Dhaka reportedly began negotiations with Beijing to acquire the J-10C generation fighter jet

According to recent media reports, Bangladesh is said to be following in Pakistan's footsteps by becoming the second country in South Asia to acquire the J-10C fighter jet developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAIG) for its air force, a development that will anger India.

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA)

(DEFENCE AFFAIRS ANALYSIS)

After seeing the recent performance of the Pakistan Air Force's J-10C fighter jet in the country's recent conflict with India, it is likely to prompt Bangladesh to further accelerate its decision to acquire the Chinese-made fighter jet which is now nicknamed the "Rafale killer".

According to recent media reports, Bangladesh is said to be following in Pakistan's footsteps by becoming the second country in South Asia to acquire the J-10C fighter jet developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAIG) for its air force, a development that will anger India.

This comes after Dhaka reportedly began negotiations with Beijing to acquire the J-10C generation fighter jet, which is currently hot on the market following the alleged success of the fighter jet operated by Pakistan in shooting down three Rafale fighter jets belonging to the Indian Air Force.

As reported by the country's local media recently, the Bangladesh Air Force is reportedly very interested in acquiring 16 J-10C fighter aircraft in the first phase to replace its existing, aging fighter aircraft.

Bangladesh Air Force Chief Air Marshal Hasan Mahmud Khan reportedly said that the country needs to improve the capabilities of its air force.

"We are making every effort to acquire fighter jets and attack helicopters," he said, as quoted by local media about the Bangladesh Air Force's interest in acquiring the J-10C fighter jet.

Dhaka is reportedly interested in signing a procurement agreement with Beijing to enable it to acquire 16 J-10C fighter jets in the first phase, with follow-on procurement of the 4.5th generation fighter jets to be made at a later stage.

With the latest developments involving the "impressive" performance of the Pakistan Air Force's J-10C fighter jets, especially involving the shooting down of three Indian Rafale fighter jets, it is expected that Bangladesh will follow in Pakistan's footsteps in acquiring the J-10C "Vigourous Dragon" fighter jets.

India has yet to admit that its air force lost five fighter jets, including three of its most modern J-10C fighter jets, in the recent conflict with Pakistan. The other two Indian fighter jets allegedly shot down by Pakistan are a MiG-29 and a Sukhoi Su-30MKI.

It seems that after this, the Indian Air Force will not only have to deal with Pakistan's J-10C fighter jets, but there is a possibility that it will also face J-10C fighter jets belonging to the Bangladesh Air Force, if local media reports are to be believed.

With relations between India and Bangladesh "unfriendly" after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India and is now living in exile in her neighboring country, the presence of the J-10C in the Bangladesh Air Force will inevitably increase tensions between the two neighboring countries.

Last August, media reports stated that China offered Bangladesh the J-10C fighter jet to replace its aging F-7 fighter jets, which were also supplied by China.

In 2022, Pakistan confirmed that it had acquired 25 J-10C fighter jets developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, to compete with the acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter jets by its neighbor, India.

Apart from Pakistan, Egypt has also reportedly decided to acquire Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets to replace the aging US-made F-16 fighter jets currently used by the Arab country's air force.

The J-10C fighter jet, which is said to be wanted by the Egyptian Air Force, was first introduced to the Chinese public in July 2017 and began being used for combat duties by the country's air force in 2018.

In addition, Azerbaijan has also reportedly shown interest in the J-10C fighter jet, with its Air Force Chief taking a closer look at the fighter jet during the China Airshow in Zhuhai last year.

Regional military observers say the PLAAF operates about 150 J-10C fighter jets in its fleet.

Compared to previous variants, the J-10C is lighter and more difficult to detect and uses a more powerful engine.