Beijingwalker
VIP Member
HAS UZBEKISTAN RECEIVED CHINESE J-10 FIGHTERS? WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
Reports point to a possible J-10CE acquisition, but there is still no public evidence confirming that the fighters have been deliveredRicardo Meier
August 15, 2026 10:50
Chengdu J-10CE fighter (CG)
HAS UZBEKISTAN RECEIVED CHINESE J-10 FIGHTERS? WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
Uzbekistan may be moving closer to becoming another operator of China’s Chengdu J-10CE fighter , but publicly available information still falls short of confirming reports that the aircraft have already been delivered.
Several defense publications have recently reported that the first J-10CEs have reached Uzbekistan. Some accounts go further, referring to serial numbers reportedly assigned to Uzbek aircraft. What has yet to emerge, however, is evidence that would settle the matter: photographs showing J-10CEs carrying Uzbek markings or operating from an identifiable Uzbek air base, or an unequivocal announcement from either the Chinese or Uzbek governments.
That does not make an acquisition unlikely.
Uzbekistan has been linked to Chinese fighters for some time as it considers the future of an air combat fleet still largely based on Soviet-designed aircraft, including the MiG-29 and Su-27.
In 2025, reports initially focused on the possibility of Uzbekistan acquiring the JF-17 Block III, jointly developed by China and Pakistan. Attention later shifted toward the larger and more capable J-10CE.
Export J-10CE bearing the number 204 | SOCIAL MEDIA
The J-10CE is the export version of the J-10C operated by China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force. Equipped with an active electronically scanned array radar and able to employ the long-range PL-15E air-to-air missile, the aircraft has become one of China’s most important combat aircraft exports.
Pakistan is its best-established foreign operator. The J-10CE gained considerably greater international attention following the May 2025 clashes between Pakistan and India, when Islamabad said Chinese-made fighters and missiles had been used against Indian aircraft.
NEW EXPORT J-10CES ARE REAL, BUT THEIR CUSTOMER REMAINS UNCLEAR
There is physical evidence that Chengdu has produced another batch of J-10CEs for export.Aircraft carrying the numbers 204, 205 and 206 have been photographed at Chengdu. Their appearance provided evidence of additional export production beyond the J-10CEs already supplied to Pakistan, but the photographs themselves did not identify the customer.
When aircraft 204 was spotted in June 2025, Chinese military aviation observers considered several possible customers, including Uzbekistan, Egypt and Indonesia.
This distinction has become important as reports about Uzbekistan have accumulated. Photographs of these aircraft confirm that additional export J-10CEs exist; they do not establish where those fighters ultimately went.
Export J-10CE bearing the number 205
More recent claims have associated J-10s carrying serials in the 101X and 102X ranges with Uzbekistan. Chinese military aviation observer Hûrin, who has followed the unidentified export aircraft, said in August that the fighters had apparently been delivered to Uzbekistan, while describing the serial information itself as alleged.
Andreas Rupprecht, an author and longtime observer of Chinese military aviation, subsequently noted the absence of the additional evidence that normally emerges when reports of this kind can be confirmed.
No publicly available photograph showing one of these aircraft in Uzbek service has surfaced so far.
