Uzbekistan Reported as Second Buyer of China's J-10CE Fighter; Bangladesh Also Reported to Acquire Jets

Uzbekistan Reported as Buyer of J-10CE Fighter

Uzbekistan has been reported to have become the second foreign country to acquire the J-10CE fighter, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. The report suggests Beijing is making inroads into a Central Asian market previously dominated by Russian warplanes.

Reports had earlier suggested Uzbekistan ordered 24 J-10CEs, although neither country has officially confirmed the order. However, footage released by the Uzbek president's office on Friday, as part of the country's independence day celebrations, showed at least six of the jets. The footage depicted the Uzbek air force warplanes on the runway, flying in formation, and receiving a water-cannon salute—a ceremony traditionally used to mark significant arrivals.

Pakistan was noted as the first foreign buyer of the J-10CE, and the aircraft was reported to have played a prominent role in last year's brief conflict with India.

Bangladesh Reported to Confirm Deal for J-10CE Jets

According to a South China Morning Post report on Friday, Bangladesh has confirmed a deal to purchase China's 5-generation J-10CE fighter jets, citing the aircraft's reported combat performance. The report, citing the Bangladeshi Press Information Department (PID), said the Information and Broadcasting Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Zahedur Rahman, stated that a draft proposal to buy the jets had been submitted to the country's finance ministry and Armed Forces Division for final approval.

Per the PID, the draft proposal also includes the purchase of Chinese attack helicopters, VIP transport helicopters, and drones. The PID added: "Subject to necessary budgetary allocation in the current fiscal year, this procurement will be executed immediately; otherwise, it will roll over into the next budget cycle."

SCMP reports that Rahman said Bangladesh "paid attention" to the war last year, when Pakistan used J-10 fighters and PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles.

Aircraft Details

The Chengdu J-10C is a single-engine, multirole combat aircraft manufactured in China, capable of carrying a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions. The report also mentioned that the aircraft played a key role in the conflict with India, though specific details were not independently verified in the provided material.

Pakistan-Bangladesh Defense Discussions

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in January this year, Pakistan and Bangladesh's air chiefs held detailed discussions on the potential procurement of the locally-produced JF-17 Thunder aircraft. The ISPR stated that Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan called on Pakistan Air Force Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu in Islamabad, where the meeting focused on strengthening operational cooperation and institutional synergy, with emphasis on training, capacity building, and collaboration in aerospace advancements.

The same source reported that a day later, Bangladesh's air chief discussed enhancing defense cooperation with Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf.

The conflict with India—spanning from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the end of Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos, with a ceasefire ending military escalation on May 10—has been called 'Marka-i-Haq' (Battle of Truth) by the state, according to the report.