Pakistan Air Force is all set to induct the J-10C fighter jets next year. The sophisticated aircraft will make Pakistan’s airspace invincible.
According to details, the Chines made J-10C is a modern single-engine delta wings fighter jet. The J-10C can identify multiple targets simultaneously. Moreover, it is equipped with PL-15 missiles that can hit targets up to 200 km.
Furthermore, as per reports, the single-engine tail-less canard delta wing J-10C features fly-by-wire flight controls and an AESA fire control radar. Made of composite materials for high strength and lower weight, the J-10C’s internal armament consists of a Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 twin-barrel cannon, located underneath the port side of the intake.
Read more: Pakistan approaches China to purchase J-10 fighter jets for deployment against Indian Rafales
Important to note, the J-10C also took part in the Pakistan-China joint exercise Shaheen, during which it successfully hit all targets. Due to their close military ties, Pakistan and China hold Joint Air Exercises every year. Pakistan hosted the first such drill in March 2011.
Both sides conduct these joint exercises to learn combat capabilities from each other. Air forces from both sides focus on large-scale confrontation, including large-scale aerial battles and the use of forces in mass and close-quarters aerial support.
During the successful ninth joint air exercise, Pakistan sent warplanes including the Jf-17 and Mirage III fighter jets. Meanwhile, China sent the J-10C, J-11B fighter jets, KJ-500 early warning aircraft, and Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft.
#China and #PakistanAirForce carried out joint Air Excercises for #Airsuperiority #Airdefence and Engaging ground targets .Following Aircrafts paricipated.#J10C #SU30 #J11B #JF16 and #JF17. #LongLivePakChinaFriendship #LongLivePakistan pic.twitter.com/jJ7E4Ohlxv
— syed waqar ali shah (@waqarali999) September 12, 2019
Interestingly, many aspects of the J-10C mid-sized fighter jet, including the size, aerodynamic characteristics, aviation land weapon systems, and overall combat capability, are comparable to the France-made Rafale, a type of fighter jet in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
France and India’s Rafale deal
In 2015, the Indian government signed a defense deal with French aviation company Dassault to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets. According to latest reports, France will have delivered a total of 35 Omni-role Rafale fighters by the end of 2021.
The Rafale is a twin-jet fighter aircraft able to operate from both an aircraft carrier and a shore base. The versatile Rafale is able to carry out all combat aviation missions including air superiority and air defense, close air support, in-depth strikes, reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence.
The deal came as IAF reported facing an acute shortage of aircraft, as most of the in-service fighters will retire soon. Moreover, the existing MiG-21s have been prone to accidents; 482 out of 872 MiG-21s procured crashed between 1971 and April 2012 — a loss of 12 jets each year.
It is believed that after repeated upgrades, the MiG-21s, MiG-23, and MiG-27 will be phased out from 2022 onwards.
Read more: India’s Rafale jet deal faces new controversy