Bangladesh air force gets nod to spend billions on multirole fighters

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Two air forces fly the Chinese-manufactured J-10 fighter – China and Pakistan – but a third nation could soon become an operator of this 4.5-generation jet.

Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, Bangladesh’s top air force officer, announced last month that his country’s interim government had given an in-principle approval for the purchase of “multirole combat and attack aircraft” plus new surface-to-air missiles and long-range radars.

Khan did not specify what type of aircraft the Bangladesh Air Force – the BAF – would procure, but there is a strong likelihood it will be the J-10CE fighter from China.

Such an ambition had already been aired when Muhammad Yumus, Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser and head of the caretaker government, met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in March.

According to the government, the BAF could buy up to 20 J-10CE jets by 2027. However, an inter-ministerial committee led by Khan still needs to approve the purchase and to conduct negotiations with Chinese officials.

The Chief Adviser’s office estimates the aircraft would cost $1.2 billion, while other costs such as training and spares would bring the price tag to $2.2 billion. Payments would be spread over a ten-year period until the mid-2030s.

Sandwiched by India, and to a lesser extent Myanmar, Bangladesh must defend its constrained airspace and protect littoral territory in the Bay of Bengal.

The need for new fighters is urgent because the BAF possesses a largely obsolete fighter fleet of Chinese-built and accident-prone F-7s, plus MiG-29s from Russia. One F-7, a Chinese version of the MiG-21, crashed into a Dhaka college campus in July. The accident caused an estimated 36 fatalities.

Besides the Chinese J-10, the BAF has been exploring Western fighter options. For example, Khan and air force personnel were in Italy for Eurofighter Typhoon demonstration flights in May.

A Chinese option could end up winning out, however, because Bangladesh is already an ardent user of Chinese equipment, with recent purchases including Type 15 light tanks and Type 035G submarines.

Despite the geopolitical risk of upsetting Western countries like the United States, if the J-10CE purchase proceeds under Bangladesh’s Forces Goal 2030 modernization plan, it would see J-10s flying on India’s western, northern and eastern borders.

Bangladesh’s predilection for the J-10 also predates the sharp aerial conflict between India and Pakistan in May. On that occasion, Pakistani J-10CEs received significant publicity for their alleged performance against Indian fighters.

Brendan Mulvaney, director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute affiliated with the U.S. Air Force, told Defense News that the J-10C is “a modern and fairly capable aircraft, the best one that China exports.”

He assessed that the Indo-Pakistan conflict “clearly proves that Chinese-made equipment, even the export versions, are modern and capable, and are going to be a force to be contended with in the future, beyond just the borders of China”.

All told, The J-10CE, with its active electronically scanned array radar, data links and beyond-visual-range missiles like the PL-15E, would effectively revolutionize the BAF’s combat capabilities.

Gordon Arthur is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. After a 20-year stint working in Hong Kong, he now resides in New Zealand. He has attended military exercises and defense exhibitions in about 20 countries around the Asia-Pacific region.

新西兰基督城——中国和巴基斯坦的空军都在使用中国制造的歼-10战斗机，但第三个国家可能很快也会成为这款4.5代喷气式飞机的用户。

孟加拉国空军最高指挥官哈桑·马哈茂德·汗空军上个月宣布，该国临时政府已原则上批准购买“多用途战斗和攻击飞机”以及新型地对空导弹和远程雷达。

汗没有具体说明孟加拉国空军（BAF）将采购哪种类型的飞机，但很有可能是来自中国的歼-10CE战斗机。

早在3月份，孟加拉国临时首席顾问兼看守政府首脑穆罕默德·尤穆斯在北京会见中国国家主席习近平时，就已经表达了这样的愿望。

据政府称，孟加拉国空军到2027年最多可购买20架歼-10CE战斗机。然而，由汗领导的部际委员会仍需批准这项采购，并与中国官员进行谈判。

首席顾问办公室估计，这架飞机造价12亿美元，加上培训和备件等其他费用，总价将达到22亿美元。款项将分十年支付，直至2030年代中期。

孟加拉国夹在印度和缅甸之间，因此必须捍卫其有限的领空，并保护其在孟加拉湾的沿海领土。

由于孟加拉国空军目前拥有的战斗机队大多老旧，主要由中国制造且事故频发的F-7战斗机以及俄罗斯的米格-29战斗机组成，因此迫切需要新型战斗机。今年7月，一架中国制造的F-7（米格-21的中国版本）坠毁在达卡一所大学的校园内，造成约36人死亡。

除了中国的歼-10战斗机外，孟加拉国空军也在考察西方的战斗机选项。例如，汗和空军人员曾在5月份前往意大利观看欧洲台风战斗机的演示飞行。

然而，最终中国方案可能会胜出，因为孟加拉国已经是中国装备的忠实用户，最近的采购包括 15 型轻型坦克和 035G 型潜艇。

尽管存在触怒美国等西方国家的地缘政治风险，但如果孟加拉国根据其“2030 年部队目标”现代化计划购买 J-10CE，那么 J-10 将会出现在印度的西部、北部和东部边境。

孟加拉国对歼-10战斗机的偏爱甚至早于今年5月印巴之间的激烈空战。在那场空战中，巴基斯坦的歼-10CE战斗机因其据称对印度战机的出色表现而备受瞩目。

美国空军下属中国航天研究所所长布伦丹·穆尔瓦尼告诉《防务新闻》，歼-10C 是“一款现代化且性能相当不错的飞机，是中国出口的最好的飞机”。

他评估认为，印巴冲突“清楚地证明，中国制造的装备，即使是出口版本，也是现代化且性能卓越的，未来将成为一股不可忽视的力量，其影响范围不仅限于中国境内”。

总而言之，歼-10CE凭借其有源相控阵雷达、数据链和PL-15E等超视距导弹，将有效地改变孟加拉国空军的作战能力。

戈登·阿瑟是《防务新闻》的亚洲特派记者。在香港工作20年后，他现居新西兰。他曾到访亚太地区约20个国家，参加过军事演习和防务展览。