According to the Press Trust of India agency, the purchase was made after the delivery of the next batch of French-made Rafale fighters to the Indian Air Force
NEW DELHI, December 30. /tass/. Pakistan has purchased 25 multi-purpose J-10C fighters from China amid strained relations with India. This was reported on Thursday by the Press Trust of India agency.
The purchase was carried out after the delivery of the next batch of French-made Rafale fighters to the Indian Air Force, the agency notes. Currently, the most modern fighters in service with the Pakistan Air Force remain the American F-16C / D Block 50/52, delivered in 2006. However, now the US-Pakistani military cooperation is significantly limited.
The J-10C is equipped with advanced avionics, radar with an active phased antenna. The fighter can be armed with PL-10 missiles with a semi-active all-angle homing head for close combat and PL-15 long-range missiles with an active radar guidance head.
In September 2016, India and France signed a contract for the supply of 36 Rafale fighters for a total of about $8.8 billion. The aircraft are manufactured by Dassault Aviation. All fighters should arrive by the end of 2022.
Indian state-owned aircraft corporation Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd is negotiating with Dassault Aviation on technology transfer and production of Rafale fighters in India.
