Uzbekistan Confirms Chinese J-10CE Fighters at Karshi Base
Lead
Uzbekistan has publicly confirmed it now operates Chinese-built J-10CE multirole fighters, becoming the first Central Asian air force to field a modern Chinese combat jet and only the second export customer for the type after Pakistan. State television footage aired on August 28, 2026, during Uzbekistan’s 35th independence anniversary broadcast, showed at least six J-10CEs taxiing at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in the country’s south. The delivery ends decades of near-total reliance on Russian-built fighters in Uzbekistan’s air force and marks China’s first fighter-jet sale into a region Moscow has long treated as its own defense market.
What Happened
The aircraft appeared in a roughly two-hour state broadcast on the O’zbekiston 24 channel, the first official acknowledgment of a deal that had circulated as an unconfirmed rumor since late 2024. Independent aviation trackers had already spotted an unmarked J-10 variant in photos earlier in August, but the state television footage was the first evidence to show the jets carrying Uzbek air force markings. According to reporting from Air Data News and Army Recognition, individual airframes were tracked by serial number — including 1011, 1014, 1017, 1020, 1023 and 1026 — with aircraft 1020 photographed at the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation plant on August 23–24 before its delivery flight. Asian Military Review reported that the first jet arrived in late July 2026, with the remainder following through August, after a roughly 3,000-kilometer ferry flight from China using external fuel tanks rather than aerial refueling, since Uzbekistan operates no tanker aircraft.
The jets have been assigned to the 60th Separate Mixed Aviation Brigade at Karshi-Khanabad — a base publicly known as K2, which hosted United States forces supporting operations in Afghanistan from 2001 until Tashkent asked them to leave in 2005.
The Product/System
The J-10CE is the export version of the Chengdu J-10C, a single-engine, single-seat multirole fighter developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The J-10C first flew in December 2013 and entered Chinese air force service in April 2018. Per specifications compiled by Army Recognition, the aircraft is powered by a single WS-10B turbofan, measures 16.9 meters in length, has a gross weight of roughly 14,000 kilograms, a top speed near Mach 1.8, and a service ceiling above 18,000 meters. It carries an AESA fire-control radar, modern datalink and electronic-warfare systems, and eleven hardpoints capable of carrying up to 5,600 kilograms of ordnance, including the PL-10 and PL-15 air-to-air missiles in their export PL-10E and PL-15E configurations. The Uzbek jets were shown without the type’s fixed in-flight refueling probe; their weapons loadout has not been disclosed.
Who Uses It
Confirmed operators of the J-10C/J-10CE family are:
- China — People’s Liberation Army Air Force, original and largest operator (confirmed).
- Pakistan — first export customer, with 25 J-10CEs ordered in December 2021 and an option for 11 more; the first six arrived at PAF Base Minhas in March 2022 and joined No. 15 Squadron (confirmed).
- Uzbekistan — second export customer and first Central Asian operator, with at least six aircraft confirmed delivered to Karshi-Khanabad as of August 2026 (confirmed by official state television footage; total order size unconfirmed).
Indonesia and Bangladesh are both reported to be negotiating J-10C/CE acquisitions, but neither government has finalized a contract, so neither counts as a confirmed operator yet.
Export/Procurement History
Unverified reports of a Uzbek J-10CE order first surfaced in Chinese-language military forums in late 2024, months before any photographic evidence existed. Asian Military Review has reported that Uzbekistan’s defense minister, Shukhrat Khalmukhamedov, acknowledged a deal in mid-2025, though that specific claim has not been independently corroborated by other outlets reviewed for this report and should be treated as a single-source account pending further confirmation. What is independently verifiable is the sequence of physical evidence: unconfirmed photos of an unmarked airframe in early-to-mid August 2026, a Chengdu factory photo of a marked airframe on August 23–24, and the state television unveiling on August 28. Reported order totals range from 20 to 24 aircraft, but neither the Uzbek Ministry of Defense, Chinese authorities, nor AVIC has published a contract, quantity or price. Based on comparable deals, Army Recognition estimated a 24-jet Uzbek program could be worth roughly $1 billion, compared with about $1.5 billion for Pakistan’s 24-aircraft contract and roughly $2.2 billion for Bangladesh’s reported 20-aircraft package through 2035–2036 — differences the outlet attributed to variation in munitions, spares, simulators and support packages rather than airframe pricing alone.
Uzbekistan’s air force previously relied entirely on Soviet-legacy and Russian-sourced types. A July 2026 inventory cited by Army Recognition listed 38 MiG-29s, 25 Su-27s and 13 Su-25s assigned across the force, though it noted that figure does not indicate how many airframes remain flight-worthy. Six J-10CEs would represent a small fraction of that fleet; even the full reported order of up to 24 aircraft would not replace the MiG-29/Su-27 fleet on a one-for-one basis. Uzbekistan has separately diversified its airlift fleet in recent years, becoming the first Central Asian operator of Brazil’s Embraer C-390 Millennium in February 2026 alongside existing Airbus C295s, and it already fields Chinese-made HQ-9B/FD-2000, FM-90 and KS-1C air defense systems acquired around 2015 — meaning the J-10CE extends an existing, if limited, Chinese supply relationship rather than opening an entirely new one.
Global Competitors
Russia remains the dominant supplier of combat aircraft across Central Asia: Kazakhstan operates Russian Su-30SMs, and Moscow has in the past discussed additional fighter sales with Tashkent. Russian manufacturers Rosoboronexport and United Aircraft Corporation reported a record order book in 2026, with Su-57E, Su-35 and S-400 systems driving more than $13 billion in contracts signed in the first half of the year — underscoring that Russia’s position in the broader region, and even in Uzbekistan’s own air defense and rotary-wing fleets, is far from displaced. China’s J-10CE nonetheless gives Beijing its first fighter-jet foothold in a market Moscow has treated as exclusive territory since the Soviet collapse, following a pattern already visible in Pakistan, and in ongoing but unconfirmed J-10C negotiations with Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Why It Matters
The sale is less significant for its scale — six aircraft, against a Uzbek fighter fleet several times that size — than for what it signals about China’s willingness and ability to compete for defense-export customers inside Russia’s traditional sphere of influence, at a moment when Russian industry is consumed by wartime production demands. For Uzbekistan, the purchase diversifies a fighter fleet that has had no realistic alternative supplier for three decades, while introducing a separate Chinese logistics, munitions, training and maintenance chain alongside its existing Russian one. Regional air forces in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan — all still flying predominantly Soviet-legacy or Russian-supplied aircraft — will be watched closely for whether any follow Tashkent’s lead.
What Happens Next
Key open questions remain unresolved: whether the reported 20–24-aircraft total order is accurate, when or whether additional aircraft will be delivered, what weapons package accompanies the jets, and whether Uzbekistan will integrate the J-10CE with its existing Chinese-made HQ-9B/FM-90 air defense network via shared datalinks — a capability that has not been confirmed. Neither the Uzbek Ministry of Defense nor Chinese state media have issued a formal statement naming a contract value or final fleet size, and further deliveries, if they occur, are likely to be tracked the same way this one was — through satellite imagery, factory spotting and eventual state media confirmation rather than an official announcement.
FAQ
How many J-10CE fighters does Uzbekistan have?
At least six J-10CEs have been confirmed via official state television footage and tracked by serial number as of late August 2026. Reports of a larger order totaling 20 to 24 aircraft are unconfirmed by either the Uzbek or Chinese governments.
Is Uzbekistan the first Central Asian country to operate Chinese fighter jets?
Yes. Uzbekistan is the first Central Asian air force to field a modern Chinese fighter aircraft, although it has operated Chinese-made HQ-9B, FM-90 and KS-1C air defense systems since around 2015.
What aircraft is Uzbekistan replacing with the J-10CE?
Uzbekistan’s air force has flown Soviet-legacy and Russian-sourced MiG-29, Su-27 and Su-25 aircraft. Reports indicate the J-10CE is intended to eventually replace part of the aging MiG-29 and Su-27 fleet, though the delivered quantity so far is too small to represent a full replacement.
Who else operates the J-10CE besides China?
Pakistan was the first export customer, receiving its first aircraft in March 2022. Uzbekistan is the second confirmed export operator. Indonesia and Bangladesh have reportedly discussed acquisitions but have not finalized contracts.
Does this mean Russia is losing influence in Central Asia?
Not broadly. Russia still supplies the bulk of Central Asian air forces’ combat aircraft, including Kazakhstan’s Su-30SMs, and Rosoboronexport reported a record order book in 2026. The Uzbek J-10CE deal represents a narrow but symbolically significant Chinese entry into a market Russia has otherwise continued to dominate.
Sources
- Jérôme Brahy, “China delivers first J-10CE fighters to Uzbekistan to challenge Russian influence in Central Asia,” Army Recognition, September 2, 2026 — armyrecognition.com — primary source for serials, specifications, base/unit assignment and pricing estimates.
- Ricardo Meier, “Uzbekistan confirms arrival of first J-10CE fighters after months of rumors,” Air Data News, August 30, 2026 — airdatanews.com — confirms base, serial 1014, and prior fleet composition.
- Gordon Arthur, “Uzbekistan receives J-10CE fighters from China,” Asian Military Review, September 1, 2026 — asianmilitaryreview.com — source for July 2026 arrival timing and the single-sourced defense minister reference.
- “Uzbekistan Unveils its Chinese J-10CE Fighters,” The Aviationist, August 30, 2026 — theaviationist.com — corroborates unveiling date and prior Uzbek fleet.
- Air Data News, “New image adds to claims of Uzbek J-10CE order but questions remain,” August 18, 2026 — airdatanews.com — documents the pre-unveiling evidentiary uncertainty and analyst skepticism.
- Rosoboronexport/TASS reporting on 2026 Russian arms export order book, via World Defense News and TASS, October 2026 — used for Russia’s regional market-position context.
