CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand \u2014 Two air forces fly the Chinese-manufactured J-10 fighter \u2013 China and Pakistan \u2013 but a third nation could soon become an operator of this 4.5-generation jet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, Bangladesh\u2019s top air force officer, announced last month that his country\u2019s interim government had given an in-principle approval for the purchase of \u201cmultirole combat and attack aircraft\u201d plus new surface-to-air missiles and long-range radars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khan did not specify what type of aircraft the Bangladesh Air Force \u2013 the BAF \u2013 would procure, but there is a strong likelihood it will be the J-10CE fighter from China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such an ambition had already been aired when Muhammad Yumus, Bangladesh\u2019s interim Chief Adviser and head of the caretaker government, met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the government, the BAF could buy up to 20 J-10CE jets by 2027. However, an inter-ministerial committee led by Khan still needs to approve the purchase and to conduct negotiations with Chinese officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chief Adviser\u2019s office estimates the aircraft would cost $1.2 billion, while other costs such as training and spares would bring the price tag to $2.2 billion. Payments would be spread over a ten-year period until the mid-2030s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandwiched by India, and to a lesser extent Myanmar, Bangladesh must defend its constrained airspace and protect littoral territory in the Bay of Bengal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The need for new fighters is urgent because the BAF possesses a largely obsolete fighter fleet of Chinese-built and accident-prone F-7s, plus MiG-29s from Russia. One F-7, a Chinese version of the MiG-21, crashed into a Dhaka college campus in July. The accident caused an estimated 36 fatalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the Chinese J-10, the BAF has been exploring Western fighter options. For example, Khan and air force personnel were in Italy for Eurofighter Typhoon demonstration flights in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Chinese option could end up winning out, however, because Bangladesh is already an ardent user of Chinese equipment, with recent purchases including Type 15 light tanks and Type 035G submarines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the geopolitical risk of upsetting Western countries like the United States, if the J-10CE purchase proceeds under Bangladesh\u2019s Forces Goal 2030 modernization plan, it would see J-10s flying on India\u2019s western, northern and eastern borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bangladesh\u2019s predilection for the J-10 also predates the sharp aerial conflict between India and Pakistan in May. On that occasion, Pakistani J-10CEs received significant publicity for their alleged performance against Indian fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brendan Mulvaney, director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute affiliated with the U.S. Air Force, told Defense News that the J-10C is \u201ca modern and fairly capable aircraft, the best one that China exports.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He assessed that the Indo-Pakistan conflict \u201cclearly proves that Chinese-made equipment, even the export versions, are modern and capable, and are going to be a force to be contended with in the future, beyond just the borders of China\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All told, The J-10CE, with its active electronically scanned array radar, data links and beyond-visual-range missiles like the PL-15E, would effectively revolutionize the BAF\u2019s combat capabilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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