Egypt has recently conducted its first air force joint exercise with China, raising speculation about the possibility of importing the Chinese fighter jet J-10C. The J-10C is a Chinese fighter that recently gained attention after Pakistan shot down India's latest French fighter jet during a military conflict.
If Egypt introduces the Chinese J-10C, attention will be drawn to how it will affect the export negotiations for the FA-50 light fighter that Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has been conducting with Egypt.
According to reports from the defense industry and the Ministry of National Defense of China on the 12th, the Egyptian Air Force and the People's Liberation Army Air Force conducted their first joint air exercise, 'Eagles of Civilization 2025,' in Cairo, Egypt, from April 17 to May 4. China participated in this joint exercise with J-10C fighter jets, as well as the KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, the YU-20 aerial refueling aircraft, and the Z-20 attack helicopter.
Videos released by Chinese state media and the Chinese military show an Egyptian official seated in the back seat of the J-10S, the two-seat training version of the J-10.
Earlier, China denied reports that Egypt purchased J-10Cs in August of last year and received the first batch in February of this year. However, the joint exercise has been interpreted as a sign that Egypt is seriously considering the introduction of the J-10C. The Ministry of National Defense of China noted, 'This joint exercise is a new starting point for military cooperation between the two countries.'
The J-10C is a 4.5-generation multipurpose fighter developed by AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. It is an upgraded version of the J-10, which was deployed in 2003. The J-10C is equipped with PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 300 km. China boasts that the J-10C has performance comparable to the latest version of the U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcon, the F-16 Block 70, or the French Rafale.
China recently showcased the combat performance of the J-10C during hostilities between India and Pakistan. Pakistan, with its pro-China stance, is the only country to have imported the J-10C. Pakistan imported 25 J-10Cs in 2021 and has been operating them since 2022. Pakistan announced on the 7th that it shot down a total of five Indian Air Force aircraft, including three French Rafale jets, in the disputed territory of Kashmir with Chinese-made J-10C fighters. Reports are surfacing from Indian media that at least one Rafale fighter jet was actually shot down, while the Indian side has remained silent.
If the claims from Pakistan are confirmed to be true, it would mark the first success of J-10 series fighters in shooting down Western fighters in actual combat. There are forecasts that, with its cost-to-performance ratio being one-third that of Western fighters, China will have greater opportunities to export the J-10C to other countries.
If Egypt introduces the Chinese J-10C fighter jet, there is growing interest in what impact it may have on KAI’s FA-50 fighter export negotiations. KAI has been negotiating to export the FA-50 to Egypt, following exports to Poland, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The J-10C is not a direct competitor to the FA-50.
Last month, African military media reported that Egypt's negotiations for the import of FA-50 fighters were in the final stages. At that time, it was projected that Egypt could import up to 100 FA-50s.
The FA-50, a multipurpose light attack aircraft developed based on the domestic high-performance training aircraft T-50, is equipped with precision-guided weapons such as air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. Egypt is said to highly value the FA-50’s 70% parts compatibility with the F-16 currently in use by the Egyptian Air Force.
A defense industry official noted, 'Chinese fighter jets are gaining prominence in terms of price and political-diplomatic relationships.'