Bangladesh to buy 20 Chinese J-10CE fighter jets by 2027

Bangladesh Air Force is set to bolster its airspace defense with a fleet of 20 Chinese-made 4.5-generation J-10CE Multirole Combat Aircraft (MRCA) which competed against French-made Rafale fighter jets in the India-Pakistan war in May 2025.

Policy and financial final approval have already been granted for the procurement process under government-to-government (G2G) arrangements. Following the Prime Minister’s consent, the Ministry of Finance approved a state guarantee to pay nearly Tk 26,500 crore for project financing. The fighter jets could arrive in the country by 2027.

Information Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman confirmed the matter at a recent press conference.

These fighter jets are purchased from China’s state-owned enterprise, China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC). The company will be paid an advance of 20 percent in the first installment. The principal cost of buying the fighter aircraft will be nearly $1.96 billion, alongside an interest cost of $170 million, of which $391.9 million must be paid as the first installment.

According to the terms of the agreement, a two-year grace period will follow. The remaining amount will be paid in six unequal annual installments after the grace period. Paying in easy installments allows for the modernization of the military without imposing any immediate heavy burden on national revenue.

Under this package, China will ensure not only the fighter jets, but also logistics, pilot and crew training, long-term maintenance, and the supply of advanced weaponry, further cementing long-term military reliance between the two countries.

The J-10CE is a modern, single-engine, single-seat multirole combat aircraft. It is the export version of the J-10C fighter jet used by the Chinese Air Force. Global interest in this aircraft - especially from Bangladesh - increased significantly after the Pakistani Air Force’s J-10C fighter jets demonstrated performance during “Operation Sindoor,” a brief aerial conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025.

This fighter jet is equipped with a powerful Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, which can track several targets simultaneously and is effective in countering enemy electronic jamming. The aircraft is capable of firing China’s long-range BVR air-to-air missile, the PL-15, which can pose a major challenge in aerial combat to any modern Western or Russian aircraft. Through advanced data links and airborne early warning systems, it is capable of creating precise network-centric coordination on the battlefield. Compared to equivalent European fighter jets (such as the Rafale or Eurofighter Typhoon), the procurement and maintenance costs of the J-10CE are relatively much lower.

Before initiating negotiations to buy the fighter jets from China, the Air Force held verbal discussions on the matter with the finance minister. In the summary sent to the finance minister for state guarantee approval, 80 percent of the total cost of the 20 J-10CE MRC aircraft being procured for the force would then be paid in six unequal annual installments. This is essentially considered a credit purchase.

Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024, the interim government led by chief adviser Muhammad Yunus accelerated negotiations for purchasing these fighter aircraft.

Then the BNP-led government formed after the February 2026 election has also maintained this defense policy. This agreement is being made as part of the Bangladesh Air Force’s long-term “Forces Goal 2030” plan.