Raphael’s Hunter or ‘Paper Lion’? Pakistan’s favorite Chinese jet exposed in Riyadh Air Defense Show

Riyadh Air Defense Show: ‘Air Defense Show’ organized in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia; This has come as a major setback for China’s defense exports. The J-10CE fighter jet which China was seeing as a game-changer in the global market did not find a single buyer at the show. This is the same fighter jet which Pakistan used in ‘Operation Sindoor’. It was highly praised during the flight and claimed that it is capable of giving a tough competition to India’s Rafale aircraft.

Operation Sindoor and Pakistan’s claim

When Indian Air Force’s Rafale aircraft entered Pakistan’s border to destroy terrorist hideouts, Islamabad had put forward J-10CE as its security cover. Pakistan had claimed at that time that aircraft like J-10CE and JF-17 Thunder had demonstrated the capability to shoot down Rafale. However, these claims fell flat in Riyadh as not only the J-10CE but also the Pakistan-made JF-17 Thunder received no bid from any buyer.

Why did China’s fighter jet fail?

According to experts, there are three main reasons behind the failure of J-10CE:

America’s fear: Most of the countries in the Middle East and Europe are allies of America. They do not want to risk their relations with America by buying arms from China.

Advanced Opponent: There are now 5th generation jets in the market while the J-10CE is only 4.5 generation. People in Riyadh preferred South Korea’s KF and Türkiye’s Kaan fighter jets because these countries are US allies.

Lack of trust: Questions have always been raised on the quality of Chinese weapons. A 2024 report claimed that many Chinese missiles were found filled with water instead of fuel. Also, the removal of senior officers due to corruption in arms procurement in the Chinese military has also become a major reason for the lack of trust.

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Technical status of J-10CE

China claims that the J-10CE is an all-weather single-engine fighter jet. It was first flown in 1998 and Pakistan purchased it from China in 2021. However, China did not even muster the courage to display it by flying it in the air in the Riyadh show. Chinese media has also admitted that the J-10CE has completely paled in comparison to the new aircraft of South Korea and Türkiye.