【J-10C Fighter Jet Enables a Leap in Air Power for Uzbekistan】

According to a report published on August 25, 2026, by South Korea’s Military Watch Magazine website: The first batch of J-10C fighter jets has been officially delivered to the Uzbek Air Force, marking the most significant milestone in the history of the country's air force since its establishment after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Uzbekistan is now gradually phasing out its aging Soviet-era combat aircraft. The report states that Uzbekistan ordered 24 J-10C fighters, with the first two delivered in July. These aircraft will help Uzbekistan comprehensively retire its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters. Over the past 35 years, the MiG-29 and larger Su-27 have served as the backbone of Uzbekistan’s air force; however, due to excessively high operating costs, the Su-27 began retiring from active service in the early 2020s.

The technological gap between the J-10C and Uzbekistan’s current MiG-29 fleet is striking—these two aircraft belong to entirely different generations of aviation technology. The MiG-29 is a high-maneuverability air superiority fighter developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s, primarily designed for operations within close proximity to friendly airbases and under ground-controlled interception systems. In contrast, the J-10C is a modern multirole fighter equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, digital avionics system, data link, satellite communication equipment, and capable of integrating various advanced airborne weapons.

Although the MiG-29 originally had considerable upgrade potential, the project received minimal funding after the collapse of the Soviet Union, resulting in extremely slow improvement rates. Modernized variants such as the MiG-29M and its derivative, the MiG-35, are significantly more capable than the original Soviet MiG-29, but they still lag far behind the J-10C in overall performance. This disparity reflects both the relatively low priority given to this platform within Russia’s defense industry and China’s growing technological advantage over Russia.

Even when compared to the upgraded MiG-29M and MiG-35, the J-10C holds a clear edge. When facing Uzbekistan’s outdated original MiG-29s, this advantage becomes overwhelming. The most critical advancement lies in the radar system: while the MiG-29s currently in Uzbekistan’s inventory still use radar architectures that have been in service for decades, the J-10C is fitted with an AESA radar. Compared to traditional mechanically scanned radars, AESA technology enables rapid scanning across wide airspace, simultaneous tracking of multiple targets, stronger resistance to electronic jamming, and improved detection and tracking capabilities for small and low-altitude targets—greatly enhancing the J-10C’s versatility in both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

If considered within a complete combat system rather than in isolation, the performance gap between the two platforms widens further. The J-10C’s sensors can interconnect via modern data links, allowing intelligence gathered by other aircraft or ground-based sensors to be integrated into the aircraft’s tactical situation display. Pilots no longer need to rely solely on their own radar for target detection. In contrast, the older MiG-29 has very limited capability to integrate into modern network-centric warfare systems.

The J-10C also grants Uzbekistan a dramatically enhanced beyond-visual-range air combat capability. The PL-15 missile, with a range approaching 300 kilometers and featuring an AESA radar seeker, offers superior performance in target acquisition, anti-jamming, and terminal engagement—making it one of the world’s top-tier air-to-air missiles. For short-range dogfighting, the PL-10 missile boasts large off-boresight launch capability and leads globally in comprehensive performance. Although the R-73 missile carried by the MiG-29 was once at the forefront of global standards when introduced 40 years ago, it has now been completely surpassed by China’s new-generation technologies.

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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1874566476785667/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.