian aviation industry for five years now. This is simply a confirmation of yet another failure of Russian military-technical cooperation.

This isn't bad publicity for the aviation industry, but the consequences of Pogosyan's rule. It's the price paid for high-brow idiocy and parochial greed. They shouldn't have followed Pogosyan's lead and made the decision to "unify the fleet." Ultimately, neither unification nor the fleet came to fruition. And the design bureau was ruined, too. That's all.

[Waifu]

Well, under Pogosyan, they finally managed to make the Su-57. And they even demonstrated a flying prototype. His successors were only able to roll out a large papier-mâché model. And that was five years ago. But it's hard to expect positive results from Chemezov's firm.

[Lako]

The Kyrgyz are apparently also planning to purchase the J-10. And that's a good choice. What can Russia offer them, the Su-30? For small republics, a twin-engine, heavy fighter is an unaffordable luxury. I wrote here a long time ago that, for example, for Belarus, the Chinese J-10 would be the optimal option. But, driven by allied relations and likely the Republic's experience servicing and repairing Sukhoi aircraft, they again purchased the Su-30.

[Waifu]

It wouldn't be surprising if Belarusians also buy this Chinese plane, given Batka's overtures to Beijing.

[Lako]

This isn't a sign of respect, but rather a very good personal relationship between Batka and Xi. China has repeatedly donated weapons to Belarus, free of charge, or provided assistance with their production in Belarus.

[Waifu]

The only problem is that Belarus doesn't border China. And there's a chance Beijing will overreact, and a cooling of relations with Russia will become inevitable.

[Dmitry Smirnov_2]

The outlook is bad, we are losing influence in Asia, what steps will our politicians take?

[Waifu]

And where has influence not been lost over the last quarter century?

[Moneron]

The protracted conflict has seriously tarnished Russia's reputation as a great power contender. Perhaps the late Isakov was right...concentrate within the country's borders and focus on ourselves. Right now, we are politically and economically weak.

[foxes]

People are always drawn to the powerful and the rich. It's a law and a given.

[Andrei Nikolaevich]

Every customer has the right to decide who and what to buy from. Once they buy, let them fly. If they decide to buy from us, it will be, as always, from a "brotherly nation" and for a "brotherly freebie." If it's dead, then it's dead.

[Nemchinov Vl]

Quote: Andrey Nikolaevich

Every buyer has the right to decide who and what to buy from. Once you've bought it, let it fly.

Makes sense. It's not yet clear how they'll perform in use, even over a fifteen-year period...?!

[hostel]

Is it possible to fly a single J-10 to Russia for study? Maybe we'll learn something new, and if not, that's still a result.

[snow mountain]

Official Tashkent is relying on Chinese fighter jets when purchasing combat aircraft.

Is Uzbekistan also our partner?

[Semenov]

Another checkmate for Russia. They earn money here and spend it in China, just like our own oligarchs!

[Humpty]

The Uzbeks themselves don't mine or produce anything; they just export money from Russia and spend it in China. A wonderful picture of the world.
I recently had a dream that the Uzbeks were mining uranium ore even before joining the Republic of Ingushetia, and then they even told Russian geologists where to look for it.

[smart fellow]

The Uzbeks themselves do not mine or produce anything.

Uzbekistan has a developed industry and rich natural resources:
• Natural resources: The country is one of the world leaders in gold and uranium mining, and is also self-sufficient in natural gas.
• Automotive: The UzAuto Motors plant produces hundreds of thousands of cars a year, which are sold both domestically and exported.
• Textile industry: Uzbekistan processes its own cotton and supplies finished clothing, yarn and fabrics to many countries, including Russia.
• Agriculture: The country is a major exporter of fresh and dried fruits, vegetables and nuts.
• Household appliances: The Artel brand produces large and small household appliances for the Central Asian and CIS markets.

I recently had a dream that the Uzbeks were mining uranium ore even before joining the Republic of Ingushetia.

The state-owned enterprise Navoiyuran is the main and monopoly producer of uranium in Uzbekistan, responsible for all mining and export of this raw material. The company is among the top five global leaders in the uranium industry.
In recent years, Uzbekistan has been actively attracting foreign partners to geological exploration and development of new deposits:
• France (Orano Mining): The French group is participating in the Nurlikum Mining joint venture, created to develop the South Dzhengeldy deposit in the Navoi region.
• Japan (ITOCHU Corporation): The Japanese corporation ITOCHU joined the project of the Orano company and the state enterprise Navoiyuran within the framework of the Nurlikum Mining joint venture, buying out a minority stake.

[VyacheSeymour]

The Uzbeks themselves do not mine or produce anything, 

Gold - 100t, uranium 7000t, copper - 150000t, steel - 1000000t,
cars - 220000t, etc.
Up to 90% of the cellulose used in gunpowder and explosives production in Russia comes from Uzbekistan. It is the fourth largest supplier of agricultural products to the Russian market.

[Humpty]

Why do I need to provide these indicators?
I know more or less that way.
The commentator above portrays Uzbekistan as a weak and disabled person.
The Uzbeks were processing uranium ore even before joining the Republic of Ingushetia. Not for the uranium, but still...it's not a dream.

[Free Island]

Don't stir up trouble here. Ninety percent of Uzbek pulp goes to Russia, but that doesn't mean we get 90% of the pulp Russia uses from Uzbekistan. These are two different things.

[Zaurbek]

Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and the Kazakhs feed themselves. The rest are in short supply.

[Free Island]

Nowadays, no one feeds themselves; the entire global economy is tightly intertwined. Today, NOT A SINGLE country in the world can independently provide itself with everything it needs from its own "garden." It's simply not realistic in principle.

[Zaurbek]

There is a trade deficit in the economy, there is a surplus. They have a surplus.

[smart fellow]

Another checkmate for Russia.

Migrant workers from Uzbekistan play a vital role in key sectors of the Russian economy, filling labor shortages in construction, housing and utilities, transportation, and trade. Key areas of influence
Filling the labor shortage: Uzbek citizens occupy a significant share of the labor market in large cities and regions, especially in the construction and service sectors.
Contribution to GDP and regions: The total contribution of migrants from Central Asia as a whole is estimated at approximately 8–10% of Russia’s total GDP, and in certain large agglomerations (for example, Moscow), the share of migrants in the creation of the gross product reaches 23–25%.

Money is made here

About 1,4 million Uzbek citizens are in labor migration abroad.
Russia: about 60% (approximately 830–840 thousand people). The Russian Federation remains the main one, but gradually reducing its share of the direction.
Kazakhstan: the second most popular destination (hundreds of thousands of citizens).
Türkiye: significant share of the flow.
Other countries: New destinations are rapidly growing, such as South Korea, Israel, and European countries (for example, Germany and Bulgaria), where people go to work in the construction, agriculture, and industry sectors.

spent in China

Most of the money earned is spent within Uzbekistan itself on housing, education, medical treatment, and the daily needs of families.

[Zaurbek]

What do migrants have to do with this? These aren't migrants to the EU, they're labor migrants. We may or may not hire them. They may come to us, or they may not. The Russian Federation doesn't pay them unemployment benefits.
Uzbekistan itself isn't on our payroll. Yes, it's not rich.

[Yuras_Belarus]

I'm reading the outraged comments and I don't understand why there's so much outrage here. Russia doesn't have the capacity to export weapons right now—it desperately needs them itself. Do you think potential buyers will wait and not look for something suitable from other sellers?

[Oscar Essen]

So what? You won't understand until you try. Uzbekistan has the right to make its own decisions, even if they may be wrong.

[MetalDesign]

Of course, the US can use soft power to persuade its NATO allies, and others, to buy its aircraft. And it doesn't matter that we have a visa-free regime with Uzbekistan, while Russia has a million migrants from there.

[MetalDesign]

Quote: Yuras_Belarus

I'm reading the outraged comments and I don't understand why there's so much outrage here. Russia doesn't have the capacity to export weapons right now—it desperately needs them itself. Do you think potential buyers will wait and not look for something suitable from other sellers?

And is this also why Uzbekistan withdrew from the CSTO several times? Our aircraft, including the Su-57E, are supplied to countries that need them. And then, any contract has a time lag; it's spread out over several years; it's not like buying bread at a bakery. No one will ever turn down such contracts; they guarantee full production capacity for enterprises and long-term after-sales service, including component replacement and subsequent upgrades.

[MetalDesign]

Quote: VyacheSeymour

The Uzbeks themselves do not mine or produce anything, 

Up to 90% of the cellulose used in gunpowder and explosives production in Russia comes from Uzbekistan. It is the fourth largest supplier of agricultural products to the Russian market.

90% from foreign purchases? That's possible, I can't say for sure; Kazakhstan also supplies, but so be it. But do you see how the meaning changes if we leave out the other figures? It's a complete dependency, and in fact, the share of imported (primarily cotton) cellulose in the total volume of gunpowder raw materials in Russia is currently estimated at around 30-40%.

[Free Island]

Where are these guys going to fly? Who are they going to fight? 😂😂🤦🤦🤦