[🇧🇩-Airforce] MRCA Program of Bangladesh Air Force
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Bangladesh Defense
Krishna with Flute
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Saif
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J-10C is a single engine aircraft whereas RAFALE is a twine engine aircraft. So, we should not compare J-10 with RAFALE. j-10 is a cost effective option for countries with limited budget.
Krishna with Flute
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That is true that it is an option but capability wise, both aircrafts have a big Gap. Rafale is just behind US fifth generation fighters while there are dozens of aircrafts which are superior to J10 including old aircrafts made decades of ago before J10.
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Bangladesh said to be eyeing China’s J-10C fighters to upgrade air force fleet
It would be the second of India’s neighbours to buy the Chinese jets, potentially inflaming Beijing-New Delhi tensions, analysts say.
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Bangladesh said to be eyeing China’s J-10C fighters to upgrade ageing air force fleet
It would be the second of India’s neighbours to buy the Chinese jets, potentially inflaming Beijing-New Delhi tensions, analysts say
Hayley Wongin Beijing
Published: 9:00am, 19 Dec 2024
Bangladesh appears to be considering an upgrade of its ageing fighter jets, and China’s J-10C is reportedly an option. But observers note the 4.5-generation multirole fighter would be a costly addition to the country’s fleet and risk inflaming tensions between China and India.
The assessment came after Bangladesh Air Force Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan visited China last month and told reporters that his country was “devotedly trying to acquire multirole combat aircrafts and attack helicopters”, according to defence news website Indian Defence Research Wing.
The report also cited sources saying that the Bangladesh Air Force was considering purchasing 16 J-10CE fighters, the export variant of the J-10C, in the first phase of the upgrade.
During the visit, Khan attended the Zhuhai air show, China’s biggest showcase for defence and commercial aerial platforms.
The Bangladeshi air chief’s visit aimed to “further strengthen the existing cordial relations” and expand the scope of cooperation, according to Bangladesh’s military.
He also visited the headquarters of China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC), a state-owned defence company focused on aviation.
Bangladesh is China’s second-biggest arms buyer after Pakistan, the first country to order J-10C fighters from China.
In 2018, the Bangladesh Air Force sent a delegation to China to survey the performance of the multirole fighter jet.
But while Dhaka continues to lean on China for weapons procurement, analysts said the J-10C is not the only option for the South Asian country to replace its ageing aircraft.
“Given Bangladesh’s long history of defence cooperation with China, it is certainly possible that Bangladesh may seek to purchase J-10C,” said Timothy Heath, a senior international defence researcher at US-based think tank Rand Corporation.
Heath said that Bangladesh “has an ageing air force and its aircraft need replacement”.
However, while Bangladesh could afford the J-10C, it may need to buy fewer of the aircraft than its current inventory of J-7 fighters, he said, adding that Dhaka might also be considering other fighter types.
The J-10C Vigorous Dragon fighter, often compared to the American-made F-16 fighter, first entered service with the Chinese air force in 2018.
It is a variant of the J-10 4.5-generation multirole combat aircraft and is equipped with a Chinese-produced WS-10B engine.
Bangladesh currently has 36 F-7MG fighters in service, according to a report by aviation publisher FlightGlobal. The F-7MG is a derivative of the J-7 series designed for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh also has trainer aircraft from China, including the K-8, along with Chinese tanks, vessels, and missiles.
China delivered 16 F-7MG fighters to Bangladesh in 2006 and again in 2013, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
A Chinese J-10CE fighter jet is displayed near the entrance of the 2024 Zhuhai air show in south China’s Guangdong province in November. Photo: Hayley Wong
Collin Koh, a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, said the Bangladesh Air Force used the Russian-designed MiG-29 as its “mainstay fighter” while flying the F-7MG as a second-line fighter.
“If Bangladesh is thinking of replacing the MiG-29 and F-7, besides the more expensive Western models, the other choices would be Chinese, Russian or even the South Koreans,” he said.
However, Dhaka does not have close security ties with Seoul, and Russia’s export capacity has decreased since the war in Ukraine, leaving China’s J-10 series as “a logical option”, he said.
Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former instructor of the People’s Liberation Army, said while China would welcome J-10C orders from Bangladesh, Dhaka might not need such advanced fighters for the level of security risks it faces.
He said that replacing the J-7 with the FC-1, a third-generation multirole fighter, “might be the best choice”, while replacing it with the J-10C “would have skipped a generation”. Song added that the J-10C would cost almost double the price of the FC-1.
But if Bangladesh were to opt for the 4.5-generation J-10CE, it would “signal a closer relationship between the two countries”, Heath said. He added that this would likely antagonise India, which remained sensitive to Chinese military cooperation with countries along its border.
It would also make Bangladesh the second of India’s neighbours to acquire Chinese fourth-generation fighters, which could add to the tensions between Beijing and New Delhi.
Egypt has reportedly ordered the J-10C to replace its ageing fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons, but no official announcement has been made yet.
It would be the second of India’s neighbours to buy the Chinese jets, potentially inflaming Beijing-New Delhi tensions, analysts say
Hayley Wongin Beijing
Published: 9:00am, 19 Dec 2024
Bangladesh appears to be considering an upgrade of its ageing fighter jets, and China’s J-10C is reportedly an option. But observers note the 4.5-generation multirole fighter would be a costly addition to the country’s fleet and risk inflaming tensions between China and India.
The assessment came after Bangladesh Air Force Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan visited China last month and told reporters that his country was “devotedly trying to acquire multirole combat aircrafts and attack helicopters”, according to defence news website Indian Defence Research Wing.
The report also cited sources saying that the Bangladesh Air Force was considering purchasing 16 J-10CE fighters, the export variant of the J-10C, in the first phase of the upgrade.
During the visit, Khan attended the Zhuhai air show, China’s biggest showcase for defence and commercial aerial platforms.
The Bangladeshi air chief’s visit aimed to “further strengthen the existing cordial relations” and expand the scope of cooperation, according to Bangladesh’s military.
He also visited the headquarters of China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC), a state-owned defence company focused on aviation.
Bangladesh is China’s second-biggest arms buyer after Pakistan, the first country to order J-10C fighters from China.
In 2018, the Bangladesh Air Force sent a delegation to China to survey the performance of the multirole fighter jet.
But while Dhaka continues to lean on China for weapons procurement, analysts said the J-10C is not the only option for the South Asian country to replace its ageing aircraft.
“Given Bangladesh’s long history of defence cooperation with China, it is certainly possible that Bangladesh may seek to purchase J-10C,” said Timothy Heath, a senior international defence researcher at US-based think tank Rand Corporation.
Heath said that Bangladesh “has an ageing air force and its aircraft need replacement”.
However, while Bangladesh could afford the J-10C, it may need to buy fewer of the aircraft than its current inventory of J-7 fighters, he said, adding that Dhaka might also be considering other fighter types.
The J-10C Vigorous Dragon fighter, often compared to the American-made F-16 fighter, first entered service with the Chinese air force in 2018.
It is a variant of the J-10 4.5-generation multirole combat aircraft and is equipped with a Chinese-produced WS-10B engine.
Bangladesh currently has 36 F-7MG fighters in service, according to a report by aviation publisher FlightGlobal. The F-7MG is a derivative of the J-7 series designed for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh also has trainer aircraft from China, including the K-8, along with Chinese tanks, vessels, and missiles.
China delivered 16 F-7MG fighters to Bangladesh in 2006 and again in 2013, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
A Chinese J-10CE fighter jet is displayed near the entrance of the 2024 Zhuhai air show in south China’s Guangdong province in November. Photo: Hayley Wong
Collin Koh, a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, said the Bangladesh Air Force used the Russian-designed MiG-29 as its “mainstay fighter” while flying the F-7MG as a second-line fighter.
“If Bangladesh is thinking of replacing the MiG-29 and F-7, besides the more expensive Western models, the other choices would be Chinese, Russian or even the South Koreans,” he said.
However, Dhaka does not have close security ties with Seoul, and Russia’s export capacity has decreased since the war in Ukraine, leaving China’s J-10 series as “a logical option”, he said.
Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former instructor of the People’s Liberation Army, said while China would welcome J-10C orders from Bangladesh, Dhaka might not need such advanced fighters for the level of security risks it faces.
He said that replacing the J-7 with the FC-1, a third-generation multirole fighter, “might be the best choice”, while replacing it with the J-10C “would have skipped a generation”. Song added that the J-10C would cost almost double the price of the FC-1.
But if Bangladesh were to opt for the 4.5-generation J-10CE, it would “signal a closer relationship between the two countries”, Heath said. He added that this would likely antagonise India, which remained sensitive to Chinese military cooperation with countries along its border.
It would also make Bangladesh the second of India’s neighbours to acquire Chinese fourth-generation fighters, which could add to the tensions between Beijing and New Delhi.
Egypt has reportedly ordered the J-10C to replace its ageing fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons, but no official announcement has been made yet.
So why is India begging for SU-57?
Just relying on the Rafale little radar to win the J-10C?
