Bangladesh Likely To Procure J-10s
BANGLADESH will likely opt for the J-10 multirole fighter jet, referred to as the “Vigorous Dragon” or its NATO reporting name Firebird to modernise the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) and strengthen its national air defence.
With an estimated valued of US$2.2 billion, the BAF is looking to procure the 20 J-10C fighters from China exported by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) by 2027. Furthermore, the allocation would include the training, maintenance and related expenses.
Bangladeshi officials said the acquisition will likely be done via a government-to-government (G2G) agreement between the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 fiscal years while payments continue in instalments over a 10-year fiscal period until 2035-2036.
Reports also indicated that the base price of each airframe stands at approximately US$60 million per unit while US$820 million will be used for training, equipment, infrastructure, ancillary expenses and more.
The Bangladesh government discussed the procurement in March in China, to which China had responded positively. Then in April, the government formed an 11-member inter-ministerial committee, headed by the BAF Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, to finalise an agreement through negotiations for purchasing the jets.
Said committee will review the draft contract and assess whether it would be appropriate to procure the aircraft from the Chinese government or its designated agency under a G2G arrangement.
The J-10C received significant attention during an India-Pakistan aerial engagement in May, to which the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) J-10Cs were credited with shooting down at least one French-made Dassault Rafale belonging to the Indian Air Force (IAF) with the PL-15 Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM).
After that, interest in the J-10C surged with Indonesia even expressing serious interest in acquiring the aircraft, citing the aircraft’s relatively cheaper price and cutting edge capabilities. Media reports quoted Indonesian deputy defence minister and former Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) Air Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto on China’s offer of warships, weapons along with the J-10C to the country. “We have had talks with China and they offered us a lot, not just J-10, but also ships, arms, frigates.”
He added that the J-10C is being evaluated for its pricing, system compatibility and after-sales support. Furthermore, the minister said the J-10’s performance would also be taken into account, referring to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) J-10s reportedly shooting down multiple Indian Air Force (IAF) jets recently, widely reported to have included at least one IAF Dassault Rafale.
Additionally, the TNI-AU Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal Mohamad Tonny Harjono also did not rule out the prospective procurement, explaining that it would have to pass through several stages before being reviewed by the Defense Equipment Determination Council, adding that the government would assess all factors, including its impact on political relations with other nations, emphasising that Indonesia’s non-alignment allows them the flexibility to purchase materiel from any nation.
Additionally, the TNI-AU Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal Mohamad Tonny Harjono also did not rule out the prospective procurement, explaining that it would have to pass through several stages before being reviewed by the Defense Equipment Determination Council, adding that the government would assess all factors, including its impact on political relations with other nations, emphasising that Indonesia’s non-alignment allows them the flexibility to purchase materiel from any nation.
Indonesia will soon receive its first three of 42 Rafales between February and March next year while three more are scheduled to follow suit in April as part of a phased procurement plan. ACM Harjono added that the deliveries will continue until all aircraft are delivered.–shp/adj/dl (Pix:CHINAMIL)