On May 7, Indian and Pakistani fighter jets battled for over an hour. Pakistan claimed that it shot down 3 French-made Rafale jets as well as a Mig-29, and a Su-30MKI. Pakistan’s main fighter jets in the battle were China’s J-10CE.
On May 17, a China Central Television (CCTV) program reported that China’s export-oriented fighter jet, the J-10CE, had recently achieved its first real combat success, shooting down multiple enemy aircraft in an air battle without sustaining any losses.
Military expert Zhang Xuefeng mentioned in the CCTV program that the Rafale fighter jet has a smaller nose cone, which limits the size of the radar it can carry and the number of transceiver modules, resulting in shorter detection range. Rafale’s missiles also lack range superiority. Therefore, even in a one-on-one scenario, the J-10CE has an advantage over Rafale.
Zhang further explained that the J-10 series fighter jet has an excellent base design, using a canard aerodynamic layout that provides high maneuverability. The J-10CE has been upgraded and now boasts three major advantages:
- Reduced Radar Cross-Section (RCS): The J-10CE has incorporated multiple RCS-reduction measures. The canopy has a special coating, it uses a diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI), and the radar antenna is angled. These combined features reduce the radar signature by an order of magnitude.
- Advanced Avionics: The J-10CE is equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. China has been continuously improving its AESA radar technology in detection range and electronic counter-countermeasures, allowing it to reliably lock onto and strike targets with first-look, first-shoot advantage.
- Advanced Missile Systems: The missiles carried by the J-10CE are also state-of-the-art, enabling the fighter to detect, track, and engage enemy aircraft before being detected itself.
Sources:
1. YouTube, (CCTV’s video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmwAyDrQOSU
2. Net Ease, May 18, 2025 (Transcript of CCTV’s report)
https://www.163.com/dy/article/JVRFAU170530G3Q7.html