2023-12-30 15:01:59
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Rafale, the latest fighter jet of France’s Dassault Aviation, which Saudi Arabia is negotiating to purchase. /Chosun Ilbo DB
One of the news stories that heated up Chinese social media at the end of the year was the news of the failure to export Chinese fighter jet Jian-10C (J-10C) to Saudi Arabia.
In March 2023, China surprised the world by mediating between its archenemies in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Iran, to reach an agreement to normalize relations. Previously, at the end of 2022, President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Saudi Arabia and was received well. They took advantage of the estrangement in relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia to show off their influence in the Middle East.
Immediately following that, overseas military journals began reporting that Saudi Arabia was considering the Chinese-made J-10C as a fighter jet to replace the outdated British-made Tornado fighter jet. Among military bloggers in China, there was also an optimistic observation that “the export volume will exceed 80 units.”
However, China’s expectations came to an end in mid-December when France’s Dassault Aviation officially confirmed that it was “negotiating with Saudi Arabia to supply 54 Rafale fighter jets.”
◇Central Air Force’s main fighter aircraft, approximately 220 units in operation
The J-10 is a single-engine fighter developed to target the F-16, an American small multipurpose fighter, and debuted in 2003. The fuselage size and takeoff weight are similar to the F-16.
Initially, it used Russian-made engines and the level of avionics equipment was low, but the J-10C, released in 2018, is evaluated as having a relatively high level of completion. Instead of a Russian engine, it is equipped with a domestic engine, the WS-10, and is also equipped with advanced avionics equipment and an ‘active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.’ It is said to have a top speed of Mach 1.8 and can be equipped with a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. Chinese military bloggers claim that “the price is half that of the F-16, but its performance and mobility are better.”
The J-10C is the main fighter jet of the Chinese Air Force, with regarding 220 units deployed in combat. This is the fighter plane that frequently appears when the Chinese Air Force conducts threatening flights over the Taiwan Strait.
Rafale, the latest fighter jet of France’s Dassault Aviation, which Saudi Arabia is negotiating to purchase. /Chosun Ilbo DB
◇Debuted on the Middle East stage at the Dubai Air Show…
China has been working hard to export the J-10C overseas. Since it has similar performance to the F-16 and is regarding half the price, it was thought that it would be effective on the international stage. In 2021, we opened the door to our first export by signing a contract with Pakistan to export 36 J-10Cs for $1.4 billion.
However, since Pakistan is so pro-China that China calls it an ‘iron alliance’ and owes tens of billions of dollars in debt to China, it would be difficult to say that this contract has proven the competitiveness of the J-10C. Questions are also being raised regarding the performance and durability of the Chinese-made jet engine WS-10 installed on the J-10C.
To dispel these doubts, China sent an aerobatic team consisting of seven J-10Cs to the Dubai Air Show held in Dubai last November. It is said that seven planes flew 7,000km directly to Dubai without using a cargo plane. This is the first time the J-10C has appeared at a Middle East air show. They decided to go head-to-head with France’s Rafale, a powerhouse in the Middle East fighter jet market.
Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet operated by the Saudi Arabian Air Force. /RSAF
◇“Saudi J-10C purchase” is fake news
When the J-10C went to the Dubai Air Show, there was a lot of speculation in China that exports to Saudi Arabia would be successful. While rehashing the news reported by the U.S. Military Watch Magazine and other sources in May and June, they added a plausible analysis that “Saudi Arabia may have chosen the Chinese J-10C to keep the United States in check.”
On the other hand, there were also cold views, saying, “It is unlikely that Saudi Arabia, which mainly uses the American F-15 and the European Eurofighter Typhoon, will adopt Chinese fighter jets,” and “It is highly likely to be fake news.”
It didn’t take long for the truth to be revealed. Eric Trapier, CEO of France’s Dassault Aviation, attended a gathering of defense journalists held in Paris in mid-December and revealed that “negotiations to supply 54 Rafale fighter jets to Saudi Arabia are underway.” Previously, there was a report in the French media that “Saudi Arabia has requested a price quote for 54 Rafale fighter jets from Daso Air,” which was officially confirmed.
The Saudi Arabian Air Force has over 380 fighter jets. The largest number of F-15 fighter jets purchased from the United States is 300, and it also owns Europe’s next-generation fighters, the Eurofighter (72) and the British-made Tornado (81). Among these, the oldest Tornado fighter jets are up for replacement.
An article by a military blogger posted on the Chinese portal site Wangi last October. It contains information that China is negotiating to supply nearly 100 J-10Cs to Saudi Arabia for $6.8 billion. /king
◇The high wall between America and Europe
Saudi Arabia originally tried to introduce additional Eurofighter Typhoons, but the plan was aborted because Germany, one of the countries co-developing the fighter jet, opposed the sale due to the murder of a journalist. The airline’s explanation was that it had decided to purchase Rafale as an alternative. The transaction size is said to exceed $10 billion. It is unknown how far the negotiations between China and Saudi Arabia have progressed, but it does not appear that Saudi Arabia has seriously considered purchasing the J-10C.
Saudi Arabia is a world-famous country. I would not buy a Chinese fighter jet whose performance has not been properly verified internationally just because it is cheap. They must have considered not only fighter jets but also weapon system issues such as mounted missiles. Although they were estranged, they would have sought the opinion of the United States, which is an important security partner.
Saudi Arabia is said to have purchased $4 billion worth of Chinese weapons, including military drones, at China’s Zhuhai Air Show in November 2022. It appears that China has taken advantage of this momentum and even expressed its intention to purchase fighter jets, but the reality is that the barrier is high.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are shaking hands at the China-Arab Summit held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, in December 2022. /AFP Yonhap News
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