One of the headlining stories of the recent Indo-Pak Conflict from May 7-10 2025 was the apparent success of the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) Chinese-origin fighter aircraft. This notably included the Chengdu J-10CE and, to a lesser extent, the JF-17C Block-3. The latter is a joint-venture between the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC).
In addition, both the J-10CE and JF-17C were armed with the PL-15E long-range air-to-air missile (LRAAM). The PAF claimed it used this weapon to apparently down five Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft. These reportedly included several Dassault Rafales, among the IAF’s latest combat aircraft and a premier European fighter offering.
If the J-10CE and PL-15E combination performed as the PAF claims, implications could be globally significant. China would earn the coveted “proven in combat” badge, potentially attracting key defence markets. These markets, like Algeria, Iraq, and Egypt, often struggle to access cutting-edge Western systems and are also Russian customers. Pakistan’s experience could help Beijing expand its industry’s footprint in these key markets.
From a technical standpoint, such purported results could concern the U.S., which views China as a threat in the Asia Pacific. China’s export systems are typically some years behind what the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) operates. Regardless of the J-10CE and PL-15E’s performance in the Indo-Pak conflict, PLA equipment will generally leverage newer technology. Thus, any Pakistani success is a concern for the US in the Pacific; however, any failing may not be highly consequential, as Pakistani technology does not reflect China’s most advanced capabilities.
Neither the PAF nor the IAF’s kill-tallies have been concretely verified. However, photos purporting to show wreckage of each country’s aircraft are being shared on social media, and examined by open-source intelligence (OSINT) observers globally.
Ultimately, only the PAF and IAF will truly know their own aircraft losses. They are unlikely to ever clearly admit to any.
The public kill tally is irrelevant in this context. If PAF Air Headquarters (AHQ) is genuinely satisfied with its Chinese equipment’s performance – be it the J-10CE, JF-17C, HQ-9BE SAM, radars, or electronic warfare (EW) systems – it will deepen its partnership with the Chinese industry.
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Pakistan lacks strategic depth. This significantly reduces the necessary response time available against threats like the BrahMos compared to China or India.
In this sense, data from the conflict could be used to help Pakistan build its own ‘dome’. This would be analogous in concept to Israel’s ‘Iron Dome,’ designed for a broadly similar threat situation involving limited strategic depth against drones, loitering munitions, and stand-off range weapons.
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