Pakistan has acquired J-10CE multirole, 4.5 generation fighter aircraft, from China, as part of its ongoing modernization. PAF’s decision to induct this fighter jet is to counter the Indian acquisition of the French Rafale fighter. French machine is considered one of the best aerial combat platform in the world.
Rafale is an advance 4.5th generation fighter, with strong air-to-air, air-to-ground, anti-ship, and electronic warfare capabilities. The fighter jet arrived in India with IAF specific modifications, details of which are classified. More importantly, this platform provided IAF, with the most advanced air-to-air BVR weapon in the region; MBDA, Meteor. This ramjet propulsion missile is claimed to be having largest No Escape Zone. But Rafale is not the only threat to Pakistan. The Indian government is eyeing to acquire 114 multirole fighters, and frontrunners in the competition are platforms like Rafale and F-15EX or F-18 Block III. This acquisition is going to take a long time but once manifested it is going to shake the regional balance of power once again.
India has been pursuing her decades-old dream of undoing Pakistan and during the last 75 years has adopted many military doctrines to meet this goal. The latest Indian attempt is to create an imbalance of power in the region by spending on defense in out of proportion manner and eventually luring Pakistan into an expensive or unsustainable arms race.
J-10CE are first induction in four decades which has been made to increase the operational envelope of PAF both in quality and quantity. It’s meant to increase numbers of active fighter squadrons with modern fighter aircraft. So far, F-16s were considered the best among PAF fighter fleet. With induction of J-10C, PAF’s operational envelop will enhanced as these jets are more advanced than F-16s in terms of avionics and weapon package. With these new fighter aircraft, PAF will carry out fast, immediate, and lethal strike operations.
But the induction of J-10CE is only one aspect of PAF’s modernization drive (going on since 2017) and recently PAF has confirmed that it’s expanding its operational envelope beyond the fighter jets. Space, Cyber, and EW have emerged as new spheres that PAF has ventured into. Apart from it, many MALE UAVs/UCAVs are also being inducted along with long-range air defense systems. This modernization is unprecedented. Never before PAF went through such a massive modernization.
This PAF modernization can be understood by analyzing IAF’s growing role it is going to play in the Indian military strategy against Pakistan. Both Balakot Strike and “accidental launch” of Brahmos missile into Pakistan on 9th March 2022 were carried out by IAF. The Indian air force has also enhanced its strategic and tactical lift capabilities considerably through the induction of C-17 Globemaster III and C-130Js cargo planes. Indian military maintains Special Forces behind the enemy lines. Such force multipliers play a key role in any conflict and are difficult to hit unless the opposing air force has very long-range air-to-air kill capabilities.
This is where J-10CE will be proven an invaluable asset for PAF. Being a numerically smaller air force, PAF is against a stiff challenge once again. PAF’s smart-induction strategy, as hinted by ACM Zaheer Babar Sidhu during the J-10CE contract signing in June 2021, is going to ensure that PAF will maintain a minimum credible deterrence against these Indian current and future plans.
In the air defense role, J-10CE will come with next-generation air-to-air missiles, and air-to-ground weapons. Among them are PL-10, 5th generation infrared homing, Within Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile. This missile seeker can be slaved to a helmet-mounted display, allowing the pilot to track and lock on a target beyond the aircraft’s radar scan envelope, using the missile’s high off-boresight capability, achieved by the pilot turning his head towards the target to lock-on, better known as “look and shoot”.
On the Beyond Visual Range side, J-10CE will carry PL-15 BVR Air-To-Air missile, equipped with a dual pulse rocket motor, Active electronically Scanned Array seeker, and 2-way data link. The export version of the missile has a range of 145 Kilometers.
YJ-91 anti-ship missile is the primary strike weapon of J-10CE. It is going to play a key role in enhancing PAF’s stand-off capabilities against Indian military infrastructure, especially against hardened command and control centers. It has a range of 5-150Km and carries a 165 Kg warhead. For CAS missions, it is expected to carry 2 KD-88/88A AGMs, or 2 JG-500 LGBs, or 2 new JG-500B 500kg LGBs.
On the avionics side, J-10CE is equipped with state of an art EW suite including Missile Approach Warning Sensors (MAWS), Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and long range AESA radar.
It has been reported by Pakistani media earlier this month that Pakistan Air Force is going to equip 3 Squadrons of J-10CE. Currently, Pakistan Air Force is going to re-equip No 15 Squadron stationed at Rafiqui Base in Shorkot, Jhang district of Punjab. This squadron is part of the 33rd Tactical Attack Wing, under the Central Command of PAF.
