J-10C Vs. JF-17: Which fighter jet is better? [Comparison]
Here's everything you need to know!
Several fighters jets like the A-5C, J-7, Mirage III, and Mirage V have effectively guarded the aerial boundaries of Pakistan for decades. However, these jets have now been replaced by one prominent player – the JF-17 fighter jet (the Joint Fighter-17 aircraft). The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) inducted the JF-17 jets in February 2010.
According to reports, the fighter jet has been jointly developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China. The JF-17 jet can perform multiple roles, including:
- interception
- ground attack
- anti-ship
- aerial reconnaissance
- deployment of several weapons, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, and 23 mm twin-barrel autocannon
The media couldn’t stop talking about the JF-17 aircraft in February 2019 when tensions across the Pakistan-India border escalated massively. The world expected the conflict to develop into a full-blown war between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
The PAF inducted J-10C fighter jets three years after the conflict. They were acquired from China in just eight months rather than the years that defense manufacturers usually take to deliver fighter jets such as the J-10C.
The J-10C fighter jet is a multi-role combat aircraft capable of all-weather operations. It is primarily designed for air-to-air combat, but it can also perform strike missions.
According to reports, the J-10C fighter aircraft has been developed by the CAC. An official ceremony took place in Pakistan to unveil the aircraft. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi, Defense Minister, Pervaiz Khattak, senior officials of the three forces, and members of the federal cabinet.
The country will demonstrate its military might, including the fighter jets, on the 23rd of March – the Pakistan Day Parade. During the procession, the JF-17 and the J-10C fighter jets will perform aerial maneuvers for the audience.
Here’s a detailed comparison of both the aircraft:
Basic Description
| Attributes | JF-17 | J-10C |
| Weight | Light-weight | Medium-weight |
| Engine | Single-engine | Single-engine |
| Generation | 4th generation | 4.5th generation |
| Role | Multi-role | Multi-role |
General Characteristics
| Features | JF-17 | J-10C |
| Crew | 1 (single-seat JF-17A) or 2 (dual-seat JF-17B) | 1 (single-seat) |
| Length | 47 feet | 55 feet 2 inches |
| Wingspan | 31 feet | 32 feet 2 inches |
| Height | 15 feet | 18 feet 8 inches |
| Wing area | 263 sq. ft. | 400 sq. ft. |
| Empty weight | 7,965 kg | 9,750 kg |
| Max takeoff weight | 13,500 kg | 19,277 kg |
| Fuel capacity | 5,830 kg | 7,380 kg |
| Powerplant | 1 x Klimov RD-93 afterburning turbofan with DEEC, 49.4 kN thrust dry, 84.4 kN with afterburner | 1 x WS-10B afterburning turbofan engines, 89.17 kN thrust dry, 142 kN with afterburner |
Performance
| Characteristics | JF-17 | J-10C |
| Maximum speed | Mach 1.6 | Mach 1.8 |
| Stall speed | 150 km/h | 200 km/h |
| Combat range | 1,450 km | 2,600 km |
| Ferry range | 3,481 km | 2,950 km |
| Service ceiling | 55,510 feet | 56,000 feet |
| G limits | +8/-3 (limited by the flight control system) | +9/-3 |
| Rate of climb | 59,000 ft./min. | 59,000 ft./min. |
| Thrust/weight | 1.07 | 1.10 |
Armament
| Type | JF-17 | J-10C |
| Guns | 1 × 23 mm GSh-23-2 twin-barrel cannon or 1 × 30 mm GSh-30-2 twin-barrel cannon | 1× Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 |
| Hardpoints | 8 (2 × wingtips, 4 × under-wing, 1 × under-fuselage, 1 × under-chin) with capacity for dual ejector racks on each under-wing hardpoint | 11 (6× under-wing, 2× under-intake, and 3× under-fuselage) with a capacity of 5600 kg of external fuel and ordnance |
| Rockets | – | 90 mm unguided rocket pods |
| Air-to-air missiles | PL-5DE PL-9C PL-10E R-Darter PL-12 PL-15E | PL-8 PL-10 PL-12 PL-15 |
| Air-to-surface missiles | CM-102 MAR-1 LD-10 Ra’ad-II HD-1A | KD-88 YJ-91 |
| Anti-ship missiles | C-601 C-705KD C-802AK CM-400AKG HD-1A | – |
| Unguided bombs | 250 kg Pre-fragmented bomb Mk-82 Mk-83 Mk-84 HAFR-1/HAFR-2 RPB-1 | 250 kg and 500 kg Pre-fragmented bomb
|
| Guided bombs | GBU-10 GBU-12 GBU-16 LT-2 H-2 SOW H-4 SOW GB-6 NORINCO GB-250A NORINCO GB-500 LS-6 GIDS Takbir GIDS Range Extension Kit |
Avionics
| JF-17 | J-10C |
| KLJ-7-A Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Fire-Control Radar | Type 1473H Pulse-Doppler Fire Control Radar |
| ALR-67 Rader Warning Receiver (RWR) | K/JDC01A Targeting Pod |
| S740 Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) | Type Hongguang-I Infra-Red Search and Track Pod |
| JZ/YD 125 IFF System | CM-802AKG Targeting Pod for KD-88 and YJ-91 |
| MIT-STD-1553 Databus | KG600 Electronic Countermeasure Pod |
| Link-17 Tactical Data Link | Blue Sky Navigation/Attack Pod |
Variants
| JF-17 | J-10C |
| JF-17A Block 1 | J-10A |
| JF-17A Block 2 | J-10AH |
| JF-17B Block 2 | J-10S |
| JF-17 Block 3 | J-10SH |
| J-10B | |
| J-10B TVC Demonstrator | |
| J-10C | |
| J-10CE |
Operators
| JF-17 | J-10C |
| China | China |
| Pakistan | Pakistan |
| Myanmar | |
| Nigeria |
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