Asia Defense | Security | East Asia

Chinese Fighter Sales Surged After the 2025 India-Pakistan Aerial Clashes

The India-Pakistan clashes gave the J-10C a new, highly coveted status: battled-tested.

A J-10CE for the Pakistan Air Force on display at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow, Nov. 15, 2024.

The sudden rise in demands for Chinese fighter jets after the May 2025 air clash between India and Pakistan is a lesson in how modern weapons are sold. For years, Chinese combat aircraft were treated by many buyers as cheaper alternatives to Western or Russian platforms. That perception changed after Pakistan used Chinese-made J-10C fighters in combat and claimed to have shot down several Indian aircraft, including a French-made Rafale. 

Reuters reported that U.S. officials believed a Pakistani Chinese-made jet brought down at least two Indian military aircraft, while another Reuters analysis said the downing of a Rafale was linked to India’s misjudgment of the range of China’s PL-15 missile.

The impressive battlefield performance immediately boosted sales for the Chinese company involved. Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC, a subsidiary of AVIC), which makes the J-10 family, reported 2025 revenue of about 75.4 billion yuan, roughly $11 billion, up 15.8 percent, while profit rose 6.5 percent to 3.4 billion yuan. Its first-quarter 2026 sales jumped nearly 80 percent, close to doubling. It’s impossible to prove that every new order came because of Pakistan’s performance, but the timing is too significant to dismiss.

In defense procurement, combat performance is the strongest advertisement. Pakistan inducted the J-10C in 2022, with Reuters describing the aircraft as a major upgrade for the Pakistan Air Force. After the 2025 clashes with India, the jet acquired the status of a battlefield-tested capability.

The J-10C’s actual performance in those clashes remains contested. India has acknowledged aircraft losses without fully detailing them, while Pakistan’s larger claims remain disputed. Reuters reported that the Indian Air Force said “losses are part of combat,” and India itself claimed that it had shot down Pakistani aircraft. The truth is probably more complicated than either side’s public narrative. Still, arms markets often move on perception before complete evidence........

© The Diplomat