During last week Chinese internet forums have started sharing images of J-10C fighter aircraft with marking of the Pakistan Airforce (PAF) which are equipped with Chinese developed WS-10B Taihang turbofan engines. This makes Pakistan as first country to purchase Chinese 4.5 generation J-10C fighter aircraft. PAF will also be first user of WS-10B engines outside People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
Interior Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Skeish Rashid Ahmed have already claimed in December last year that first batch of J-10Cs will be inducted in March 20222 and will participate in Pakistan's Republic Day on 23 March, 2022.
Chinese J-10C is 4.5+ generation fighter aircraft is equipped with radar than the one used by the JF-17 Block 3
Bigger active electronically scanned array (AESA) will allow Pakistan air force to fully exploit long range of PL-15 Long Range Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) and newly developed, highly agile PL-10 short range air-to-air missile which is hard to shake off
Pakistani purchase of J-10C doesn't mean that Pakistan Air force will scale back production of JF-17 Block III. When compared to light weight JF_17, medium tech J-10C offers additional capabilities which includes
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Better
kinetic performance
·
Better
maneuverability
·
Bigger
AESA Radar to fully exploit long range of PL-15
·
IRIST
sensor for passive detection
·
Wide
range of already integrated weapons
·
Future
developments are already underway and costs are by PLAAF
·
Better
thrust to weight
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Long
range
Pakistani J-10C will have new narrow frame holographic HUD (head-up display) and Pakistani specific datalink antenna.