Bangladesh has advanced its planned $2.3-billion effort to procure 20 Chengdu J-10 supersonic combat aircraft from China, positioning one of Dhaka’s largest defense acquisitions to date.
Bangladesh has advanced its planned $2.3-billion effort to procure 20 Chengdu J-10 supersonic combat aircraft from China, positioning one of Dhaka’s largest defense acquisitions to date.
A government committee finalized the direct procurement draft with Beijing’s state-owned China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation, according to local Bangladeshi media.
The deal covers 20 jets in the J-10CE export configuration, with a base price of $62.7 million per unit that rises to nearly $115 million when factoring in technical assistance, infrastructure development, and crew preparations.
Half of the planes will enter the Bangladesh Air Force's active fleet, while the remainder will be dedicated to training programs and reserves.
Funding will require 10 annual budget allocations through 2036, with options to procure attack helicopters, transport aircraft, and unmanned aerial systems.
Once signed, the South Asian country will become the second foreign operator of the Chinese-made platform after Pakistan.
Cheaper Pick
Dhaka highlighted both lower costs and combat capability as key drivers for selecting Beijing’s homegrown jet over European alternatives such as the French Dassault Rafale.
“When India and Pakistan were at war, India’s Dassault Rafale was downed, and it was done by the Chinese J-10. This information is now established,” said Zahed Ur Rahman, information and broadcasting adviser to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister.
“If we compare aircraft of similar quality, Chinese fighters are much cheaper than their European counterparts.”
The Chengdu J-10 System
Designated by NATO as the “Firebird,” China’s J-10 is a 17-meter (56-foot) aircraft with a wingspan of 10 meters (33 feet).
For lethality, the jet uses 23mm autocannons, 90mm unguided rocket pods, guided munitions, PiLi aerial missiles, Kongdi land-attack missiles, as well as Yingji anti-radiation and anti-ship missiles.
The aircraft is fitted with a Shenyang WS-10B afterburning turbofan engine, backing a flight speed of Mach 1.8 (2,223 kilometers/1,381 miles per hour), an operational altitude of 18,000 meters (59,055 feet), and a range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,630 kilometers/2,877 miles).
