Pakistan acknowledges that the J-10 was pivotal in the conflict with India

Pakistan has attributed its success in countering a series of Indian airstrikes to the Chinese-manufactured J-10C fighter jets, asserting that these aircraft were instrumental in downing Indian planes, including the French Rafales.

This statement comes amid heightened military tensions between the two nuclear-capable nations. As reported by the Associated Press of Pakistan, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar informed lawmakers on Wednesday night that the J-10C jets, supplied by China, were deployed in response to the Indian attacks, and that China had been kept informed of the situation from the beginning. ‘The directive was to engage only those Indian jets that released munitions,’ Dar explained to parliament. ‘This is why only five jets were downed; had the orders been different, we could have targeted nearly 10 to 12 jets.’

Dar noted that Pakistan received intelligence around 10 p.m. on Tuesday regarding a potential Indian strike, prompting immediate defensive measures, including summoning the Chinese ambassador to the Foreign Ministry at 4 a.m. on Wednesday as events unfolded.

He stated that four Indian jets attempted to enter Pakistani airspace but were intercepted and forced to retreat. A follow-up wave of aircraft launching from Indian territory was subsequently targeted in a retaliatory operation.

The J-10C multirole fighters, produced by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation in China, were integral to this air response, he added. Bloomberg reported a rise in shares of Chinese defense companies following these developments, indicating a potential increase in demand for combat-proven military platforms.

‘Most modern Chinese platforms developed domestically have yet to see combat,’ noted Eric Zhu, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. ‘Thus, having a combat record enhances their export appeal.’ India has not disclosed further information regarding the number or types of aircraft involved in the strike mission.