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Seong Hyeon Choi

Phoebe Zhang

China has confirmed for the first time that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during its war with India last year.
During the conflict, a Chinese-made fighter shot down at least one of India’s French-made fighters.
On Thursday, China’s state broadcaster CCTV aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.
Zhang had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day war last May.
Pakistan’s air force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, which are produced by an AVIC subsidiary. One of the jets is reported to have shot down at least one French-made Rafale fighter jet during the conflict with India.
It was both the first time that the Chinese model was reported to have downed an enemy aircraft, and the first time a Rafale had been brought down.
Zhang said: “At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius [122 degrees Fahrenheit]. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically.”
What drove his team was the “desire to do an even better job with on‑site support” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential”, Zhang told CCTV.
“That wasn’t just a recognition of the J‑10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out.”
Xu Da, another employee from the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute who also provided on-site support to Pakistan during the war, compared the fighter jet to a “child.”
“We nurtured it, cared for it, and finally handed it over to the user. And now, it was facing a major test,” Xu said.


“As for the outstanding results the J-10CE achieved, we weren’t very surprised, and it didn’t feel sudden at all.
“In fact, it felt inevitable. The aircraft just needed the right opportunity. And when that moment came, it delivered exactly as we knew it would.”
The engineers’ comments were the first confirmation that Chinese personnel had played a role in last year’s India-Pakistan clash over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
The J-10CE is the export variant of the J-10C 4.5-generation fighter and is considered the most advanced model in the J-10 series.
It includes an active electronically scanned array or AESA radar and is compatible with advanced Chinese weapons including air-to-air missiles.
Pakistan is the only known operator of J-10Cs outside China. It ordered 36 of the fighters along with 250 PL-15 missiles in 2020.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, up to 80 per cent of Pakistan’s arms imports between 2021 and 2025 came from China.
The Pakistan Air Force also uses the JF-17 fighter jet, which was jointly developed with China, as its primary combat aircraft.


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China

Military

Engineers tell state media they offered technical support during conflict that saw an Indian-owned Rafale downed by a Chinese-made fighter


Engineers tell state media they offered technical support during conflict that saw an Indian-owned Rafale downed by a Chinese-made fighter.


China confirms it helped Pakistan’s air force during war with India last year

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Engineers tell state media they offered technical support during conflict that saw an Indian-owned Rafale downed by a Chinese-made fighter

Engineers tell state media they offered technical support during conflict that saw an Indian-owned Rafale downed by a Chinese-made fighter