J-10 Fighters: Is Bangladesh Trading Old Jets for New Reliability Woes?

The Bangladesh government is moving ahead with plans to acquire 20 Chinese-made J-10CE multirole fighter jets by 2027, a colossal $2.20 billion investment meant to dramatically modernise the Air Force and strengthen national air defence. While the J-10CE—the advanced export version of China's J-10C—promises a vital generational leap from the nation’s aging fleet of Chinese F-7s, the sheer cost and the chosen platform have ignited a contentious debate focused squarely on technical reliability and strategic autonomy, Daily Dazzling Dawn understands.

Documents indicate the deal, which spans procurement, comprehensive training, long-term maintenance, and associated costs, will be executed through a government-to-government arrangement. Payments are to be structured across ten fiscal years, extending to FY2035–36, spreading the financial burden but not mitigating the technical risk.

The Engine Albatross: Reliability Over Performance-The most acute concern for military analysts stems from the historical "Achilles' heel" of the J-10 program: its power plant. The jet’s initial reliance on foreign-sourced Russian Saturn-Lyulka AL-31FN engines, rather than the indigenous Shenyang WS-10 'Taihang', was a direct result of the domestic engine’s severe and persistent reliability problems. While newer J-10C variants are transitioning to improved WS-10 derivatives, the inherent durability gap remains.

Western and Chinese reports highlight that even the most modern WS-10 engines have a comparatively shorter service life, estimated to be around 1,500 flight hours, which is considerably less than the lifespan offered by Western counterparts. This fundamental deficit in engine durability for a single-engine fighter directly translates into several negative tactical and operational consequences for the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF):

Elevated Operational Risk: A shorter lifespan requires more frequent maintenance cycles, reducing the number of aircraft available for duty and driving down the BAF's overall operational readiness rate.

Higher Long-Term Costs: The need for more frequent replacements or refurbishments of high-value engines and turbine components dramatically inflates the long-term maintenance cost (LMC), potentially ballooning the final operational expenditure far beyond the initial $2.20 billion price tag.

Logistical Dependence: The reliance on the Chinese military-industrial complex for a consistent and high-quality supply of critical, high-tech engine components—like single-crystal turbine blades—introduces a single-source logistical vulnerability that could cripple the J-10CE fleet if supply chains are disrupted.

Tactical and Strategic Drawbacks-Beyond the engine, the procurement raises further concerns about the jet’s combat ecosystem and geopolitical alignment. The J-10, while a capable multirole platform equipped with a modern Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and long-range PL-15 missiles—a capability that proved decisive in recent unverified air combat claims by Pakistan—is not without its limitations:

Interoperability in a Mixed Fleet: The BAF operates a diverse array of Russian and Chinese aircraft. Integrating a complex, high-end, Chinese-centric platform like the J-10CE introduces profound interoperability challenges with existing Russian or Western C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) and electronic warfare (EW) systems, potentially undermining its effectiveness in a coalition environment.

Payload and Range Compromise: As a relatively light, single-engine fighter, the J-10 often requires auxiliary fuel drop-tanks for extended range or maritime patrol missions over the Bay of Bengal. This necessity occupies critical hardpoints, forcing a constant trade-off between fuel range and maximum weapons/sensor payload, limiting its multirole flexibility in isolated deep-strike missions.

Geopolitical Alignment: As retired Major General ANM Muniruzzaman noted, the deal carries significant geopolitical weight. The purchase underscores a deeper alignment with Beijing’s strategic interests, an action that could risk straining ties with the United States and other Western partners who are crucial for trade, aid, and diplomatic support. At a time of intense Sino-US competition in South Asia, Dhaka is effectively placing itself more firmly in the China-Pakistan axis, a move that demands extreme caution.

An 11-member inter-ministerial committee is currently tasked with finalising the contract details. Their review must move beyond the J-10CE's impressive specifications—such as its Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) capabilities—to rigorously scrutinise the long-term operational costs and technical pitfalls that have historically afflicted Chinese military aviation exports, ensuring that the Air Force's much-needed modernisation does not result in a fleet of expensive, high-maintenance 'ornaments on the tarmac' rather than mission-ready deterrents.