Why China's J-10C 'Vigorous Dragon' fighter jet is having a moment
China's Chengdu J-10C fighter jet, also known as the "Vigorous Dragon," has come to prominence following its involvement in this month's conflict between India and Pakistan.
The single-engine, multirole aircraft flown by Pakistan's air force was involved in the shooting down of several Indian fighter jets this week, Pakistan's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that India and Pakistan has agreed a "full and immediate cease-fire" following US mediation.
About 80% of Pakistan's military gear is made by China. The country received its first batch of the jets — upgraded versions of the original J-10 — in 2022. They can carry bombs, air-to-air missiles, and rockets.
Relentlessly upgraded since its debut in the 2000s, the J-10 is Beijing's answer to Western light fighters such as the American F-16 and Sweden's Saab Gripen.
The Chinese-designed and manufactured jet could prove to be a game changer on the global arms market.
David Jordan, a senior lecturer in defence studies at King's College London, told Business Insider: "Think of the J-10C as roughly equivalent to a late-model F-16, but with some features — like its long-range missile suite — that could give it the edge in certain scenarios."
The J-10 was China's first major attempt to produce a modern, homegrown combat aircraft. It entered service in 2004 as the J-10A, a single-engine, multirole fighter with a canard-delta wing configuration — a design choice that prioritizes agility over stability, giving it manoeuvrability in dogfights.
The J-10 was designed to be flexible and equally capable in air-to-air combat and ground-attack missions. It can carry a mix of precision-guided bombs, anti-ship missiles, and medium-range air-to-air weapons.
While ultimately a homegrown Chinese project, it drew inspiration from abroad, including input from Israeli designers and Russian engine tech.
By 2008, the upgraded J-10B had been given a redesigned intake to reduce radar visibility, the addition of a passive infrared search and track sensor, digital radar warning receivers, and a revamped cockpit featuring full-color multifunction displays and a wide-angle heads-up display.
The J-10C, which started rolling off production lines around 2015, marked another big step forward. This version introduced an AESA radar — a significant leap that boosted detection range, targeting precision, and electronic resistance.
It also brought in datalink systems, satellite comms, missile approach warnings, and tweaks to reduce radar signature even further. The fighter still has a Russian-made AL-31F engine, which is seen as a limiting factor, but more recent versions are reportedly testing the Chinese WS-10 engine.
The Pakistan-Indian conflict is one of the first times the jet has been used in live combat.
Chengdu Aircraft Company stock soared by more than a third this week on the Shenzhen stock market, suggesting investor confidence in the J-10C.
Jordan said: "You may well see a very viable competitor to Western products entering contests for the purchase of new fighter aircraft," added Jordan.
That could pose a challenge for Western defence manufacturers, he added.
Although the J-10C is not China's most advanced fighter — that distinction belongs to the fifth-generation stealth J-20 — it may well be the most commercially viable.
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