Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — China’s deliveries of J-10CE multirole fighter jets to the Uzbek Air Force are not directed against third countries, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said while commenting on the completion of aircraft deliveries to Uzbekistan.
According to Jiang, relations between China and Uzbekistan, including cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces, are friendly. He said the development of military-technical cooperation complies with international law and established international practice.
In August, Uzbekistan’s Defense Ministry published video footage for the first time showing J-10CE fighter jets entering service with the country’s Air Force. The footage showed three aircraft flying together and performing aerial manoeuvres. The ministry did not disclose technical specifications or specific aircraft designations in the publication.
Uzbekistan became the second foreign customer for the J-10CE after Pakistan. Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia and Sudan have also shown interest in the Chinese fighter.
The J-10CE is the export version of China’s J-10C, a single-engine multirole fighter developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, part of AVIC. The history of the J-10 family dates back to the 1980s, while the first prototype made its maiden flight in 1998. The basic J-10A version entered service with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force in 2005.
The J-10C, which serves as the basis for the export version, entered service in China in 2018. The J-10CE is classified as a 4++ generation fighter and is designed to conduct both air combat missions and strikes against ground targets.
One of the aircraft’s key features is its modern avionics, including an active electronically scanned array radar. Various sources identify the radar as the KLJ-10A or KLJ-7A. The fighter is also equipped with a helmet-mounted targeting system and electronic warfare systems.
The J-10CE’s weapons include missiles of various classes, including the long-range PL-15, medium-range PL-12 and short-range PL-10. The aircraft can also use precision-guided weapons against ground targets. Its design provides for 11 hardpoints.
The export aircraft supplied to Pakistan use China’s WS-10 engine. Russian AL-31FN engines were used on some modifications and early batches. The J-10CE’s maximum speed is estimated at about Mach 2.2, while its combat radius is more than 900 km. The aircraft’s range depends, among other factors, on its fuel load and the use of external fuel tanks.
The estimated cost of a single J-10CE is around US$40–50 million. The price of a complete export package can be higher when weapons, crew training and other components are included. According to some estimates, the average cost per aircraft under Pakistan’s contract, including associated deliveries, approached US$76 million.
Pakistan became the first foreign operator of the J-10CE and began receiving the aircraft in 2022. The country initially ordered 20 fighters, while the total number could have reached about 36 aircraft after a subsequent batch.
The J-10CE was also used during the 2025 India-Pakistan air conflict. Chinese state media and a number of other publications linked the use of the aircraft to claims about the effectiveness of its radar and PL-15 missiles. However, reports of aerial targets being shot down remain disputed and have not received independent confirmation from all sides.
In addition to Pakistan and Uzbekistan, China has promoted the fighter on the international arms market and displayed it at overseas defense exhibitions, including LIMA 2025 in Malaysia.
