China has pitched its J-10C export variant fighter jets at the Singapore Airshow, in a bid to bag deals from Southeast Asian nations, following its use by Pakistan during the May 2025 India military strikes under Operation Sindoor.
Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh had said late last year that India destroyed up to six Pakistani military aircraft including the Chinese-origin JF-17 during Operation Sindoor, a four-day battle to target terror infrastructure inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
China aided Pakistan during India’s Operation Sindoor by amplifying Islamabad’s propaganda of shooting down Indian fighter jets, and by providing satellite intelligence, apart from using the opportunity to boost its combat jets exports to the world.
What were J-10s doing in Singapore?
At the Singapore Airshow, China’s J-10C gained attention, as seven of the export variants took part in the biennial aviation event, in the first week of February 2026. The J-10Cs had arrived in Singapore last Wednesday (January 28, 2026), accompanied by a Y-21A mid-air refueller.
Of the seven J-10Cs, six participated in the aerobatic display outside the Changi Exhibition Centre, where the air show was progressing, while two did solo flying displays, according to media reports.
What are the J-10 combat jets?
A 4.5-generation single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft developed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, its earlier models, such as the J-10A, had featured at the 2020 Singapore Airshow.
China has equipped the J-10C with an advanced engine, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and weapons such as PL-10 and PL-15 air-to-air missiles.
How is China pitching J-10s for exports?
China has been competing at the global stage with its combat jets to break the monopoly of West in the export market. It has also showcased miniature versions of the aircraft at Dubai and Paris air shows in 2025.
Pakistan is China’s only export market yet for the J-10s, and its air force bought 36 export variants and 250 PL-15 missiles.
In October 2025, Indonesia took an interest in buying 42 J-10Cs in a reportedly $9-billion deal, but later backtracked.
Were China’s fifth-generation fighters at the air show?
China also presented its J-35A land-based variant of the so-called fifth-generation combat aircraft at the Singapore Airshow this time. The original variant of the J-35 is meant for carrier flight deck operations.
Beijing had spent nearly a decade to develop the J-35, and was inducted into the People’s Liberation Army – Navy in September 2025 after first being unveiled during the 80th anniversary parade to mark the end of World War 2. J-35 is China’s second fifth-generation fighter jet after J-20, which is also available for exports.
Why J-35 is unable to compete against F-35?
An unnamed Chinese official from the National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation, the export agency of Aviation Industry Corporation of China, said the J-35A wasn’t fully tested and a commissioning date was yet to be finalised.
First showcased during the Zhuhai air show in Guangdong in November 2024, the J-35, a Chinese counter to the American Lockheed Martin’s F-35, was displayed in several overseas air shows by China since then, including at Dubai and Paris.