PM Khan thanks China for providing modern J-10 C fighter jets to Pakistan

KAMRA: China-made modern fighter aircraft J-10C has formally been inducted into the Pakistan Air force today (Friday).

On the special invitation of the Air Chief, Prime Minister Imran Khan attended the induction ceremony of the modern fighter jet into the PAF.

China will deliver a total of  25 J-10C fighter jets to Pakistan in a major boost to the country’s military capabilities to defend airspace, according to a foreign media report.

The first batch of the combat aircraft, after being tested in Chengdu, has arrived in Pakistan a few days back.

‘No one can cast an evil eye on Pakistan’

Addressing the induction ceremony of J-10C into PAF, PM Imran said that no one could cast an evil eye on Pakistan

Expressing his full confidence in the armed forces, PM Imran said that the nation is confident that if anyone makes an aggressive move against Pakistan, it would be retaliated by the armed forces with full force.

Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister congratulated the nation on the historic occasion of the induction of JC-10 aircraft. He also thanked China to deliver the fighter jets to Pakistan in a short period of eight months.

Pakistan is heading in the right direction towards development and prosperity, he added.

‘PAF is prepared to deter any aggression’

Earlier, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu said the PAF is prepared and skilled to deter any aggression of the enemy.

“JC-10 is a fully integrated weapon, avionic and combat system and its induction into PAF would further strengthen its professional capabilities,” he added.

The air chief said that the occasion is a testimony to the will of Chinese leadership and support for Pakistan.

PM Imran inspect JC-10 aircraft

PM Imran Khan along with the three services chiefs inspected the JC-10 aircraft and sat in the cockpit where he was given a briefing about the fighter plane.

Better than F-16

The images of the J-10C fighter jet with the marking of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) recently emerged on social media and were widely circulated by media outlets.

Commenting on the matter, Chinese analysts had lauded the latest defence cooperation between the two countries, saying that the move yields great significance to them, in terms of boosting combat capabilities of the Pakistan military, promoting China’s aviation equipment, and responding to their security interests in the region.

First published on social media, the images show two J-10Cs, equipped with China’s domestically developed WS-10B Taihang turbofan engines, undertaking test flights at an undisclosed location.

“The J-10C will significantly enhance the combat capabilities of the Pakistan Air Force,” Chinese analysts had told Global Times.

“The J-10C is a 4.5-generation medium-size fighter jet and is more powerful than the China-Pakistan jointly developed lightweight fighter jet, the JF-17, which is currently in service with the Pakistan Air Force,” Shi Hong, Executive Chief Editor of the Chinese magazine, Shipborne Weapons, had told the Global Times.

“The J-10C is larger and can be equipped with a bigger active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar than the one used by the JF-17 Block 3,” Shi had said, noting that the J-10C can also carry more advanced, fourth-generation air-to-air missiles including the short-range PL-10 and the beyond-visual-range PL-15.

“The J-10C is also significantly more powerful than the old US-made F-16 fighter jet of the Pakistan Air Force and can rival the Rafale fighter jet that recently entered service with the Indian Air Force,” Shi had said.

“Pakistan’s J-10C will not replace the JF-17, but form a combination, leading to higher combat capabilities,” Shi had added.