The J-10C: Can China's Fighter Jet Rival the Best on Earth?

In May 2025, over the skies of India and Pakistan, a battle was raging. As both

nations traded bombs, missiles, and bullets, a veritable symphony of destruction was wreaking havoc overhead.

But whilst both countries slung ordinance to one another, the true winner of the conflict was sitting quietly on the sidelines, and that's China. Because it was their indigenous

China. Because it was their indigenous fourth generation fighter, the J10C, that had done something that truly shocked the world. It had shot down a modern westernbuilt fighter jet. So, how

did this once obscure war plane rise to challenge some of the West's best? Does

it truly stack up? And is it proof that China's military supremacy might be closer than we actually think? Because

if this jet really is as capable as it seems, the skies over Asia and maybe far beyond are about to get a whole lot more crowded. Just before we continue, a word

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now back to today's video. Birth of a dragon. Okay, so how did China's most

dragon. Okay, so how did China's most prominent fighter in today's military era come to be? Well, there's not actually a massive amount known about the internal details of its development.

The Chinese government is kind of like that. This is a country where soil data

that. This is a country where soil data was deemed a state secret for years, [music] so you best believe that Beijing are keeping as much information as possible under wraps. What we do know is that it was designed by the Changdu

Aircraft Corporation back in the 1980s.

After a swath of failed and canceled attempts to add an indigenous air program to the Middle Kingdom's military, China knew it needed a fourth generation multi-roll fighter that could stand on its own two feets, or rather, I

suppose, it landing gear. Now, it need to be able to rival the best that the rest of the world could offer at the time, which was most likely the American F-16 and its variants. The goal was also to replace the single engine multi-roll

J7 which was effectively just a MIG2 with the NATO code name Fishbed wearing a made in China mustache or something.

The J7 was getting outdated [music] for its air defense role as was the Q5 Phantom ground attack aircraft.

Therefore, the People's Liberation Army Air Force, yes, the name is still dumb, wanted something that was capable enough and adaptable enough to replace both of them. Interestingly, some sources claim

them. Interestingly, some sources claim that Beijing got the designs for the J10 from the Israelis and their never completed Lavy fighter in what would prove to be quite the crossover episode

as far as international geopolitics is concerned. However, whilst it was

concerned. However, whilst it was confirmed that Israel did give this information to China, the J10 is not a direct copy of the Lavy and it's a [music] distinct fighter in its own right, even if there were plenty of

similarities. But development was

similarities. But development was spotty. China had long struggled to

spotty. China had long struggled to develop fighter jet ready engines and so the project was inevitably delayed until they [music] eventually just dumped a Russian one in there for the time being and called it a day. Other design

changes would also hold the program back, but a full-size mockup was created by 1991. In late March of 1998 though,

by 1991. In late March of 1998 though, it would become more than a very complicated 1:1 scale model [music] made out of wood when it took its official first test flight. By 2003, testing was

complete and the first iteration of the J10, the J10A, entered full-scale production, NATO code name Firebird, which is a lot cooler than the previous one. It's also been known as Vigorous

one. It's also been known as Vigorous Dragon, by the way, which is also pretty dope. But the Chinese are not a people

dope. But the Chinese are not a people to rest on their laurels. And almost

immediately, a smorggas board of updates and refinements came with [music] its next iteration, the creatively named J10B, which started [music] to see production at scale in 2013. Soon after,

the final version entered development, and the just as creatively named J10C [music] would enter full production in the late 2010s to keep up with modern battlefield developments. Like we said,

battlefield developments. Like we said, it's not an awful lot of history, but we know you here on Mega Projects. Yes, we

do. You didn't come here for a history lesson. You came here to see a bald

lesson. You came here to see a bald British man explain to you how it works and how it blows up. [music]

So, let's do that, shall we? Plane

sailing. [snorts] Now, the first thing that we have to say before diving into the specifications, technology, weapons, and design of the J10C is that there is a lot of conflicting reports and

information out there when talking about what this jet is and what it's capable of. We're going to separate the facts

of. We're going to separate the facts from the fiction as best we can, but unconfirmed reports across the board skew the numbers for almost every statistic this thing has got. And

there's even more stuff we straight up just can't confirm. We don't know whether that's down to ignorance, secrecy, misinformation campaigns, or a testament to the poor quality of Chinese manufacturing. I mean, order something

manufacturing. I mean, order something from Tennu and you'll see what I mean.

But nevertheless, be wary of information from unreliable sources. This video is about a Chinese jet, so it will probably spark a flame war down in the comment section regardless. But just remember,

section regardless. But just remember, we are not military engineers. We just

play them on the internet, so be nice.

Anyway, let's get into it. The lack of readily available information about exactly how many J10C airframes have been produced. That's our first issue.

been produced. That's our first issue.

Official sources seem to estimate around 220 being built with the total number of J10s of all variants being roughly 600 or so. If accurate, this makes the J10C

or so. If accurate, this makes the J10C one of the most common fighters that Beijing will aim to utilize in its airfleet. And that's important because

airfleet. And that's important because if you build well over 200 of anything for a military force, you need them to work effectively. In a large scale

work effectively. In a large scale conflict, you don't want to be finding out that the backbone of your air force isn't as good as you thought it was.

Okay, let's talk design next because this informs some of the Firebird's pretty impressive numbers. And isn't she a beauty? Kind of looks like an

a beauty? Kind of looks like an overengineered children's drawing of a fighter jet. And we think that's pretty

fighter jet. And we think that's pretty awesome. Measurements are pretty

awesome. Measurements are pretty standard. It's around 16.9 m long. It's

standard. It's around 16.9 m long. It's

about 55 ft or a little taller than the Hollywood sign. It has a 9.8 m wingspan,

Hollywood sign. It has a 9.8 m wingspan, which is The Hollywood sign's that big.

It's 16.9 m. [laughter] I thought it was really a lot smaller. Okay. It has a 9.8 m wingspan, which is closer to 32 feet, or roughly half a bowling lane. And it's

about 5.7 meters tall, equivalent to almost 19 feet or the average height of a fully grown giraffe for those of you who measure in nonsense. But now imagine something roughly that size traveling at

Mac 1.8 because that is this thing's top speed with its after burners on when it's at its maximum altitude of 18,000 m or 60,000 ft or about 12,000 Danny DeVito stacked on top of one another.

Although some sources do put this maximum ceiling higher, which of course would be equal to more total daddy devitos. It's able to go that fast

devitos. It's able to go that fast because of its delta wing design, which is a fancy term for its triangular shape. Not only is that worth some extra

shape. Not only is that worth some extra cool points, it also helps high-speed performance. Now, they used to just

performance. Now, they used to just chuck a Russian-made engine in previous models, but reportedly since 2019, the J10C has been fitted with the domestically produced Shenyang WS10.

China's first successful turbo fan fighter engine. This is the same engine

fighter engine. This is the same engine that exists in the J15 and the J16. It's

also being used as an interim in some planes like the J20 until the WS-15 finishes development. It needs that

finishes development. It needs that power too as it has a maximum takeoff weight of 19,227 kg. That's about 42,388

kg. That's about 42,388 lb or roughly equivalent to the weight of your mother. But it doesn't just haul all of that weight around at top speeds.

Its sizable internal fuel tank gives it a pretty hefty range. It has a combat range of 1,240 km or about 770 mi.

That's actually a greater range than the F-16C Block 50 and 52, which only has a combat range about 546 km or 339 mi.

Both, of course, can have their range significantly extended with drop tanks.

But in terms of internal fuel capacity, you have to hand this one to the J10C.

Some sources appear to claim that it's capable of aerial refueling as well, but this is unconfirmed in the official sources. I mean, after all, I could

sources. I mean, after all, I could claim to be able to do a back flip, but that doesn't make it true. Maybe

someday. What else is there? Well, it

has what's called a canard four plane, which is basically just a little wing that sits in front of the main wing.

This is to help with maneuverability, especially at high angles. It also uses those angles as well, pulling forces of around 9gs whilst undergoing its sharpest turns. Holy. Some variants of

sharpest turns. Holy. Some variants of the J10 are even reported to have thrust vector capabilities, but we couldn't confirm this for the J10C specifically.

It features a new fixed diverter or supersonic inlet, which is just a better all round air intake than previous iterations. For reference, the F-35

iterations. For reference, the F-35 Lightning 2 has one as well, but for some reason, this seems to give the J10C a goofy looking smile under its chin, but we'll allow it because it makes for

a more efficient and aerodynamic body, and it's kind of cute. It also has what's known as an infrared search and track or IRST ball that combines as a rangefinder. On an aircraft, it's

rangefinder. On an aircraft, it's usually that small pimple just in front of the cockpit that acts as one of the aircraft's many sensors. The J10C also boasts some radar signature reduction features, which is important because

nothing the height of a giraffe flying through the Air 1.8 could be considered overly stealthy, at least as far as fighter jets go. It helps, but it's not the stealthiest fighter in the world.

Let's just say this jet wasn't meant to be watching from the sidelines. It's

meant to be in the middle of the action.

So, broadly, overall, in terms of its visible features, you have a fast, agile jet with a decent range, and some helpful indigenous Chinese tech. It's

broadly comparable to an overall modernized F-16 CD block 50 in terms of rough size, carrying capacity, and maneuverability. So, all good so far.

maneuverability. So, all good so far.

What about the stuff you can't see?

What's inside this fortune cookie of a fighter jet that really stands to set it apart? The difference. So, even in its

apart? The difference. So, even in its basic form, just from the outside, you can see that the J10C is a fairly advanced war plane. But what's

underneath the hood that we can really investigate? Well, for starters, it

investigate? Well, for starters, it appears to be relatively easy to fly.

Despite the delta- wing design taking away some stability, this is made up for by the flybywire system. Instead of

mechanically moving parts which assist in flight, the pilot's inputs go into a computer which then flies the plane electronically, giving a far more responsive experience. When you're in a

responsive experience. When you're in a potential dog fight, every reflex counts. And when milliseconds can be the

counts. And when milliseconds can be the difference between being hundreds of meters away from danger and sheer destruction, well, you'll definitely rather have it given the choice as

another healthy tick for the J10C. As

well as this, the cockpit features a wide-angled HUD, including three color multi-functional displays, which interact with the pilot's helmet and its mounted sight, as well as with its hands-on throttle and stick, or hot

controls. And yes, apparently that's

controls. And yes, apparently that's really what it's called. I'm not going to make a dirty joke.

>> You've already made it in your minds already.

>> What's most interesting, but also mysterious about the J10C, is its radar.

Without a good radar to be able to spot and engage targets, your fighter jet is going to do a lot more jetting than fighting. It's also going to get shot

fighting. It's also going to get shot out of the sky, which uh is probably a bigger problem. So, what does the J10C

bigger problem. So, what does the J10C have to offer that can stop that from happening? Well, it's called an advanced

happening? Well, it's called an advanced electronically scanned array or AESA.

And the J10C having one of those is a pretty big deal. ASA radar can extend the range of detection, which allows for a fighter jet to get its missiles off first and dive back out of effective

range. It allows for improved target

range. It allows for improved target discrimination [music] and identification, making sure that in today's modern warfare, a cheap drone isn't targeted instead of an expensive aircraft or missile. This is especially

the case as AESA also has the ability to pick up low-flying targets with reduced signatures that might be missed by more traditional radar systems. An active radar like the AESA scans the entire sky

in every direction constantly with dozens of kilometers of range. The J10s

is reportedly capable of spotting 15 targets simultaneously while engaging with four of them. Surely an advantage in a chaotic battlefield that is constantly changing. On top of that,

constantly changing. On top of that, ASAT is more resistant to jamming. It's

faster and it's more reliable than older mechanical radar arrays. So, is the J10C an unkillable death machine because of all of this? Well, hold those horses for just a minute because to say that would

be based on a lot of assumptions about things we simply don't have information for. For example, we know that the

for. For example, we know that the Firebird isn't the stealthiest plane in the world. It's all well and good that

the world. It's all well and good that it can see other planes, but other planes will certainly be able to see it.

When the radar is actively scanning, this is likely to be even more prevalent. The J10C, from what we can

prevalent. The J10C, from what we can find, has different modes. These can be from active scanning to passive detection and even low detection for that extra sneaky factor. I mean, as sneaky as a jet breaking the sound

barrier can be. Anyway, such modes keep the aircraft adaptable depending on the situation, but could also lead it to being caught unaware. If it fails to adapt to a rapidly changing situation,

it could be easier to detect, intercept, or even shoot down. What this means is that whilst the J10C will be great in theory at detecting things around it, it's a piece of the puzzle rather than

the whole box, it will need other platforms to work with in order to be utilized most effectively, especially when it comes to the Chinese military.

And we don't know much about how well the Firebird works as a communications platform. The gold standard for this in

platform. The gold standard for this in the modern day is something like the F-35, which is designed to communicate with basically everything the US has at all times and relay that data back to

whatever weapons platform is closest to the enemy, which can then turn them into a uh fine red mist. But we don't know the full extent of how the J10C stacks up here, even versus something like the

F-16's modern variants. Are the coms limited to voicetooice chat like the world's coolest Xbox Live lobby? Or is

it more like the F-35 being able to talk to all systems at once automatically playing its role in a grand ballet of steel and gunpowder? We do know that it has a secure omnidirectional data link.

But we don't know whether that means it communicates constantly in all directions like the F-35 or if it's simply possible for it to communicate in different directions like between air to ground and airto-air hubs for example.

And there's the question of integration and interoperability here, too. This

won't be an issue for the Chinese communicationcentric approach to warfare. But if the J10C wants to be a

warfare. But if the J10C wants to be a successfully exported war plane, spoiler alert, it does, then it also has to work with systems that aren't designed to communicate with it, including

non-Chinese systems. Weapons importing countries across the world struggle with bridging this gap because it's sometimes like trying to get an iPhone to talk to a George Foreman grill or something

where all of the instructions are also in a different language. Pakistan has

seemed to do all right with this challenge all things considered, but every military is different and will have its own issues integrating the J10C which might hamstring it on the battlefield from its full potential. In

terms of coms, then we'd rate the Firebird as being good for its class, but probably less mature than the F-35 and its nextG comm's platform, which is completely understandable given that

it's a generation behind the F-35. But

that's based only on the information [music] we know. And because there's so much we don't know about this radar, that unknown also extends to the [music] electronic warfare and countermeasure suite of the J10C. Sources vary wildly

on the specifics here with everything from full range [music] jamming capabilities to AI deception algorithms designed to trick enemy radar with decoys to the helmet being directly

wired into the pilot's brain. Okay, we

made the last one up.

That would be awesome. I get Elon Musk on that. The ejecting would be a bit of

on that. The ejecting would be a bit of a mess, but none of these things have been confirmed by official sources. So

take what you hear on the coolest new toys with a cruise missile full of salt.

And for the most part, that's everything that makes the J10C what it is. A

respectable fourth gen aircraft that is among the best in its class, but nothing eye watering that is going to blow everything else out of the water. And

speaking of blowing things out of the water, let's talk about guns. How's that

for a transition?

Firebirds firepower.

All right, we've made you wait long enough. We've gotten into the most

enough. We've gotten into the most intimate details of the Firebird so far, but what about the things that go boom?

Well, you'll be pleased to know that the J10C is a fighter, both in terms of its classification and as a general description of the aircraft itself, because it is equipped with some pretty

explosive technology. There are 11 hard

explosive technology. There are 11 hard points on most J10C models, depending on what they're being used for, and most of them are likely to be spent on one of China's [music] newest air-to-air

missiles, the PL-15. Before that, the J10's primary air-to-air armament comprised the medium-range active radar guided PL12 air-to-air missile as well as the short-range PL8 infraredg guided

air-to-air missile. But in recent times,

air-to-air missile. But in recent times, it's the PL10 and PL-15 that have taken the mantle. Both of which are generally

the mantle. Both of which are generally considered far more capable for what the J10C is trying to achieve in combat. Due

to the radar system of the Firebird, its missiles can be fired outside of visual range of their targets, which can be a big advantage if you outrange your opponents, as the J10C surprisingly does

over the likes of the F-16. [music]

According to speculative and unconfirmed reports from Pakistani media during their recent border conflict with India, the longest PL15 shot taken during the clashes was from around 180 km away. It

was about 112 mi or 83,333 Shaquille O'Neals lined up lengthways at end. If that's true, it shows a highly

end. If that's true, it shows a highly effective range for the J10C and its favorite armaments. It's likely not a

favorite armaments. It's likely not a coincidence that it's roughly 180 km between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

It's not, is it? But the PL-15 is significant because it is the first time that China has produced a successful indigenous air-to-air missile instead of just a cheap Russian knockoff. Not only

that, it appears to be at least a nearer of the US Amram. [music] And in some cases, it could even surpass it in range. The PL-15 being a widely

range. The PL-15 being a widely available missile on the hundreds of J10C's that Beijing has at its disposal, then should be a major red flag for US military planners. Airto ground weaponry

military planners. Airto ground weaponry is pretty simple. A giant pair of off bombs [music] specifically the 500 kg or 1100 lb LS500 precision guided bombs. Conversely, the

newest upgrade to the Firebird's arsenal is the GB1 TG500. When with a catchy name like that, it's a miracle more of them aren't being used because these things make a really, really big boom.

Bombs on the J10C are generally used in conjunction with the infrared laser pinball that we mentioned all that time ago, as well as with an electronic countermeasure pod to limit the chance of them getting jammed. Because there is

only one thing worse than a bomb the weight of a polar bear falling on you, and that's that same bomb falling on you when it was supposed to be aimed at someone else. [music] Other airtogram

someone else. [music] Other airtogram missions include the YJ91 anti-radiation missile. Now, such a technology might

missile. Now, such a technology might seem a little strange, the uninitiated.

I mean, why would you want a missile that actively stops radiation? And also,

can we just drop a bunch of those on Chernobyl and deal with that situation?

Well, sadly not. An anti-radiation

missile isn't actually anything to do with radioactive material or nuclear tech of any kind. They specifically hone in on radio waves from radar installations. Depriving your enemy of

installations. Depriving your enemy of radar on the battlefield can render them blinded, which works heavily in your favor if you have the gift of sight. The

most well-known example of this is the US's harm missile. Other guided

munitions are available for the J10C, but the ones listed here are likely what you're going to see [music] the most of if China ever decides to go to war with anyone, but I'm sure we won't see that

on the horizon for a long time. Right,

guys? Right. Anyway, the J10C has traditional dog fighting capabilities.

It's already fast and agile, so it should be able to handle itself against other fourth gen fighters who want to ride that highway to the danger zone top gun style. And it's got a twin barrel

gun style. And it's got a twin barrel internal 23 mm cannon [music] that can fire rounds at over 3,000 per minute, with some estimates being even greater than that. With up to around 200 in the

than that. With up to around 200 in the chamber, that means that the Firebird is very capable of fire. I suppose that [music] means it can take anywhere between 3 and 4 seconds to empty its magazine, although small bursts are

preferred for dog fights and strafing runs to preserve accuracy. And that's

pretty much it for the weapons of the J10C. And when you put it all together,

J10C. And when you put it all together, it is an extremely capable multiroll fighter jet that has a lot of strengths and relatively few weaknesses. It's

well-rounded, pretty technologically advanced, there's a lot of them, and they are armed to the teeth. It's

capable of beyond visual range combat, close-range dog fighting, multi-target engagement, precision guided weapon strikes, tactical support, anti-hship operations, maritime patrols. I need to take a breath, even though there's only

one left, integrated communications, and more. What not to like? Maybe in China

more. What not to like? Maybe in China isn't such a bad label to have after all, but we can speculate about the effectiveness of fighter jets all day.

But if it doesn't translate into utility on the battlefield, then we might as well be talking about how good a pogo stick is at laying siege to a medieval castle. But luckily for us, the J10C has

castle. But luckily for us, the J10C has been in combat and pretty recently at that. So that only leaves one question.

that. So that only leaves one question.

How'd it do? Petri dish warfare. So the

first good look that the world got into the J10C [music] and its capabilities in actual combat was during May of 2025 during the conflict between India and Pakistan that took place over a few days

and convinced the world that we were briefly [music] escalating to nuclear Armageddon again. Thankfully [snorts]

Armageddon again. Thankfully [snorts] cooler heads ultimately prevailed and the conflict only really escalated for a few days before bubbling back down to the low inensity affair it has been [music] since they last went to war with

one another. But during that short

one another. But during that short violent period, there was a lot to potentially learn about the J10C as Pakistan had bought more than 30 of them from China back in the early 2020s. This

was partially political as much as it was practical. Pakistan already had

was practical. Pakistan already had F-16s and Chinese weapon platforms had to be seen as rivaling Western alternatives. Similarly, India mainly

alternatives. Similarly, India mainly had French-based Rafals which are capable fourth generation fighters used by NATO as well as older Russian stock.

So yes, in terms of weaponry alone, it was France and Russia versus the US and China. Geopolitics is weird. I mean,

China. Geopolitics is weird. I mean,

welcome to the circus. Now, Pakistan

mainly used its Chinese fighters against the Indian Rafals. Islamabad was likely hesitant to use its F-16s under the fear that shooting US planes at other Western aircraft owned by a US ally would put

them firmly on Washington's naughty list. Probably a smart move, all things

list. Probably a smart move, all things considered. And despite there being a

considered. And despite there being a metric jetload of misinformation from both sides over who shot what down, some conclusive information is known. Now,

Pakistani government sources are about as trustworthy as the guy selling magic beans outside your local supermarket. So

remember that this is officially unconfirmed, but it appears that Pakistani J10 CES, the export variant, had a hand in shooting down at least one

Rafal with a PL-15 missile. US sources

themselves appear to indicate that Washington believes this to be the case.

So we can pretty confidently say that this likely happened. Other imagery that appeared at the time also pointed to the losses of an Indian Air Force Mig 29 Fulcrrim and possibly also a SU30 MKI

flanker. However, there just isn't

flanker. However, there just isn't enough evidence for [music] us to definitively say whether a J10 was involved in these potential air-to-air kills. The border conflict between

kills. The border conflict between Pakistan and India and largely didn't actually see either air force enter the other's airspace. This is deeply

other's airspace. This is deeply sensible in the age of anti-aircraft systems, but it actually also tells us something. Given that we have it on

something. Given that we have it on decent authority that the J10C was involved in at least some air-to-air kills with the PL-15 missile, potentially outranging its Soviet and Western counterparts, it stands as a

testament to the Firebird's effective combat range and the usefulness of the PL-15 against modern Western military tech. Reportedly, it was the PL15's own

tech. Reportedly, it was the PL15's own jamming capabilities that helped shoot down at least one Rafal, which further lends credence to the idea that this new Chinese military tech can rival and even

surpass its Western equivalents. And

that is a huge win for Beijing. China

would have been watching developments closely, least of all because Pakistan is an ally against its regional rival in India and China borders both nations including the disputed territory of

Kashmir which is jointly administered by all three nations. But it gave Beijing something far more valuable than international bragging rights or a few extra orders for the J10C, as nice as

those things are. It gave them information. Knowledge is power. And

information. Knowledge is power. And

China now has a definitive understanding of at least how its own export variants of its newest fourth gen multiroll fighter stacked up in one-on-one combat against Western equivalents. It could

study that data. It could talk to the Pakistanis and really understand its own plane's effectiveness in a practical real world scenario. It's like a dry run for that upcoming war. You know the one.

And it's not just about learning whether the J10C can shoot down Western jets.

Andrew Small, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, told the Guardian, quote, it gives them a chance to assess their performance under far more complex and challenging conditions than usual.

And with Pakistan, this is not just about the fighter jets themselves. It's

about the missiles. the radar systems and the whole technology spine of the Pakistani military from electronic warfare capabilities to satellite systems. Beijing were characteristically quiet about the whole thing, ever eager

to continue working in the shadows. When

asked, China's foreign ministry said it was not familiar with the J10C situation ongoing on the subcontinent. Yes, you're

not familiar and I'm the Pope. According

to reports, when the Pakistani foreign minister Ishakda told parliament that Pakistan air force fighters had brought down Rafals, he said he had informed the Chinese. That's also a wink and a nudge

Chinese. That's also a wink and a nudge which lends itself to the idea that the J10C was in fact involved. He also

stated that Beijing was pleased by what they saw. But there are some caveats to

they saw. But there are some caveats to this whole situation that need to be considered before can declare international victory. For one, Western

international victory. For one, Western militaries are generally better equipped, more integrated, and more organized than the Indian military tends to be. Any potential war on China's

to be. Any potential war on China's behalf with the West will be a tougher test than it is against India's hodgepodge Frankenstein together air force. For what it's worth, though,

force. For what it's worth, though, Pakistan's military is a lot weaker than China's too, and China will more than likely have the ability to step up its game above what Pakistan can offer

militarily when it comes to countering Western equipment. The other important

Western equipment. The other important thing to mention is that both sides of this conflict were using the export variance of their jets. Some exporting

nations don't always tend to give their allies the very best of the best technology. That's in order to protect

technology. That's in order to protect their own interests. In the J10C's case, this relates to slightly downgraded avionics and software. But the Rafale export variants are almost identical

with a few small caveats that don't affect performance. That might be seen

affect performance. That might be seen as a good omen for Beijing that an inferior version of the J10C went toe-to-toe with a full strength Western jet. But it's just as important to

jet. But it's just as important to recognize that neither jet that were shooting at each other over the subcontinent will be the same ones shooting at each other over the South China Sea when it all kicks off. There

are also a whole host of other factors to consider that could affect a different outcome in a potential conflict between China and the West.

different technologies that countries have access to the battlefield itself and the [music] difference in geography, variance in doctrine and tactics, even money and timing can all play a role. So

yes, the IndiaPakistan conflict of 2025 did give a good showing for the Firebird in terms of a petri dish style weapons [music] test. But any war where China is

[music] test. But any war where China is using its scores of the aircraft for real will likely look very different.

There are a few implications that we can draw out from this successful performance though. The biggest

performance though. The biggest implication is of course for Taiwan [music] as seeing PLAAF jets shoot down their Western counterparts likely had those in Taipei tugging at their collars and questioning the efficacy of Western

weapons to properly fight the Chinese and mount a serious defense when the time comes. It could also represent

time comes. It could also represent something of a major coup commercially for China. [music] Up until now, those

for China. [music] Up until now, those who weren't inclined to buy Western military hardware only really had a single option, the Russian Federation.

But big bad Vlad's extra special military operation has left Russia both desperately needing their own airframe parts and also with a hampered ability to repair and replace them due to massive international sanction efforts.

Any country must know that buying a fighter jet from Russia is a bit like buying a used car from a dodgy dealership that the manufacturer doesn't sell anymore. That is to say, you better

sell anymore. That is to say, you better hope that someone else has some spare parts. So, enter Beijing, now offering

parts. So, enter Beijing, now offering an alternative where parts are, at least for now, freely available to procure for a plane that so far has performed as good as, if not better, than its Western

equivalents. Then consider that a lot of

equivalents. Then consider that a lot of older military stocks going to need replacing. Mig 29s, SU27s, SU30s, and

replacing. Mig 29s, SU27s, SU30s, and even older variants of the F-16 are all starting to show their age. And here

comes something that can appear to definitively go toe-to-toe with all of them. Reports suggest that China could

them. Reports suggest that China could be able to export the J10C at a unit cost of $50 to $60 million on the [music] low end, which would make it highly competitive in the airframe

market. It's relatively cheap to buy,

market. It's relatively cheap to buy, easier to maintain, easy to operate with a lot of decent munitions that work well with it, and you [music] don't need to sanctions bus to get them. I mean,

everybody wins except for Russia, to which I think we all say, oh no. But

that is something of a favorable view.

The J10C has only seen limited battlefield experience versus the alternative options it's supposed to be able to beat. And there could well be some weaknesses about the design that

we're yet to discover because nobody in the Pakistan India conflict fought long enough for those to be exposed. And it

could well end up being more expensive to export which could limit the market [music] access for poorer nations and therefore also limit battlefield utility. It's a tightroppe that Beijing

utility. It's a tightroppe that Beijing will have to walk in order to make the most profit. So, we've told you pretty

most profit. So, we've told you pretty much everything there is to know about this aircraft. And to be frank, from

this aircraft. And to be frank, from everything [music] we've seen, we're quite surprised by just how good it really is. It's a definitive, mature

really is. It's a definitive, mature variant of an indigenous Chinese fighter jet that illustrates China has gone squarely from a follower to a leader in the global military arms race. Will it

ever be able to rival the US Air Force by itself? No, not a chance. The F-35

by itself? No, not a chance. The F-35

and F-22 [music] are simply a generation ahead. They are head and shoulders

ahead. They are head and shoulders better than the J10C could ever hope to be. But it also doesn't have to be the

be. But it also doesn't have to be the best of the best that the US has to offer. It's a volume fighter. The PLAAF

offer. It's a volume fighter. The PLAAF

already has hundreds of the things.

Beijing already has fifth gen aircraft in the J20 and the J35 and it's already got sixth generation platforms reportedly in development as we speak.

as a functional, sensible, smart airframe to base an Air Force fleet off of. It's really quite impressive and it

of. It's really quite impressive and it likely stands to be a very important multi-roll fighter for many years to come, especially with Russia's export

power faltering fast. But as we stated before, China is not a nation to rest on its laurels. The development of the

its laurels. The development of the Firebird proved without a shadow of a doubt that China can actively develop its own effective weapons platforms at a fourth generation equivalent. It shows a

huge step forward in its industrial base and a massive leap in capability compared to what came before it. And all

of that begs the question, what's going to come next? Well, we'll cover it in the future, won't we? Thanks for [music] watching.