Bangladesh moves cautiously to purchase J-10C fighters amid U.S. pressure

Reading Time: 5 minutes Bangladesh’s reported interest in acquiring a dozen Chengdu J-10C “Vigorous Dragon” multirole fighters from China is the clearest sign yet that Dhaka intends to accelerate long-planned modernisation of the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF). But the path to any contract is politically fraught. Washington’s discomfort with deeper China–Bangladesh defence links, the shock of recent accidents involving BAF jets, and a narrow set of affordable alternatives all argue for a cautious, deliberately paced approach from Dhaka. Background: why J-10C, and why now? Local reporting indicates that during a March 2025 meeting in Beijing, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus raised Dhaka’s interest in purchasing 12 J-10C fighters, with Chinese leadership signalling a positive disposition toward the idea. Follow-on talks at official level have reportedly continued. For Dhaka, the J-10C promises a contemporary AESA-equipped, beyond-visual-range (BVR) shooter at a price point below many Western types, arriving fast and with a