Iran set to buy Chinese J-10C fighter jets after Israeli drubbing
With just four of the promised 50 Su-35 jets delivered since the 2023 contract, sanctions-hit Iran is now eyeing the Chinese J-10C, the same jet China's "iron brother" Pakistan had deployed against India during the mini-war in May.
A destroyed residential building in Tehran that was hit in an Israeli strike last week. Israel deployed F-35I Adir, F-16I Sufa, and F-15I Ra'am jets to strike Iran's nuclear sites, missile bases, and military infrastructure. (Image: AFP)
advertisementWHY IRAN FAILED TO BUY CHENGDU-MADE J-10 EARLIERIran's interest in the J-10 dates back nearly two decades. In 2015, talks began for a deal involving 150 jets, but it fell through as China demanded payment in foreign currency, while cash-strapped Tehran could offer just oil and gas instead. The UN arms embargo on Iran at the time further stalled the agreement, reported Ukrainian news agency RBC Ukraine.A May 2025 report by Forbes suggests that Iran was interested in purchasing 36 J-10Cs from China.More recently, around the time of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, Iran announced that it had finalised a deal with Moscow to acquire Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mi-28 attack helicopters, S-400 air-defense systems, and Yak-130 trainer aircraft. However, the only equipment Iran actually received from the deal was the training jets, according to a report in The Washington Post.As of 2025, Iran's Air Force has a vulnerable fleet of around 150 fighter jets, primarily Cold War-era American aircraft acquired before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and some Soviet jets. These include F-4 Phantoms, F-5E/F Tigers, F-14A Tomcats, and MiG-29s. Though much of Tehran's fighter fleet is outdated and largely unserviceable, according to The Military Balance 2025, an open-source report by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).J-10 FIGHTER JETS CAN FIRE SUPERSONIC PL-15 MISSILESadvertisementThe J-10C, developed by China's Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, could very well be a significant upgrade for Iran's air force. The J-10C variant Iran is seeking, equipped with an AESA radar and PL-15 long-range missiles, may offer Iran enhanced manoeuvrability and multirole capabilities, to some extent comparable to some of Israel's frontline jets.The J-10C, referred to as the "Vigorous Dragon", is one of China's most advanced fourth-generation fighter jets, which helped its air force transition from older platforms.Powered by a Chinese-made WS-10 engine, the aircraft has a delta wing-canard configuration, which offers superior agility in dogfights. What makes the J-10C particularly formidable is its active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which improves target tracking and resistance to jamming. Its compatibility with beyond-visual-range missiles like the PL-15, which reportedly outranges some Western counterparts, gives it the ability to strike targets from a distance.This deal, if finalised, will mark a shift in Tehran-Beijing defence ties, even as Moscow, another ally of the camp, appeared to have distanced itself from Iran in the wake of Israeli and American airstrikes.- EndsTune InMust Watch
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