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The India-Pakistan clashes gave the J-10C a new, highly coveted status: battled-tested.
A J-10CE for the Pakistan Air Force on display at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow, Nov. 15, 2024.
The sudden rise in demands for Chinese fighter jets after the May 2025 air clash between India and Pakistan is a lesson in how modern weapons are sold. For years, Chinese combat aircraft were treated by many buyers as cheaper alternatives to Western or Russian platforms. That perception changed after Pakistan used Chinese-made J-10C fighters in combat and claimed to have shot down several Indian aircraft, including a French-made Rafale.
Reuters reported that U.S. officials believed a Pakistani Chinese-made jet brought down at least two Indian military aircraft, while another Reuters analysis said the downing of a Rafale was linked to India’s misjudgment of the range of China’s PL-15 missile.
