Facts summary and sources
Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon: Published maximum speed: Not confirmed for domestic J-10C (Not publicly confirmed). Export J-10CE figures not substituted. First flight: 1998. J-10 family prototype: 23 March 1998. J-10C combat duty: 16 April 2018.
This is a secondary compilation. A source-check date applies only to the listed claim, not to the whole page or its translation. A page update is not a source check.
Sources and check records
- PLA Air Force statement: J-10C roles — The PLA Air Force statement says the J-10C can engage aerial targets and conduct precision strikes against land and maritime targets. [Defence ministry-hosted China Daily report directly attributes the announcement to the air force; the claim is the operator’s stated role, not independent comparative testing. No detailed weapon list is inferred.] · Event date: 2018-04-16 · Source checked for this claim: 2026-10-19
- China Military: J-10 prototype first flight — The first J-10 prototype flew on 23 March 1998 at Wenjiang airport in Chengdu. [Family prototype milestone, not the first flight of the later J-10C variant.] · Event date: 1998-03-23 · Source checked for this claim: 2026-10-19
- PLA Air Force: J-10C combat-duty announcement — The PLA Air Force announced on 16 April 2018 that J-10C aircraft had begun combat duty. [Official service statement identifies the domestic J-10C as a single-engine multirole aircraft; it does not supply an exact maximum speed or range.] · Event date: 2018-04-16 · Source checked for this claim: 2026-10-19
- China Military: J-10CE in Pakistan’s 2022 parade — Newly inducted J-10CE aircraft participated in Pakistan’s 23 March 2022 parade; the report separately names the J-10A, J-10B and J-10C family. [Official military report of an export operator’s event; J-10CE specifications are not automatically domestic J-10C specifications.] · Event date: 2022-03-23 · Source checked for this claim: 2026-10-19
- China Military: J-10 flight training in February 2026 — The dated photo report shows J-10 aircraft of the PLA Southern Theater Command air force taking part in flight training in February 2026. [Confirms continuing J-10-family operation; the caption does not establish the size or variant mix of the entire fleet.] · Source checked for this claim: 2026-10-19
- Wikipedia reference · Source-check date not recorded
✈️ Full Specifications
Family history with the domestic J-10C as the reference variant. The 1998 first flight belongs to the family prototype; J-10C combat duty was announced in April 2018. The cited official sources do not provide consistent J-10C maximum speed, range, ceiling, length or engine-model-by-batch figures, so these are unquantified. J-10CE export brochure numbers are not substituted. A 2026 training report confirms continuing family operation, not a total production count.
| Designation | J-10C (domestic reference) |
| Manufacturer | Chengdu Aerospace Corporation |
| Country | 🇨🇳 China |
| First flight | 1998 |
| First-flight context | J-10 family prototype: 23 March 1998. J-10C combat duty: 16 April 2018. |
| Service Entry | 2018 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Published maximum speed | Not confirmed for domestic J-10C — Export J-10CE figures not substituted |
| Speed evidence basis | Not publicly confirmed |
| Engine | 1 × Turbofan; exact J-10C production-batch model not verified here |
🔁 Variants
- J-10A / J-10B / J-10C — domestic fighter variants
- J-10CE — export version in Pakistani service
⚔️ Armament
Overview
The Chengdu J-10 is a Chinese single-engine multirole fighter family. The first prototype flew on 23 March 1998. The domestic J-10C and the J-10CE exported to Pakistan are separate configurations and should not share an unspecified set of performance figures.
Family history and service
China Military’s first-flight chronology dates the family prototype, rather than the later J-10C. The PLA Air Force announced that the J-10C began combat duty on 16 April 2018. Chinese military reporting records newly inducted J-10CE aircraft at Pakistan’s March 2022 parade. A February 2026 training report confirms that the J-10 family remains in Chinese service; it does not establish a worldwide fleet total.
What can be said about performance?
The official service announcement describes a supersonic multirole aircraft. The sources inspected here do not supply a consistent domestic J-10C maximum speed, range, ceiling, length or engine configuration for each production batch. An export brochure for the J-10CE would need its own variant label and conditions before use in a comparison.
Roles and comparisons
The PLA Air Force describes air-to-air capability and precision attacks on land and maritime targets. That broad role statement is not proof that every version carries the same weapons. The cited sources provide no controlled comparison with the F-16 Block 70, complete production census or documented account of Lavi technology transfer.
Video and image credit
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the J-10 first fly?
The family’s first prototype flew on 23 March 1998. That is not a first-flight date for the later J-10C.
When did the J-10C begin combat duty?
The PLA Air Force announced the start of J-10C combat duty on 16 April 2018.
Are J-10C and J-10CE specifications interchangeable?
No. J-10CE is the export configuration identified in Pakistani service. Figures need a variant and stated conditions before comparison with the domestic J-10C.
Is Mach 2.2 verified for the J-10C?
The cited official sources establish supersonic capability but do not confirm that exact domestic J-10C maximum. The numerical field is left unquantified.
Sources and scope
- PLA Air Force statement: J-10C roles
- China Military: J-10 prototype first flight
- PLA Air Force: J-10C combat-duty announcement
- China Military: J-10CE in Pakistan’s 2022 parade
- China Military: J-10 flight training in February 2026