Bangladesh confirms J-10CE jet deal with China, cites fighter jet downed in India-Pakistan clash

Bangladesh has for the first time officially confirmed a long-anticipated deal to acquire Chinese 4.5-generation J-10CE fighter jets, citing the aircraft's reported combat performance during last year's India-Pakistan conflict, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

Zahed Ur Rahman, the prime minister's adviser for information and broadcasting, said on Tuesday that a draft proposal to procure the J-10CE jets has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance and the Armed Forces Division for final clearance, the SCMP report said, citing Bangladesh's Press Information Department (PID).

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The draft proposal also includes plans to purchase Chinese attack helicopters, VIP transport helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, the PID said, adding that the procurement would be executed within the current fiscal year subject to budgetary allocation, failing which it would roll over to the next cycle. Bangladesh's fiscal year runs from July to June.

According to the SCMP report, Rahman said Bangladesh had taken note of the May 2025 conflict between India and Pakistan, during which Pakistan reportedly deployed J-10CE fighters fitted with active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars and PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles. He said the Chinese jets were priced significantly lower than comparable European or American alternatives, while claiming better performance in the reported engagement.

Chinese military analyst and former air force officer Fu Qianshao was quoted in the SCMP report as saying the J-10CE is the most cost-effective option among medium-weight fighters, including the American F-16, citing its AESA radar and multi-target tracking capability. He added that the aircraft has been upgraded to a semi-stealth platform through the use of radar-absorbing coating.

Bangladesh is China's second-largest arms buyer after Pakistan, which was the first country to receive the J-10CE. Dhaka currently operates 36 ageing F-7MG fighters, a Bangladesh-specific derivative of China's J-7 series, according to aviation publisher FlightGlobal, along with Chinese-origin K-8 trainer aircraft, tanks, naval vessels and missile systems.

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Earlier, a Reuters report said Bangladesh is moving closer to formal negotiations with China on the proposed purchase, with a government panel preparing a draft agreement. The report said Dhaka is considering acquiring up to 24 J-10CE aircraft, citing local media, though Rahman did not disclose the exact number of jets, the deal's value or a delivery timeline, saying these would be finalised through negotiations.

Pakistan remains the only confirmed foreign operator of the export variant of the jet, according to the report. China has been Bangladesh's largest source of military hardware over the past two decades, supplying naval vessels, combat aircraft, tanks and missile systems, the Reuters report added.