Old Inside, Shiny Outside: China’s J-10C Is Just an Expensive Illusion

China has been making waves in the defense world with its claims to be selling the J-10C fighter jet, a 4.5-generation fighter plane that's said to possess the latest capabilities. With its streamlined design, sophisticated avionics, and claimed superiority over competing fighter jets, the J-10C has been hyped as a military aviation game-changer. China has been actively promoting the J-10C to its would-be purchasers, marketing it as being superior to other available fighter aircraft.

The J-10C: A fighter jet with dubious credentials

The J-10C is a single-engine, multirole fighter jet built by China's Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. It's the latest of the J-10 series, with AESA radar, stealthy shape, and advanced BVR missiles (PL-15). The development of the J-10C, however, has been in controversy, with most people thinking that China plagiarized the design from Israel's abandoned Lavi project.

The reliability issue: WS-10 engine

One of the most alarming issues with the J-10C is its reliability. Its WS-10 engine powering the fighter aircraft has been burdened with continuous malfunctioning and low thrust-to-weight ratio. Even after several upgrades, the engine remains less than reliable. Meanwhile, the Indian Su-30MKI, which is driven by the AL-31 engine, is more reliable and can conduct combat missions.

Radar and Avionics: Not as impressive as advertised

The J-10C's radar and avionics are also not that good as China is claiming. The KLJ-7A AESA radar has an approximately 200 km range but its ECCM quality is inferior to Western or Indian AESA radars. Moreover, the fighter jet doesn't have sophisticated features such as heads-up display (HUD)-based helmet-mounted situational systems.

The PL-15 Missile: Overhyped and overestimated

The PL-15 BVR missile is another sector where Chinese statements appear to be overblown. Although the range of the missile is said to be between 200-300 km, its effective use is possible only when the target is well-locked. Indian electronic warfare efforts have managed to reduce the effectiveness of the PL-15 significantly, and a large number of these missiles were easily destroyed.

Expert opinion: A reality check

In the opinion of Justin Bronk, Senior Research Fellow for Airpower and Technology at the British-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, the J-10C fighter aircraft has limitations to the extent it can fly. In Bronk's opinion, the airframe of the J-10C is dated, and new avionics have been installed in it, but still, it's not a consistent platform.

Evaluate the J-10C's potential based on reality

China's boasts regarding the J-10C fighter jet are more propaganda than truth. Although the fighter jet has some cutting-edge features, its radar, avionics systems, and reliability are not as good as boasted. The capabilities of the PL-15 missile are also exaggerated, and India's electronic warfare capabilities have so far been able to counter them quite well. It's time to take China's words with a grain of salt and evaluate the J-10C's potential based on reality, not words.