In service in Pakistan and Uzbekistan and on Bangladesh’s radar, the fighter jet is not yet a threat to Western market dominance
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenTang Meng KitTang Meng Kit is a Singaporean freelance analyst and commentator who works as an aerospace engineer. Published: 8:30pm, 14 Sep 2026Uzbekistan’s recent confirmation that China’s J-10CE fighters have entered into service in its air force ended months of speculation. It is the latest of three developments that include Pakistan’s use of J-10CEs in combat last year and Bangladesh’s draft procurement paper for the Chinese aircraft.Read separately, each looks like a win for the J-10CE. Taken together, however, they show something narrower: the Chinese aircraft is gaining export traction without yet winning a clean contest against a Western rival.
