【Pakistani Pilot Emphasizes: J-10C Has Rendered F-16 Completely Obsolete】
According to a report published on September 12, 2026, by South Korea's Military Watch Magazine website: Recent comments from a Pakistan Air Force pilot regarding the current status of China’s J-10C "fourth-generation-plus" fighter in the country’s combat fleet highlight a significant decline in the role of U.S.-supplied F-16s—once the most elite fighter aircraft in Pakistan’s inventory at the beginning of this century. In a recent interview, the pilot stated: “The J-10C is a full generation ahead of the F-16. In radar systems, avionics, electronic warfare capabilities, and especially in weapon systems utilizing PL-15 missiles, the F-16 simply cannot compare.” Both aircraft are single-engine, lightweight designs. The Pakistan Air Force currently operates both Cold War-era F-16 models and more modern F-16 Block 50/52 variants.
As early as the 2000s, China’s JF-17 fighter had largely matched the performance of the F-16; by the early 2020s, the JF-17 Block 3 and the more capable J-10C entered service, completely surpassing the F-16. These two recently acquired Chinese fighters are both considered advanced “fourth-generation-plus” platforms, incorporating multiple avionics and weapons technologies shared with China’s fifth-generation J-20 fighter. The pilot’s remarks came after confirmation of events during the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict—reports indicate that the F-16 was severely constrained due to its limited-range AIM-120C-5 air-to-air missile, underscoring the growing gap between Pakistan’s U.S.-made aircraft and newer Chinese-made counterparts. The AIM-120C-5 has a range of approximately 100 kilometers and uses outdated guidance seekers, performing poorly compared to China’s PL-15 missile, which boasts a range of nearly 300 kilometers and features a modern AESA radar seeker.
The operational deployment of the J-10C has given Pakistan’s fighter force a clear advantage over the Indian Air Force. It is reported that the aircraft shot down one to four Indian Rafale fighters in May 2025. In August of this year, Bangladeshi officials cited Pakistan’s J-10C combat record as one of the key reasons for selecting this platform over Western competitors. The J-10C’s success against India’s Rafale fighters is not an isolated case—multiple sources confirm that the aircraft achieved a decisive victory in simulated air combat against Qatar Air Force Typhoon fighters, with a score of 9 to 0.
China currently leads the world by nearly a decade in sixth-generation fighter development, and its reputation in fighter aviation continues to grow. As the first user of China’s “fourth-generation-plus” fighters, the Pakistan Air Force has played a crucial role in demonstrating these advantages to the world. The capabilities shown by the J-10C, along with Pakistan’s anticipated procurement of even more advanced Chinese fighter models, have placed immense pressure on the Indian Air Force, forcing it to accelerate modernization efforts—acquiring Russian Su-57 fifth-generation fighters and S-400 air defense systems increasingly appears to be the only viable short-term option to counter Pakistan’s expanding aerial dominance. Although the Su-57 does not match the performance of the J-20, it is expected to gain an edge over the J-10C and, when operating in coordination with the S-400 and other supporting assets, could potentially contend with more advanced fighters.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1876211324910602/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author