Bangladesh Abandons Purchase of French Rafale Fighters, Opting for China's J-10 Instead

The Bangladeshi government has officially confirmed that negotiations over the procurement of China's J-10CE fighter jets are now underway. Zahidul Rahman, Advisor to the Prime Minister on News and Broadcasting Affairs, told reporters in Dhaka that the draft agreement has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance and the Armed Forces Headquarters for final approval.

A key factor behind Bangladesh’s selection of the J-10CE is its demonstrated combat performance during last year’s India-Pakistan conflict. Pakistani data indicates that Pakistan’s J-10CE fighters shot down multiple Indian Rafale aircraft. Rahman emphasized that this "established fact" has been carefully evaluated, proving that Chinese fighter jets are at least comparable in performance to the French Rafale and European Typhoon fighters, while offering significantly lower procurement costs.

Initially, Bangladesh had planned to acquire French fighters for its air force, but it has now decided to go with the Chinese option. International defense experts believe this move will reshape global perceptions of Chinese weapons systems and open up new markets for Chinese military equipment. Bangladesh is considering increasing its initial procurement plan from 20 to 24 aircraft, with a total value reaching $2.2 billion. If approved, this deal would become one of the largest arms purchases in the country’s history. Bangladesh will strengthen its defense procurement and deepen military cooperation with China. Over the past two decades, China has consistently been the country’s largest supplier of military equipment.

To date, the Bangladesh Air Force has approximately 10,000 active personnel and around 212 military aircraft, including 44 fighter jets—among which 36 are Chinese-made J-7 fighters. According to media reports in Bangladesh, the acquisition of the J-10CE will significantly enhance the modernization level of the nation’s fighter fleet.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874841615180800/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.