Chinese documentary features J-10 fighter after Pakistan-India dogfight

Chinese state television has broadcast a documentary, highlighting origins and accomplishments of China's advanced fighter jet J-10C, following its successful deployment by Pakistan against India.

The documentary said Pakistan used this aircraft to shoot down Indian fighter jets during the recent tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbouring countries.

The documentary, broadcast on Chinese state-run CCTV, comes at a time when the Pakistan Air Force used J-10C aircraft in a dogfight with the Indian Air Force on May 7, destroying three Indian Rafale jets along other fighter planes.

A Chinese TV military report on Saturday said that the J-10CE, an export version of the J-10C, "recently shot down foreign aircraft in a real battle, and this is the first combat success of this aircraft."

On May 7, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar apprised lawmakers that three French Rafale fighter jets and other Indian fighters had been shot down by J-10C aircraft. A French official confirmed to have lost an Indian-operated Rafale in the battle, however New Delhi shied away from corroborating the report.

In a direct reference to the engagement in Kashmir, the military programme on CCTV said that the J-10CE had shot down a few foreign jets without losing one in combat.

J-10 origin

According to the Chinese documentary, development of the J-10 began in the 1980s when China realised its aircraft were a generation behind American and Soviet technology.

The design for a new type of fighter jet was created in 1982 by Song Wencong, who was the main designer of the 611 Institute, which is now known as the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. The documentary claims that Chinese aviation experts overcome "extremely difficult challenges" to achieve technological advancements without the use of pre-existing models or blueprints.

The first model of the J-10 was completed in 1997, which Chinese experts described as "a miracle in the history of air defence".

The J-10C is a single-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft equipped with advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, low radar cross section, advanced avionics and long-range PL-15 missiles. The aircraft was inducted into China's air force in 2003, while its most advanced version was exported to Pakistan.

Chinese paper Global Times quoted military affairs expert Zhang Xuefeng as saying that “through the development of the J-10, China has mastered advanced aerodynamic configuration technologies for fighter jets, achieved breakthroughs in-flight control systems and propelled the development of advanced turbofan engines”.

Flaunted at world exhibition

The J-10C aircraft is also currently on display at the ongoing Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in Malaysia, where its advanced technology and combat capabilities are being praised internationally.

China is currently the largest arms supplier to Pakistan, accounting for 81% of Pakistan's defence imports from 2020 to 2024. Pakistan buys not only the J-10C but also the PL-15 missile and JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft from China.