Bangladesh is drawing up a draft agreement in order to begin formal talks with China regarding the purchase of J-10CEE multirole fighters and attack helicopters as part of its effort to modernise its outdated combat fleet. The possible acquisition of up to 24 aircraft illustrates the increasing interest in the advanced Chinese platform, which attracted considerable attention during the conflict between Pakistan and India in May 2025.
The aircraft currently in Dhaka's inventory are mainly composed of outdated Chengdu F-7 and MiG-29 Fulcrums models, both of which are suffering from serious difficulties in maintenance. Due to sanctions, Russia's support is highly unreliable. Zahed Ur Rahman, adviser to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, has confirmed that the draft agreement has been prepared, but the exact delivery timelines and financial terms have not been made public. The J-10CE, which is fitted with an active electronically scanned array radar and the PL-15 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, provides a mature and combat-tested alternative to both Western and Russian aircraft. Since Uzbekistan is also looking into acquiring 24 such aircraft, Beijing is successfully establishing itself as a player in defence markets which have hitherto been dominated by Moscow.
Equipping the Bangladesh Air Force with the J-10CE fighter jet, which is fitted with the PL-15 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, gives it access to a modern active electronically scanned array radar system. The shift from the outdated Chengdu F-7 platform has a fundamental effect on Dhaka's ability to defend its airspace by setting up a credible medium-range interception capability. Through the incorporation of these advanced Chinese systems, Bangladesh is able to decrease its operational reliance on the MiG-29 Fulcrums supplied by Russia, since those aircraft suffer from severe spare parts shortages.
As a result, the procurement will require a reorganisation of the Bangladesh Air Force's command and control structure in order to accommodate the high-bandwidth data links needed for PL-15 targeting. Moreover, the establishment of Chinese maintenance facilities at the domestic airbases in Dhaka will tie the military into long-term technical cooperation with Beijing's defence industrial complex. This level of integration will in the end hinder its ability to operate interoperably with Western-standard platforms when taking part in joint maritime security exercises in the Bay of Bengal.
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