What are the consequences of Pakistan's acquisition of 25 Chinese J-10CE fighters?

Pakistani authorities had been studying the possibility of acquiring a fleet of single-engine J-13 fighter jets from Beijing for 2008 years since 10, and numerous rumors have announced the order as imminent on several occasions. It is now things done, since they confirmed having signed a contract to acquire 25 J-10CE, export version of the J-10C in service with the Air Force of the People's Liberation Army, to equip two squadrons of 12 aircraft. If the amount of the contract is not mentioned, its schedule seems particularly short, since it is a question of presenting the new device during the celebrations of the Day of the Republic, March 23, one of the two national holidays. of the country, hypothesis accredited by observations on the production site of the Chengdu aircraft manufacturer which manufactures the Chinese fighter. Beyond the traditional questions of posture in the Indo-Pakistani opposition, the arrival of these hunters will significantly upset the balance of forces in this region of the world already marked by significant tensions between nuclear powers.

A response to the arrival of Rafale india

There is no doubt, and it is also openly announced by the Pakistani authorities themselves, that the acquisition of these 25 fighters for the Pakistani Air Force constitutes a response to the entry into service of the 36 aircraft Rafale acquired by India from France. Indeed, the Chinese fighter has numerous characteristics which, without matching the performance of the French aircraft, make it a much more serious adversary than the F-16 and JF-17 currently in service with the Pakistani Air Force. In addition to its AESA radar, the J-10CE can in fact use modern munitions, such as the PL-10 infrared-guided missile, which is much more efficient than its predecessor, the PL-8, and especially the long-range PL-15E missile. , export version of the PL-15, given to have a range of around 150 km, making a direct response to the Meteor and Mica/NG implemented by the Rafale indians.

However, according to the information available in the West, the PL-15 does not equal the Meteor, since the Chinese missile is primarily designed to eliminate imposing targets at long distances, such as tanker planes or radar planes, where the missile European can, for its part, take advantage of agile hunters, even at great distances. It nonetheless remains true that these new missiles, served by the new aircraft, will represent a significant threat to the Indian air force facing Pakistan, particularly against the oldest aircraft of the Indian air force such as the Jaguars, or even the Su-30MKI. However, if the Rafale Indians are effectively able to gain the upper hand over the Pakistani J-10CEs, and if the Mirage 2000s can compete with these aircraft, they are few in number within the Indian air forces, too few in number to simultaneously cover the Pakistani and Chinese front, leading to a significant change in the regional balance of power.

Features and performance of the J-10C

75% of this article remains to read,
Subscribe to access it!

The Classic subscriptions provide access to
articles in their full version, and without advertising,
from 6,90 €.

Newsletter subscription