PAKISTAN

J-10 fighters from 2014-15

According to Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mehmood, Chief of the Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan expects to start taking delivery of advanced Chinese Chengdu J-10 combat aircraft, to be known in Pakistan as FC-20s, in 2014-15. The cost of purchasing 36 FC-20s will be about US$1.5 billion.

     The J-10 entered service with the Chinese PLA Air Force in 2006. Derived from the cancelled Israeli Lavi, it is by far the most advanced fighter-bomber ever developed in China. It is a single engined Mach 2, all-weather combat aircraft with a delta wing and canards.  Maximum take-off weight is 24,650kg, including 5,500kg of useful load. Combat radius is more than 750km.

     The aircraft has a power-to-weight ratio of 0.89 with afterburner and is inherently unstable. The pilot has Hands On Throttle And Stick (HOTAS) controls operating a computerised, digital quadruplex Fly-By-Wire (FBW) system, which provides artificial stabilisation to give good control characteristics. The cockpit features three liquid crystal Multi Function Displays (MFDs) and a fire control system using a radar of unknown origin. An internal 23mm cannon is fitted and there are three hardpoints under each wing and five under the fuselage.