Bangladesh Air Chief’s China Visit Likely Linked to Final Negotiations for J-10CE and JF-17 Block III Acquisition

Reading Time: 2 minutes Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan’s official visit to China later this month is widely believed to be related to negotiations with the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) for the acquisition of new fighter aircraft under the Air Force’s modernisation roadmap. According to defence sources familiar with the matter, Dhaka and Beijing are in advanced talks over two parallel contracts — one for 20 Chengdu J-10CE multirole fighters valued at approximately US$2.2 billion, and another for 16 JF-17 Block III aircraft worth US$720 million. Both deals are expected to be concluded within the 2025–26 fiscal year, marking a significant leap in the BAF’s air combat capability and technological base. Strategic Context and Procurement Dynamics The J-10CE, regarded as a “4.5-generation” fighter, would provide the Bangladesh Air Force with a substantial enhancement in air-to-air and precision