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Chinese state TV tells J-10 origin story as Pakistan proclaims the fighter jet’s feats

CCTV airs a documentary on the aircraft days after China said J-10CE export variant shot down Indian planes in battle near Kashmir

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The J-10, a single-engine, multirole combat aircraft, entered service in the Chinese air force in 2003 and gained international attention most recently in the Pakistan-India clash near Kashmir. Photo: CCTV
Phoebe Zhangin Shenzhen

Riding high on the combat success of China’s weapons systems, state broadcaster CCTV has rolled out a two-part documentary on the development of the J-10 fighter jet to inspire “young people to love the party and country”.

The Legend of the J-10, which shows how the Chinese air force played catch-up to develop the jet, started showing on Wednesday on National Memory, a daily programme about the history of the Communist Party and China’s development.

The broadcast comes just days after China confirmed that Pakistan Air Force J-10Cs shot down Indian Rafale planes in combat earlier this month, a feat that set off a wave of national interest in the aircraft and its associated weapon systems.
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The J-10, a single-engine, multirole combat aircraft, entered service in the Chinese air force in 2003. The J-10C is the most upgraded version of the series, equipped with a better engine and more advanced active electronically scanned array radar. It can launch PL-15 missiles and is described as a 4.5-generation fighter.

02:29

Chinese nationalism surges across social media as viral video mocks downed Indian jets

Chinese nationalism surges across social media as viral video mocks downed Indian jets
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told parliament on May 7 that J-10C jets had shot down Indian warplanes, including three French Rafale fighter jets. While Delhi did not confirm the news, a French official reported losing a Rafale operated by India in the conflict.
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On Saturday, in a clear reference to the Kashmir conflict, a CCTV military programme said the J-10CE – the export variant of the J-10C – had for the first time marked an achievement “in a real battle in recent days”, and that it had shot down a handful of foreign jets without losing one in conflict.

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