A formal induction ceremony on Friday held at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Base Minhas Kamra in Attock district of Punjab to induct the jet. The J-10C fighter jet is a 4.5-generation medium-sized fighter jet and is more powerful than the China-Pakistan jointly developed lightweight fighter jet, the JF-17

Recently, Pakistan has inducted multi-purpose J-10C fighter jets, acquired from China, into its Air Force to improve its combat capabilities.

A formal induction ceremony on Friday held at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Base Minhas Kamra in Attock district of Punjab to induct the jet, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said any country would have to think twice before harbouring any aggression towards Pakistan, asserting that the armed forces were well-equipped and trained to defeat any threat.

Pakistan's PM statement is a veiled reference to India's recent procurement of Rafale fighter jets from France. Imran Khan also stated that induction of J-10 C is a big movement for Pakistan after about 40 years when F-16 provided by the US were inducted into the PAF.

The Chinese fighter though is seen as being outmatched by the French-made Rafale jets that India has acquired. Here’s the comparison of China's J10 vs France Rafale fighter aircraft:

What Is The J-10C?

The J-10C fighter jet is a 4.5-generation medium-sized fighter jet and is more powerful than the China-Pakistan jointly developed lightweight fighter jet, the JF-17, currently being used by the PAF.

The J-10 aircraft, dubbed “Firebird” by NATO, is a single-engine, light multirole fighter that can fly in all weather conditions. It was designed for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force to carry out strike and air-to-air combat operations.

The J-10C is the latest variant of J-10 and was inducted into the Chinese military in 2018. According to reports, the J-10 was first reported on as far back as 1994 with the first flight of the single-seater jet taking place in 1998.

Comparison between J-10C and Rafale fighter jet is not possible, primarily because the latter is a twin-engined fighter with a globally recognised missile system and the latest electronic warfare suite.

The J-10C, which Pakistan has been eyeing for a long, is actually a single-engine fighter, which is in a different league than the Rafale. It is believed that the J-10C traces its origin to Israel’s multi-billion dollar Lavi fighter jet program which was halted in August 1987.

Metrics Rafale Chengdu J-10
Origin France China
Length 15.27 metres 16.03 metres
Wingspan 10.80 metres 9.75 metres
Empty weight 9,850 kg 8,850 kg
MTOW 24,500 kg 19,277 kg
Range 3,700 km 1,850 km
Fuel Capacity 4,700 kg (Int) 6,700 kg (Ext) 3,860 kg (Int) 3120 kg (Ext)
Engine & Thrust 2*Snecma M88-4e 150 kN Shenyang WS-10 140kN
Top Speed 1,912 km/hr 2,495 km/hr
Radar RBE2 AESA, 838 T/R modules Chinese AESA, 1,200 T/R modules
Rate of Climb 60,000+ Ft/Min 60,000 Ft/Min

The Rafale has a 20 percent greater thrust for just 11 percent higher weight than the J-10C. This means for the same weight of fuel and weapons, Rafale is going to have a thrust-to-weight ratio far better than the J-10C which means better agility and higher energy which is the deciding factor within visual range (WVR) combat.

What really matters is that the short-range missile of Rafale (MICA-IR) is generations ahead of the PL-8/9 missiles of the J-10C. The MICA-IR has an Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker against PL-8’s Infrared (IR) seeker and also has a much higher range, off bore shoot capability, G tolerance and kill probability.

Ready For The Battle

The Chinese fighter jet J-10C has never seen the light of battle or a joint exercise (except with Pakistan) whereas the Rafale has been used in combat operations in Mali, Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and Syria.

Pakistan had announced the display of the new Chengdu J-10 jet on March 23 at the annual Defence Day Parade. J-10C is manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) for the Chinese Air Force.