The Chengdu J-10 is a Chinese jet fighter, which has been in service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force since 2004. This supersonic combat aircraft was designed in 1994 by the State-run Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, with the first prototype being built in 1997. It performed its maiden flight on March 23, 1998. The first flight tests were satisfactory, showing excellent handling characteristics and reliability. This is due to the fact that the J-10 has delta wing and canards. It is very versatile, being able to play the role both as a fighter and ground-attack aircraft. The overall design resembles the American F-16 and the French Dassault Rafale aircraft.
Between 1997 and 2014, the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation manufactured approximately 700 J-10 fighters in four versions; the J-10A, J-10B, J-10C, and J-10CE. In 2022, Pakistan bought 25 J-10CE aircraft, with the Pakistani pilots being trained by the Chinese in China. They were also taught how to operate its high-tech avionics and weapon system. This fighter aircraft got its baptism of fire in May 2025, during the brief Pakistani-Indian border armed conflict, in which the two Pakistani pilots flying the J-10CE shot down three Indian Air Force Dassault Rafale combat aircraft in a dogfight duel. Iran has shown interest in this Chinese aircraft and, according to a government source of information, Tehran could order 35 fighters to replace its aging American-made combat aircraft.
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| Front view of the Chengdu J-10, which is waiting, along with three other aircraft, authorization for take-off. |
Technical Characteristics
The Chengdu J-10, 'Vigorous Dragon', is a single-seat, single-engine, supersonic monoplane. As every modern aircraft, it is of all-metal construction, with parts of the airframe being made of titanium, which is imported from Russia. It is fitted with large delta low-wing. The tail assembly consists of a large vertical fin set up on top of rear portion of fuselage, right above the engine exhaust, with the tail plane being mounted low on rear section of fuselage continuous with the wing trailing edge, with a marked anhedral angle, pointing rather downwards. Two canards are set up on middle of forward fuselage, in front of and above the wing, giving the aircraft great stability and maneuverability.
The J-10 fighter aircraft features a large and comfortable cockpit, which lies under a bubble-type canopy; this gives the pilot perfect visibility. A powerful active electronically scanned array radar allows the pilot to see incoming targets 200 km away. This monoplane has tricycle-type landing gear and is equipped with one Shenyang WS-10B turbofan engine, which delivers 20,000 pounds of thrust, allowing the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds, from Mach 1.2 to Mach 2. The engine air intake is located below, on belly of forward fuselage.
Specifications
Type: multirole combat aircraft.
Length: 16.90 m (55 feet, 5 inches)
Wing Span: 9.80 m (32 feet, 2 inches)
Wing Area: 37 m2 (400 square feet)
Height: 5.7 m (18 feet, 8 inches)
Power Plant: one 20,000-lb, Shenyang WS-10B turbofan engine, with afterburner.
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.0
Combat Range: 1,240 km (770 miles)
Service Ceiling: 18,000 m (59,000 feet)
Crew: one
Armament: one 23-mm GSh-23 automatic cannon; six PL-10 air-to-air missiles; capacity to carry a bomb-load of 5,600 kg of guided bombs.
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| A J-10B taking off from a Chinese military base. |
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| A J-10C performs a low pass, banking left. |
The Chengdu J-10 flight demonstration (video)
