Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Sheikh Rasheed, is said to have stated that the country’s armed forces will have a full squadron of Chinese J-10C ‘4++ generation’ fighter planes by March 2022, for the country’s March 23rd Parade.
This comes after months of unofficial and unverified claims of a Pakistani J-10 purchase, with a deal being signed in the first half of 2021. It also comes after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force deployed J-10Cs to Pakistan for cooperative drills.
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The J-10C will be Pakistan’s most modern and proficient fighter, and it will be the most advanced and heaviest fighter China has ever delivered.
Pakistan ordered two squadrons of J-10C (36 aircraft). It is believed that Pakistan’s J-10C will be fitted with a Chinese Shenyang WS-10 engine and will carry a PL-15 missile.
Pakistan’s fighter fleet is comprised of US-manufactured F-16, French-built Mirage fighter aircraft, jointly Pak-China-built JF-17 thunder jets.
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As per information, the J10-C shares avionics and weaponry with the future JF-17 Block 3, which is likely to account for all subsequent Pakistani fighter purchases until at least 2027. The JF-17 Block 3 offers fewer operational expenses and maintenance requirements, whereas the J-10C has much greater flying performance in terms of speed, altitude, and maneuverability, as well as a more capable sensor suite.
- Global Defense Insighthttps://defensetalks.com/author/umair/
- Global Defense Insighthttps://defensetalks.com/author/umair/
- Global Defense Insighthttps://defensetalks.com/author/umair/
- Global Defense Insighthttps://defensetalks.com/author/umair/