Chinese government sources have for the first time reported the deployment of personnel to Pakistan to support combat operations against India in early May, 2025. specifically in the form of on-site technical support for the Pakistan Air Force’s newly procured J-10C fighters. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on May 7 broadcast an interview with a Chinese engineer Zhang Heng, from the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute responsible for developing the J-10, who was among the personnel deployed on the ground during the conflict. The brief Indo-Pakistani war represented the first time the J-10 was deployed for combat operations, and the first time any indigenous Chinese fighter type has engaged in high intensity combat, with the outcome having raised the already fast rising prestige of China’s defence sector considerably further.Commenting on his stationing in Pakistan to support J-10C operations, Zhang Heng reported: “At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically.” He added that his team of Chinese specialists in Pakistan were driven by “a desire to do an even better job with on-site support,” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential.” Although Pakistan was reported to have lost multiple fighters and a high value support aircraft to Indian S-400 long range air defence systems, J-10C fighters were credited with shooting down multiple Indian Air Force fighters, including between one to four newly procured French Rafales, causing a public relations disaster for both the Indian fighter fleet and for the Rafale program. Providing further insight into the role of Chinese specialists on the ground in Pakistan supporting J-10C operations, Xu Da, another employee of the Chengdu Aircraft Design & Research Institute who was operating in the country compared the fighter jet to a “child.” “We nurtured it, cared for it, and finally handed it over to the user. And now, it was facing a major test,” he stated. “As for the outstanding results the J-10CE achieved, we weren’t very surprised, and it didn’t feel sudden at all. In fact, it felt inevitable. The aircraft just needed the right opportunity. And when that moment came, it delivered exactly as we knew it would,” he added. Regarding the decisive successes Pakistani fighter units achieved
Chinese government sources have for the first time reported the deployment of personnel to Pakistan to support combat operations against India in early May, 2025. specifically in the form of on-site technical support for the Pakistan Air Force’s newly procured J-10C fighters. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on May 7 broadcast an interview with a Chinese engineer Zhang Heng, from the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute responsible for developing the J-10, who was among the personnel deployed on the ground during the conflict. The brief Indo-Pakistani war represented the first time the J-10 was deployed for combat operations, and the first time any indigenous Chinese fighter type has engaged in high intensity combat, with the outcome having raised the already fast rising prestige of China’s defence sector considerably further.Commenting on his stationing in Pakistan to support J-10C operations, Zhang Heng reported: “At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically.” He added that his team of Chinese specialists in Pakistan were driven by “a desire to do an even better job with on-site support,” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential.” Although Pakistan was reported to have lost multiple fighters and a high value support aircraft to Indian S-400 long range air defence systems, J-10C fighters were credited with shooting down multiple Indian Air Force fighters, including between one to four newly procured French Rafales, causing a public relations disaster for both the Indian fighter fleet and for the Rafale program. Providing further insight into the role of Chinese specialists on the ground in Pakistan supporting J-10C operations, Xu Da, another employee of the Chengdu Aircraft Design & Research Institute who was operating in the country compared the fighter jet to a “child.” “We nurtured it, cared for it, and finally handed it over to the user. And now, it was facing a major test,” he stated. “As for the outstanding results the J-10CE achieved, we weren’t very surprised, and it didn’t feel sudden at all. In fact, it felt inevitable. The aircraft just needed the right opportunity. And when that moment came, it delivered exactly as we knew it would,” he added. Regarding the decisive successes Pakistani fighter units achieved
during air-to-air engagements, he added: “That wasn’t just a
recognition of the J-10CE; it was also a testament
to the deep bond we formed through working side-by-side, day in and day out.”
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