According to reports, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has finalized preparations to acquire a second fleet of 36 J-10C fighter planes from the Chinese aircraft manufacturer Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (CAC).
According to sources, this would be PAF’s second order for 36 J-10C fighter planes, which will be delivered over the next 6-12 months since the previous contract with Chengdu included the same number of fighter jets.
PAF will buy 72 J-10Cs in total, which will be delivered in stages until the end of 2026. It plans to field more than 90 multi-role fighter planes by 2032.
PAF acquired the first batch of J-10Cs (25 units) in March, followed by the second batch (11 units) in September of this year.
More Information about Chengdu’s J-10C
The J-10C is a single-engine canard delta wing with no tail. It has fly-by-wire flying controls and an AESA fire control radar. It is built of composite materials for increased strength and decreased weight. Its internal armament comprises a twin-barrel Gryazev-Shipunov (GSh) 23 gun mounted beneath the intake port side.
Other armament and equipment are installed externally on 11 hardpoints, which may hold 6,000 kg of missiles or bombs, drop tanks storing fuel, or other equipment such as avionics pods.
Short-range AAMs such as the PL-8 and PL-10, medium-range radar-guided AAMs such as the PL-12 and PL-15, unguided and precision-guided munitions such as laser-guided bombs (LGBs), air-to-surface missiles (ASMs) such as the KD-88, anti-ship missiles (AShMs) such as the YJ-91A, and anti-radiation missiles (ARMs).
