A documentary depicting how the Chinese air force played catch-up to develop its J-10 fighter jet has aired on state broadcaster CCTV, days after China confirmed its variant J-10C shot down Indian planes in the recent conflict with Pakistan.
The J-10, a single-engine, multirole combat aircraft, entered service in the Chinese air force in 2003. The J-10C is the most upgraded version of the series, equipped with a better engine and more advanced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. It can launch PL-15 missiles and is described as a 4.5-generation fighter.
The two-part series Legend of the J-10 started showing on Wednesday on National Memory, a daily programme about the history of the Communist Party and China’s development to “guide the general public and young people to love the party and country”, according to its official website.
The show aired at a time when there was a national frenzy around the model following news that Pakistan’s air force used the export variant of the J-10C to shoot down India-operated French jets in the conflict near Kashmir on May 7. That day, Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar told parliament that J-10C jets had shot down Indian warplanes, including three French Rafale fighter jets.
