First Chinese J-10C Fighters Delivered to Uzbekistan Air Force

The Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces have reportedly received their first Chinese J-10C fighters, following months of reports that pilots and maintenance crews from the country were training in China, and multiple reports of delays and difficulties adapting to the new aircraft. The delivery makes the service the third in the world to transition to the fighter type, after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force and the Pakistan Air Force. Unconfirmed reports indicate that 24 J-10C fighters have been ordered, although the. precise status of the contract and individual deliveries remains difficult to verify.

The procurement of the J-10C builds upon Uzbekistan’s growing relationship with China’s defence industry, as the country has increasingly expanded economic, technological and strategic cooperation with Beijing. It complements the reported acquisition of Chinese air-defence equipment, potentially allowing the Central Asian country to develop a more integrated Chinese-origin component within its wider air-defence architecture. The combination of modern fighters, ground-based air-defence systems and Chinese support infrastructure has gradually replaced Soviet and Russian equipment and associated maintenance networks. The Uzbek Armed Forces have phased out Soviet air defence systems to procure the Chinese HQ-9B, FM-90, and KS-1C systems. 

In April 2025 a source close to the Uzbek Defence Ministry Defence Industry Agency reported that China had authorised the sale of an unknown type of fighter to the country, fuelling speculation that the Chinese JF-17 Block III, J-10C or possibly the J-35 fifth generation fighter were being planned for procurement. As the country’s Soviet Su-27 and MiG-29 fourth generation fighters near the end of their service lives, it was previously reported that procurement of the Russian Su-30SM or French Rafale were under consideration. Neighbouring Kazakhstan, which has a considerably larger air force and defence budget, previously evaluated the competing Russian and French aircraft before selecting the Su-30SM, which has a much longer range and higher combat potential. 

Uzbekistan was one of just four Soviet successor states to have inherited the Su-27 Flanker, which was the country’s most capable class of air superiority fighter and is widely considered to have been the most formidable in the world in the Cold War era. With these having been retired in the early 2020s, the Uzbekistan Air Force’s lighter MiG-29s are also expected to be retired once all J-10C fighters are delivered. The J-10C has significantly lower operational costs and maintenance needs than the Su-27 or MiG-29, while using a high composite airframe and avionics and weaponry that are technologically over 30 years more advanced.