China’s J-10CE has foreign buyers, but not yet a market

Uzbekistan's confirmation that China's J-10CE fighter jets have entered service in its air force has fueled recent interest in the aircraft. This development joins Pakistan's combat use of J-10CEs and Bangladesh's proposed procurement of the aircraft. However, despite these developments, the J-10CE has not yet established itself in the export market as a strong competitor to Western fighters.

Pakistan is the only J-10CE operator with a combat record, having fired at Indian aircraft during the conflict following India's "Operation Sindoor" strikes. This experience has made Pakistan the first to test the jet against a peer adversary, providing a valuable reference for potential buyers. Bangladesh, on the other hand, is still in the process of deciding between the J-10CE and the Eurofighter Typhoon, having signed a letter of intent with Leonardo but not yet a contract.

Uzbekistan, meanwhile, is diversifying its fleet away from Russian jets and may end up making the same choice as Bangladesh, though from very different starting points. While some countries, such as Indonesia and Egypt, have been named as potential J-10CE buyers, no orders have been confirmed. The J-10CE continues to gather operators, but it has not yet proven its ability to win over the market.