China Central Television (CCTV) reported on May 17 that the export version of China's fighter jet, the J-10CE, has achieved its first success in actual combat.
On this day, CCTV stated, "The J-10CE shot down several fighter jets at once in an aerial battle without suffering any losses."
The outlet added, "This news has sparked significant interest among military enthusiasts around the world."
This appears to support Pakistan's claim that it shot down a French-made Rafale fighter jet operated by the Indian military during an armed clash on the 7th, local time.
The following day, a U.S. official also confirmed that Pakistan's claim was accurate, but India did not acknowledge it.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded that they were "not well aware" of the related reports.
However, CCTV did not specify exactly which fighter jets were shot down.
According to CCTV, the J-10CE is a single-engine, single-seat multirole fighter jet independently developed by the state-owned Chinese aircraft manufacturer Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
It is capable of systematic cooperative operations, beyond-visual-range multi-target attacks in strong electronic countermeasure environments, and multi-mode precision strikes against ground targets.
Its features also include excellent medium- and low-altitude maneuver combat, supersonic flight, short takeoff and landing, a large combat radius, long flight range, and aerial refueling capability.
CCTV reported that the J-10CE is equipped with advanced integrated avionics and weapon systems, and also boasts outstanding external weapon capabilities.
Pakistan is the only country outside China to operate the J-10CE. The Pakistan Air Force ordered 36 export-version J-10CEs and 250 PL-15E missiles from China in 2020. After receiving the first six units in 2022, it is currently operating 20 units.
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