Chinese fighters instead of Russian ones. Another country abandons MiGs and Sukhois

Like all former Warsaw Pact states and post-Soviet republics, Uzbekistan entered independence with a fleet of Soviet-built combat aircraft: MiG-29s and Su-27s. These aircraft remained in service until today, and only a few years ago it appeared that their „natural” replacement would be a Russian-designed aircraft — the Su-30, as in Belarus or Kazakhstan, or possibly the Su-35. 

For months, however, reports had circulated that Uzbekistan was receiving the export variant of China’s fourth-generation J-10CE fighter. These reports were supported by photographs, although in an era of ubiquitous image manipulation their credibility was questioned. In late August, a video report from Independence Day celebrations showing six J-10s carrying different tactical numbers finally confirmed the information. Uzbekistan’s J-10s carry numbers beginning with 10, referring to the J-10, and ending with successive digits, probably ranging from 01 to 26. So far, aircraft numbered 1011, 1014, 1017, 1020, 1023 and 1026 have been observed. This suggests the acquisition of at least 26 aircraft.    

At the beginning of this year, Uzbekistan (incidentally the most populous and militarily strongest country in Central Asia) was estimated to still operate around 30 serviceable MiG-29s and more than a dozen Su-25s, although the number of these aircraft had been significantly higher only a few years earlier. The multirole J-10CE will therefore replace both battlefield aircraft and medium-weight fighters. Its Russian equivalent is the considerably heavier and more expensive Su-30. 

Uzbekistan is the second export customer for the J-10 multirole fighter after Pakistan. It is not the only customer Russia is now losing to China. Another is likely to be Algeria, which in recent weeks has reportedly been preparing to order J-10C aircraft — or their CE export variant — together with KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft. 

Bangladesh, which currently operates J-7s and a small number of MiG-29s, has also expressed interest in the J-10, as have Egypt and Indonesia. However, the latter two countries have shown interest in a very large number of different aircraft types and, consequently, until contracts are signed, such interest cannot be regarded as credible.  International interest in the J-10 increased after Pakistan employed the aircraft in combat against India in 2025 during the fighting associated with the so-called Operation Sindoor. Pakistani fighters reportedly shot down several Indian aircraft, including French-built Rafales.