China Hard-sells J-10CE Aircraft At LIMA 2025 Following “Real Combat Experience”

At the ongoing Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2025) in Malaysia, the J-10CE fighter jet attracted attention from international visitors to the Chinese booth following its “remarkable debut in real combat,” Global Times reported.

The “real combat debut” refers to the face-off between the J-10CE in Pakistan Air Force service and the Indian Rafale jets in which the former is claimed to have shot down  three Rafales; a claim India stoutly denies.

When it comes to international sales, the J-10CE is handicapped by the lack actual combat experience. However, this stereotype was quickly shattered when major media outlets reported that China's made-for-export J-10CE warplane had recently achieved its first real combat success, the publication noted.

Even as they are praising the J-10CE for its "combat success," Chinese media outlets have been careful to avoid references to the Indo-Pak dogfight as part of India’s operation to attack terrorist bases in Pakistan on May 7 this year in response to Pakistan-based terrorists gunning down 26 tourists in Kashmir.

Chinese military affairs expert Zhang Xuefeng told the Global Times that China's J-10 series fighter jet is profoundly reshaping the global perception of the Chinese military and China's defense industrial capabilities, even the landscape of global defense industry.

Zhang said that China's advanced fighter jets, represented by the J-10, are participating in international market competition and reshaping the global defense industry landscape with multiple advantages.

Chinese fighter jets offer high cost-effectiveness. For example, India bought France's Rafale fighters at a cost of nearly $200 million per unit, including spare parts, training and support services. In contrast, Chinese fighters deliver comparable performance at a more affordable price, he said in comments to Global Times

China has met limited sales success with the J-10CE with only Pakistan as its international operator. While it has offered the aircraft to countries in South America, the Middle East and South East Asia in recent years, these have preferred aircraft such as the Saab Gripen and the F-16 instead.