After Inducting the J-10CE, Pakistan Hints at More Acquisitions

On 11 March 2022, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officially inducted the J-10CE “Dragon” ‘omni-role’ fighter. The initial batch comprised of six aircraft and joined the PAF’s No. 15 Squadron. The PAF held the induction ceremony of the fighter aircraft at Minhas Air Base in Kamra.

The PAF revealed that it signed the contract for the J-10CE – alongside training, ground support equipment (GSE), and munitions – with Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) in June 2021. Furthermore, the PAF added that the entire process from finalizing the deal to training to delivery took only eight months. This was a notable feat considering most modern fighter acquisitions take at least two years to materialize.

From the induction ceremony footage, one can confirm several key details about the PAF’s J-10CEs. First, the fighters are capable of deploying the PL-15E long-range air-to-air missile (LRAAM). Second, the J-10CEs can deploy the PL-15E using dual-ejector racks. The fighters are also configured with infrared search and track (IRST), the PL-10E high-off-boresight air-to-air missile (HOBS AAM), and in-flight refueling.

In his speech, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmad Babar, outlined the PAF’s J-10CE configuration. The fighters are equipped with active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, integrated electronic warfare (EW) suite, and network-centric warfare and sensor-fusion capabilities. The CAS also stated that the J-10CE was capable of deploying stand-off range weapons (SOW).

The PAF also highlighted several aspects of the J-10CE acquisition.

First, expediency was a key requirement of the order. The PAF had emphasized the need to receive these aircraft as early as possible, hence it lauded the eight-month timeframe. The PAF’s focus on expediency is also interesting in that it suggests the PAF wanted these aircraft as early as possible. It is unclear if this is in response to an impending threat from India, or the need to ‘catch up’ with an older requirement. In fact, the PAF wanted an off-the-shelf fighter for some time, but the lack of funding had shelved original plans…

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Additional Procurements on the Roadmap?

On the same day as the J-10CE’s induction ceremony, the PAF also released a promotional video about its future acquisition roadmap. In the video, the PAF hinted at both previously rumoured and new programs, especially in terms of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems.

MALE UAVs: Bayraktar TB2 and Wing Loong 2

The PAF seemingly confirmed reports/rumours that it ordered the Bayraktar TB2 and AVIC Wing Loong 2 from Turkey and China, respectively. Both are popular medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs on the world market, especially in the Middle East and, in the TB2’s case, Europe…

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Bayraktar Akıncı

In the video, the PAF showed footage of the Turkish Bayraktar Akıncı high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAV. The Akıncı is a twin-engine UAV with a MTOW of 6,000 kg and payload of 1,500 kg. The payload can support sensors and weapons alike. The Akıncı offers an endurance of 24 hours and flight ceiling of 30,000 ft to 40,000 ft.

The OEM, Baykar Makina, announced on 03 March 2022 that it secured two export orders for the Akıncı. Baykar Makina is aiming to start delivering the Akıncı from 2023…

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Extended Air Defence Reach?

Finally, the PAF showed footage of the YLC-8E radar and a variant of the HQ-9 surface-to-air-missile (SAM) system. Collectively, the two systems indicate the PAF’s intention to build a credible long-range, high-altitude air surveillance and ground-based air defence system (GBADS) capability…

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For more coverage on the Pakistan Air Force, check out:

• Pakistan’s Air Warfare Additions for the 2020s
• Pakistan Orders J-10CE Fighters from China
• Pakistan Reveals its own “Space Command”