Bangladesh to buy 20 Chinese J-10C fighter jets in $2.2bn deal

Published : Tuesday, 7 October, 2025 at 1:38 PM Count : 48

Bangladesh is preparing to purchase 20 Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets by 2027 to modernize the Bangladesh Air Force and strengthen national air defence.

The deal, valued at approximately $2.20 billion (around Tk27,060 crore), will also cover training, maintenance, and other related expenses, according to government documents reviewed by The Business Standard.

Officials said the procurement is likely to be completed under a government-to-government (G2G) agreement during the 2025–26 and 2026–27 fiscal years, with payments to be made in instalments over 10 fiscal years, until 2035–36.

According to China’s Global Times and defence website The War Zone, the J-10C—also known as the “Vigorous Dragon”—is a fourth-generation multirole combat aircraft capable of conducting a wide range of missions. The jet has a top speed of Mach 2.2 (around 2,415 km/h) and a combat radius of 1,850 km. It can perform air-to-air and air-to-ground strikes, engage targets up to 200 km away, and operate in coordination with other aircraft and drones for surveillance and attack missions.

Cost breakdown

The Chief Adviser's Office has set the base price of each aircraft at $60 million, bringing the total fleet cost to about $1.2 billion (Tk14,760 crore).

Another $820 million (Tk10,086 crore) will be spent on training, equipment, and transportation. Including insurance, VAT, agency commission, infrastructure, and ancillary expenses, the total cost amounts to roughly $2.20 billion. The finance ministry will allocate funds through FY 2035–36 to cover payments.

Talks and committee formation

During a four-day official visit to China on March 26, Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus discussed the potential purchase of multirole fighter jets. His press wing later confirmed that China responded positively to the proposal.

In April, the government formed an 11-member inter-ministerial committee, headed by Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, to negotiate and finalize the deal.

The committee includes representatives from the Chief Adviser's Office, Ministry of Defence, Finance Division, Economic Relations Division, and Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

The committee will review the draft agreement, assess the feasibility of purchasing the aircraft directly from the Chinese government or its nominated agency, and negotiate key terms covering maintenance, training, spare parts, and payment conditions.

Expert opinion

Retired Major General ANM Muniruzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies, said the Air Force has long planned to acquire new fighter jets but the proposal remains under evaluation.

He cautioned that global geopolitical dynamics—especially tensions between the United States and China—should be carefully considered before finalising the purchase. “However,” he added, “the need for modern combat aircraft in Bangladesh cannot be denied.”

Bangladesh Air Force’s current fleet

According to WarPowerBangladesh.com, the Bangladesh Air Force currently operates 212 aircraft, including 44 fighter jets—36 of which are Chinese-made F-7s.

The fleet also includes eight Russian MiG-29B multirole fighters and Yak-130 light attack aircraft, along with a mix of older and newer helicopters.

FP/MI