Bangladesh Reveals Plans to Purchase 20 Chinese Fighter Jets
(MENAFN) Bangladesh is moving forward with plans to purchase 20 Chinese J-10CE multirole fighter jets in a $2.2 billion deal aimed at upgrading its aging air force fleet and strengthening national air defense, an official in the interim government confirmed.
Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, adviser on youth and sports in the caretaker administration, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the government is considering the acquisition through a direct state-to-state agreement with China.
“The base price of each aircraft is $60 million, or $1.2 billion for the fleet. Training, equipment, and freight add another $820 million, and other maintenance costs will make it $2.2 billion. The payments would be spread across 10 fiscal years,” The Business Standard reported, citing internal government documents.
The J-10CE, manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, is a fourth-generation fighter that has recently drawn international attention following its reported combat success against French-made Rafale jets during the May skirmishes between India and Pakistan.
Reports suggest Pakistan deployed the J-10C in retaliatory operations after India’s May 7 strike, marking the jet's combat debut. Government sources indicated that Bangladesh's interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus raised the potential procurement during his official visit to Beijing earlier this year, where Chinese officials reportedly “responded positively.”
At present, the Bangladesh Air Force operates 212 aircraft, including 44 fighters—36 of which are aging Chinese-made F-7s.
Pakistan’s military has voiced strong approval for the J-10C's battlefield performance. “Of course lately, recent Chinese platforms, they’ve demonstrated exceptionally well,” Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, spokesman for the Pakistan army, told media in an interview published Monday.
According to media, the May engagement marked the first confirmed combat use of both the J-10C and its PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles. Pakistan claims it shot down seven Indian aircraft in retaliation, including several Rafales.
India, however, has pushed back on those claims. Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said last week, “there was clear evidence of long-range Indian strikes (inside Pakistan), including one of more than 300 km, destroying either an AEW&C or a SIGINT aircraft, along with five fighters of the F-16 and JF-17 class."
In a parallel development, Raytheon, a major U.S. defense contractor, will supply Pakistan with advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAMs), the U.S. Department of Defense announced on Sept. 30.
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